Philadelphia Eagles followers serenaded Saquon Barkley with chants of “MVP!” after a nine-yard run gave him the workforce’s season dashing report.
Barkley set the report in model – passing Eagles Hall of Famers Wilbert Montgomery and record-holder LeSean McCoy in a single recreation – as he ran for 124 yards to push his season whole to 1,623 in a 22-16 win over Carolina.
The whole was sufficient for Barkley to surpass McCoy’s 1,607 yards in 2013.
Barkley additionally maintained his tempo to interrupt Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season dashing report of two,105 yards set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.
At his tempo, Barkley ought to attain that milestone, even perhaps earlier than the seventeenth recreation of the season that Dickerson and the NFL did not play in 1984.
Here’s a take a look at what’s subsequent for Barkley and his possibilities of catching Dickerson:
Where does Barkley match within the report race?
Barkley leads the NFL in dashing with 1,623 yards, a full 216 yards forward of Baltimore’s Derrick Henry with 1,407 (although the Ravens had a bye on Sunday).
He averaged 124.8 yards per recreation. At that charge, and with yet another recreation to play than Dickerson, he would turn out to be the most effective single-season rusher in NFL historical past. He wants 483 yards within the last 4 video games to surpass Dickerson’s 40-year-old report. Barkley is on tempo for two,122 yards, which might put him simply 17 yards past Dickerson’s 2,105 whole.
What’s the plan for Barkley?
On the standard of defenses alone, Barkley faces little resistance down the stretch.
He celebrated in opposition to a Panthers protection that was one of many worst dashing defenses within the NFL. Barkley averaged 6.2 yards on 20 carries in opposition to Carolina and will simply anticipate to match that tempo in no less than three of the following 4 video games.
The Steelers come to Philly on Sunday and ought to be Barkley’s hardest take a look at but in his pursuit of the report. Pittsburgh is fourth within the NFL in run protection.
Pittsburgh Steelers
PIT
+4.5
+188
Or 43.5
Philadelphia Eagles
PHI
-4.5
-228
U43.5
After the Steelers, Barkley might run wild.
Washington is twenty eighth within the NFL in run protection, Dallas is twenty seventh and would face the thirtieth run protection within the season finale in opposition to the Giants.
Why is Barkley with the Eagles?
The 27-year-old Barkley has completely thrived in his first season with the Eagles.
He is among the many favorites for league MVP, in keeping with BetMGM Sportsbook. Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen was the one participant with the most effective MVP odds on Monday.
Barkley would possibly recognize the pleasant twist of setting the report in opposition to his outdated workforce, the Giants, however undoubtedly not the seventeenth recreation asterisk that may include the overall.
Barkley was drafted second total by Penn State with the No. 2 choose in 2018. He had speedy success in New York and ran for 1,307 yards in his rookie season. Barkley rushed for five,211 yards and 35 touchdowns and likewise had 288 receptions for two,100 yards and 12 scores in six years with the Giants.
He hit free company after the Giants determined to not place a franchise tag on him.
Barkley signed a three-year contract with the Eagles for $26 million assured and $37.75 million total, making him the highest-paid operating again in franchise historical past.
His free company was chronicled within the sports activities documentary tv sequence “Hard Knocks.”
In the essential scene, Giants normal supervisor Joe Schoen informed Barkley that the Giants wouldn’t make him a proposal or connect a franchise tag to him. Rather, the Giants would let Barkley take a look at the free agent market, a transfer that despatched him in opposition to an NFC East rival.
“I’m going to have a tough time sleeping if Saquon goes to Philadelphia, I let you know,” workforce proprietor John Mara informed Schoen within the sequence “Like I informed you, simply having sufficient gamers round, he is the most well-liked participant we’ve got , by far.”
Under normal supervisor Howie Roseman, the Eagles have been typically reluctant to make use of excessive draft picks or invaluable wage cap house on a operating again.
Barkley was thought of a notable exception.
Can Barkley keep wholesome?
Barkley has been a workhorse this season and labored laborious in New York when wholesome. Barkley performed simply twice in 16 video games with the Giants.
Last season he performed 14 video games, lacking three as a consequence of a extreme ankle sprain. He ran for 962 yards and 6 touchdowns. Barkley was restricted to 2 video games in 2020 after struggling a torn ACL.
Barkley has suffered minor accidents this season and has proven his sturdiness by main the NFL with 246 carries.
But accidents will not be his solely potential downside. The Eagles’ nine-game profitable streak locations them because the No. 2 seed within the NFC. If they clinch that spot early, the ultimate recreation in opposition to New York might be fairly meaningless and coach Nick Sirianni could need to determine whether or not Barkley goes for the end line or sits out earlier than the playoffs.
Who was Eric Dickerson?
With his signature glasses and Jheri curl, Dickerson was one of many biggest operating backs of the Nineteen Eighties and the Hall of Famer was broadly thought of probably the greatest of all time.
Dickerson completed his profession with 13,259 yards, ninth most in NFL historical past. Emmitt Smith holds the profession NFL dashing report with 18,355 yards.
In 1984, Dickerson topped 100 yards dashing 12 occasions to interrupt Buffalo’s OJ Simpson’s 1973 report of two,003 dashing yards in a single season.
Simpson set his report in 12 video games earlier than the NFL expanded to 16 in 1978. The NFL moved to 17 video games in 2021.
Associated Press reporting.
(Want nice tales delivered straight to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, comply with leagues, groups and gamers to obtain a customized publication day by day.)
National soccer league
Philadelphia Eagles
Get extra from the National Football League Follow your favorites to get data on video games, information and extra
