Saquon Barkley hit a milestone in 1st year with Eagles. But with history in reach, Philadelphia now faces a dilemma

As the Philadelphia Eagles prepared to take the ball in the fourth quarter, offensive linemen were buzzing.

“We got 48 more yards,” left guard Landon Dickerson told left tackle Jordan Mailata.

The Eagles led the Dallas Cowboys by 27 points. Forty-eight yards until what, Mailata asked?

“To 2K, you big dummy,” Mailata recalled Dickerson’s response.

Running back Saquon Barkley was on the cusp of becoming the ninth player in NFL history to surpass 2,000 rushing yards in a season.

Barkley heard the chatter as right tackle Lane Johnson told fellow linemen “this mother-F’er needs this to get it” and “let’s go get it,” Barkley said.

Philadelphia then handed the ball to its marquee 2024 offseason signing on six straight plays.

He ripped off six yards, then 11, then three, then nine. And then, with a 23-yard burst up the left sideline, Barkley surpassed 2,000 rushing yards on the season and hit 2,005.

Head coach Nick Sirianni called a timeout to pull Barkley from the game. The Eagles celebrated.

“I’m not going to lie, just being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and some of them I grew up watching, definitely means a lot,” Barkley said after the 41-7 win. “You can’t be great without the greatness of others, and I’m just happy I was able to be a part of the team and be able to reach a milestone like that.”

On Sunday, as the Eagles clinched the NFC East, the individual goals of Barkley and team goals of the Eagles largely aligned. Philadelphia needed this win, its 13th of the season, to lock in a home playoff game. Barkley’s production — which included 137 yards after halftime — helped secure the decision.

But as Philadelphia looks to its regular-season finale, the team’s next set of goals poses a dilemma. Another rushing record, even more historic, is in reach. And yet: What if Barkley gets hurt chasing it in a game that won’t impact the…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/saquon-barkley-hit-a-milestone-in-1st-year-with-eagles-but-with-history-in-reach-philadelphia-now-faces-a-dilemma-052017371.html

Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-12-30 05:20:00

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