Saquon Barkley carried Eagles to a key NFC East win, and his offseason signing is looking like a home run for Philly

PHILADELPHIA — With 7:46 to play within the third quarter, Saquon Barkley noticed Bobby Wagner blitzing.

So the Philadelphia Eagles operating again leaked out to the area the linebacker had fled, a straightforward checkdown awaiting Jalen Hurts ought to he select to make use of it.

Some acquire appeared seemingly. Then Washington Commanders security Percy Butler whiffed on a deal with. Hastily, the Eagles’ marquee offseason signing picked up 43 yards.

Philadelphia wouldn’t but break its soon-to-be three-quarter landing drought. Nor would the Eagles handle a lead in any of the primary three quarters of their NFC East matchup towards the Washington Commanders.

However the dam was fraying. And shortly, it might burst.

Using the wave of Barkley’s 198 scrimmage yards and two touchdowns, the Eagles beat an ascending Washington crew, 26-18, on Thursday evening. Bettering to 8-2 with a head-to-head win over the closest competitors within the division, Philadelphia is now firmly in charge of its playoff future.

Nobody in Philadelphia, Barkley included, is suggesting the Eagles’ newest victory nor their 2024 success so far outcomes solely from the longtime New York Giants operating again who has revived his profession in Philadelphia.

However as Barkley posted his sixth 100-yard dashing recreation of the season (tying his mark from the earlier 4 seasons mixed) and moved into the NFL lead with 1,137 dashing yards, all agree that an Eagles crew constructed to propel a operating again is benefiting significantly from his providers.

There are just too many weapons for opponents to cease all of them for 4 quarters. Barkley is a key ingredient on this pick-your-poison assault.

“He put in some good work immediately,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts stated. “I’ve been speaking about this factor of us being a number of and us having a a number of strategy. It might look completely different. And so I believe as we embrace that as a soccer crew, how completely different these items can look and the way we succeed and the way we put up factors and produce, I believe we’ll be capable of proceed to diversify ourselves in our effectivity.”

Eagles normal supervisor Howie Roseman didn’t have a look at his roster this offseason and determine that extensions to receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith gave him a free cross on bolstering his run recreation. Nor did Roseman assume his perennially sturdy offensive line would merely buoy any bell cow to success.

Roseman did what isn’t performed and signed a gifted however growing older operating again away from a division rival when the New York Giants didn’t need to pay him as a lot. Balking league tendencies on the place paid off.

“Admire y’all, New York,” Eagles cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson stated. “Shout out New York. Apart from that, Sa[quon]’s been a hell of a man for us.”

Commanders stunted Eagles for 3 quarters earlier than tides turned

At halftime, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni confronted his crew’s actuality.

Philadelphia had transformed simply 3-of-11 third-down makes an attempt. Kicker Jake Elliott had missed field-goal makes an attempt from 44 and 51 yards. So their 174 yards of offense amounted to simply 3 factors.

“Actually what we talked about at halftime was that, ‘Hey, that is going to be a dirty, gritty recreation,’” Sirianni stated. “Simply preserve going. We all know we’re dirty and gritty. We all know that crew is dirty and gritty.

“It’s a avenue struggle and it’s not about who’s harder — however about who’s harder longer.”

The message utilized to a number of phases of the crew. However Barkley took to coronary heart how that might translate on a day when the run recreation was typically stalling.

He thought extra deliberately about when he ought to preserve tighter and when he might hit outdoors. When was the operation one block away from an explosive play and when did he want to simply make one learn otherwise downhill? Late within the third quarter and into the fourth, the Eagles started exhibiting they had been harder longer.

The Eagles settled for a discipline aim after Barkley’s 43-yard gash however Philadelphia’s protection allowed only one first down earlier than forcing a punt. Hurts took off to start out the fourth quarter after which, in a change-of-pace, operating again Kenneth Gainwell spelled Barkley and ripped off 14 after which 13 yards. Barkley got here again into the sport to take the Eagles across the left finish to the 1-yard line, from which Hurts brotherly shoved his means into the tip zone.

Finally, with 12 minutes to play within the recreation, the Eagles had their first landing and their first lead, 12-10. However might they preserve it?

Philadelphia almost squandered their likelihood when Dallas Goedert coughed up the ball, however fellow tight finish Grant Calcaterra recovered the fumble. Two performs later, Barkley’s blockers cleared an enormous gap for him. He curved round the best edge for a 23-yard landing.

And after security Reed Blankenship intercepted Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels the primary play of the following drive?

The Eagles handed it off to Barkley twice extra, Barkley chopping and bouncing his method to a 39-yard landing on his twenty sixth carry of the evening.

“We had been placing up a whole lot of dashing yards, gaining a whole lot of respect,” Barkley stated. “That is gonna be a mindset for groups coming into the sport: Make it possible for we do not try this. As a result of after we get the operating recreation going, it is form of arduous to beat our crew.

“You might cease us for 20-something carriers, however we rip off two lengthy ones when it issues most. The stats look fairly good and a whole lot of occasions you get a win.”

Barkley has an opportunity to achieve uncharted territory in Philly

Barkley is aware of what it’s wish to run up the field rating and maybe his fantasy worth however not in the end win the video games.

As a rookie in 2018, he scored 15 touchdowns and led the league with 2,028 yards from scrimmage. The Giants received simply 5 video games.

In 2019, Barkley once more managed 1,441 yards and eight scores — this time in simply 13 video games. The Giants received 4 that yr.

And in 2022, New York’s solely playoff marketing campaign in Barkley’s six years there, his 1,650 yards and 10 touchdowns helped energy a 9-7 crew that upset the Minnesota Vikings within the wild-card spherical earlier than getting blown out within the divisional spherical, 38-7, to his now-employer in Philadelphia.

Barkley watched them advance to the Tremendous Bowl weeks later and knew then what he is aware of now: Philadelphia expects a deep postseason run. After seeing two Tremendous Bowl appearances within the final decade, that’s reasonable for the Eagles.

All of which is a great distance of claiming: Excuse Barkley for not unduly celebrating the Eagles’ 8-2 file, even when it contains extra wins than all however one among his six New York years.

“We don’t get a trophy for midseason,” Barkley stated. “We received to maintain going.”

Teammates echoed that expectation.

Hurts spoke about how the crew will “proceed to construct, make the most of the whole lot that we now have to its fullest.” Gardner-Johnson stated extra plainly that the Eagles count on to and may win the division’s assured playoff berth.

“You understand who run[s] this division — no disrespect,” Gardner-Johnson stated. “[Washington]’s an awesome crew however we all know what occurs. We all know what we gotta do.

“It’s not a diss or a shot at no one. We simply gotta perceive. Maintain what’s rightfully yours. Simply preserve taking part in ball.”