Baltimore Ravens nose tackle Travis Jones brought down the formidable Saquon Barkley, causing a one-yard loss on his sole carry in the third quarter on Sunday. This left Barkley with 44 yards rushing for the day. Barkley has had four separate carries this season that have yielded more yardage. The Ravens had managed to contain Barkley reasonably well up to that point, but football games are four quarters long, not three, and Barkley appears to be getting stronger as the game progresses. As the Philadelphia Eagles secured a 24-19 victory over a fellow playoff contender, Barkley finished with 107 yards rushing. His fourth quarter included 11 carries, highlighted by a 25-yard touchdown run, followed by six consecutive carries on a five-minute drive that culminated in a game-clinching field goal. Although not his best game statistically, Barkley once again demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure.

"He turns bad situations into good ones," said Eagles guard Landon Dickerson. Barkley now leads the NFL with 1,499 yards rushing, on track to surpass Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old single-season record of 2,105 yards, set when the season was 16 games long rather than 17. More importantly to Barkley, the Eagles are 10-2, having won eight games in a row. Of his 1,499 yards, 982 have come after halftime, with 481 in the fourth quarter – including six touchdowns and 17 first downs. Sunday’s game was significant as the Ravens, with the No. 2 rushing defense in the NFL, had not previously allowed an opposing back to rush for 100 yards. Baltimore’s strategy to stop Barkley involved creating a formidable defensive wall and focusing on plugging gaps. Ravens defensive tackle Nnamdi Madubuike acknowledged, "We mostly did that, but we let it slip away at the end."

This was not the expected outcome. Barkley, 27, the former Penn State star and second overall pick in the 2018 draft, spent six seasons with the New York Giants, appearing in two playoff games. He played every game only in his rookie season. After a 2-2 start, the Eagles have emerged as legitimate Super Bowl contenders this season. M&T Bank Stadium nearly emptied after the field goal made it 24-12, leaving jubilant Eagles fans chanting "MVP! MVP!" at Barkley. He acknowledged their cheers, stating, "My focus immediately goes to the locker room to enjoy the win."

Barkley expressed gratitude for a second chance and is running behind what is arguably the best offensive line in the NFL, despite the retirement of center Jason Kelce. The addition of Barkley seems to have invigorated the offensive line. "You have Saquon back there, and he can make you look better," said veteran Philadelphia offensive tackle Lane Johnson. Barkley can burst through gaps and break long runs, as evidenced by his two 70-yard touchdown runs in a 255-yard game against the Los Angeles Rams on November 24. He has had 11 carries of at least 20 yards this season. Asked if he had ever had more fun on a field, Barkley initially misunderstood the question, discussing his fourth-quarter fumble that he recovered. He jokingly said he hadn’t been that angry with himself since he was a "little kid." Barkley corrected himself, smiling, "I’m having a blast."

Barkley signed a three-year, $37.75 million free-agent deal with Philadelphia in March, playing just an hour south of Allentown, where he went to high school. It felt like a homecoming. Barkley relished the challenge of joining a new team. The Eagles seem like a good fit, and Barkley enjoys the camaraderie: conversations at the lunch table and working out with his teammates. "It gives me a college vibe," he said. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts has become more effective. Hurts threw for only 118 yards on Sunday, adding 29 yards rushing on nine carries, but coach Nick Sirianni praised his performance. "I wish they could give an O-line the MVP," Sirianni said. Hurts, who speaks softly, credited the offensive line and Barkley’s consistent performance.

Barkley’s eighth 100-yard game of the season tied Wilbert Montgomery’s 43-year-old team record, with five games still to play. He is 109 yards away from breaking LeSean McCoy’s 11-year-old single-season Eagles rushing record. Barkley has loftier goals. Philadelphia got a bit lucky Sunday: veteran Baltimore kicker Justin Tucker, struggling with a slump, missed two field-goal attempts and an extra-point attempt, making a Lamar Jackson touchdown pass irrelevant. The Eagles persevered. Sirianni nearly got a penalty for running downfield to congratulate wide receivers Parris Campbell and Jahan Dotson for their downfield blocks that enabled Barkley’s 25-yard touchdown run. Of the 1-6 finish that derailed their 2023 season, Sirianni said, "Last year’s over. We don’t care about last year. We learned what we needed to learn from last year." Barkley, who wasn’t around last year, said, "It’s a blessing to have coaches who trust me and can lean on me. We’re good at a lot of things, but we need to keep trusting the system and the guys up front." The offensive line appreciates Barkley, as Lane Johnson noted, "When you’ve got a guy like that, all he needs is a little bit of daylight."

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