- Saquon Barkley left the New York Giants in the offseason, and signed with their AFC East rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
- While the Giants are struggling badly, Barkley is one of the best players in the NFL.
- Barkley rolled for 255 rushing yards and two touchdowns in a 37-20 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football.
The Philadelphia Eagles were in big trouble earlier this season. They were 2-2 going into their Week 5 bye, and many were calling for head coach Nick Sirianni to be fired.
Now, the Eagles are 9-2 after Week 12, and running back Saquon Barkley has been, arguably, the MVP of the league. Barkley staked his claim to the MVP award with a thrilling performance against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football on November 24.
Barkley Dominates Rams in Second Half, Sets Eagles’ Record for Most Rushing Yards in a Game
It has been a season of highlights for Barkley, who may have had the best of the season with his backwards hurdle against Jacksonville in Week 9.
But the former New York Giant has truly jumped into the NFL MVP race after a scintillating performance in a 37-20 win on the road against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football. Barkley ran for a career-high 255 yards and two touchdowns, but he really took control of the game in the second half.
Barkley had 73 yards at halftime, but exploded out of the locker room, breaking out for a 70-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second half. The former Penn State Nittany Lion then added a 72-yard score with 2:44 left to cap off a phenomenal game. Barkley’s 255 yards set the record for rushing yards in a game for the Eagles. It was also the ninth-highest total for rushing yards in an NFL game.
The Eagles are thanking their lucky stars that the New York Giants decided not to re-sign Barkley, and instead give a gigantic deal to quarterback Daniel Jones. The Giants benched Jones last week for the rest of the season, and wound up releasing him on November 22. Meanwhile, Barkley is flourishing with their NFC East rivals from Philadelphia.
Are Barkley and the Eagles Legitimate Super Bowl Contenders?
Barkley was typically humble after the game, giving praise to his offensive line on his X account.
The Eagles are now 9-2 heading into a massive Week 13 matchup in Baltimore. They’ve won seven in a row, and much of that is down to Barkley, who has five 100-plus rushing yards in those seven games. Sirianni has stopped putting so much on the plate of quarterback Jalen Hurts, who has thrown just one interception during this seven-game run.
The Eagles are now leaning on Barkley, who leads the NFL in rushing with 1,392 yards, and that helps them control the clock, and keeps the other offense on the field. He has to be one of the top candidates in the NFL MVP odds, and definitely near or at the top of the NFL Offensive Player of the Year odds.
Philadelphia’s Super Bowl 59 odds also have to be taken seriously, now that they’ve figured out Barkley should be the focal point of the offense. The Eagles are still in the mix for the #1 seed in the NFC, chasing 10-1 Detroit, and they should win the NFC East. Watch out for the Eagles, who are looking to ride Barkley all the way to Super Bowl 59 in New Orleans!
