Ralph Vacchiano
NFL reporter
Editor’s observe: This story has been up to date after initially publishing on Dec. 24.
Jalen Hurts was on his strategy to the locker room with a concussion Sunday afternoon. The Philadelphia Eagles had the lead in Washington on the time, however they knew they’d be in bother with the lack of their beginning quarterback.
But Saquon Barkley knew precisely what to do.
On the Eagles’ eighth play after Hurts’ departure, with the offense already displaying indicators of stagnation, Barkley took a cross from backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, began up the center, lower left, froze a defender, discovered a gap and handed the The commander’s protection is on the sideline. He ripped off a 68-yard landing run — the large play the Eagles wanted at precisely the fitting time. He reminded everybody that he can carry a staff on his again.
Saquon Barkley rushes for an INCREDIBLE 68-yard TD
No, the Eagles did not win that recreation. But they’ve received quite a bit this season, largely because of the addition of Barkley. He reworked an offense that usually missed final season. He turned the Eagles into bullies with their floor recreation, which was just about unstoppable. It gave them their id. It made them Super Bowl contenders once more.
That’s why, regardless that voters love giving this award to quarterbacks, Barkley must be this yr’s NFL MVP.
The numbers Barkley put up in his first season in Philadelphia clearly put him within the MVP hunt. Despite sitting out the common season finale, he completed with a league-best 2,005 speeding yards, which simply surpassed his earlier profession excessive of 1,312 yards. In the method, he turned the ninth NFL defender to interrupt the two,000-yard barrier, ending simply 100 yards in need of tying the NFL single-season speeding report.
He topped 100 yards speeding in 11 of his 16 video games. He tore via the Rams in Los Angeles for 255 yards and two touchdowns proper earlier than Thanksgiving. He had a number of touchdowns in six video games. He helped the Eagles maintain the ball within the remaining 10:29 of their win over the Steelers two weeks in the past. He is barely the third working again in NFL historical past to have 4 touchdowns of 60 yards or extra.
Whatever the Eagles wanted Barkley to do, he discovered a strategy to get it finished.
And the numbers are solely a part of its story. This Eagles staff was a large number earlier than he arrived. They might have had the perfect offensive line within the NFL, however they misplaced confidence of their play on the sector final season. Their offense was adrift due to this. They may not perceive what their id was. It was a giant motive why they misplaced six of their final seven video games.
And then got here Saquon Barkley, a present from the rival New York Giants within the offseason. At a time when working backs had been being devalued throughout the league, the place groups thought they had been interchangeable and never price massive investments, Barkley satisfied the Eagles to decide to a three-year, $37.5 million contract with $26 million assured.
Then he went out and proved to everybody that he was most likely price much more. The Eagles seen it straight away too. In truth, once they entered the bye week with only a 2-2 report, a few of the offensive linemen met with Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and instructed him that in the event that they began profitable like they used to, Barkley could be the rationale . Why.
“Quite a lot of it was, we have now Saquon Barkley again there,” proper sort out Lane Johnson instructed reporters. “Let’s fucking give him the ball.”
The Eagles did it after which they turned him. Yes, they’ve Hurts and two dynamic receivers in AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, in addition to the highest protection within the NFL. But Barkley is who I’m. They thrive on their devastating speeding assault, one that may maintain groups on the bottom all recreation, then explode on them for large runs on the most opportune moments.
“He’s received nice velocity. He can hit the house run,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin mentioned, earlier than Barkley was held to only 65 yards in opposition to Pittsburgh, his second-lowest output of the season. “He’s good in tight areas. He can get downhill. He can drop pads. He’s received good lateral abilities. He could make folks miss.
“He’s only a actually full participant. He was dominant. He opened my eyes at instances.”
Even so, it will likely be troublesome for Barkley to win this award, regardless of the extraordinary season he’s having. Voters have made it clear for the final 17 years that that is an award for the quarterback greater than anything. There hasn’t been a working again to win it since 2012, and Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson wanted to make an try on the NFL speeding report to take action (he completed with 2,097 yards, the second-best whole in league historical past). And he nonetheless solely received about 61% of the vote (Colts quarterback Peyton Manning received the remaining).
This represents a major impediment this season as nicely. How quarterback Josh Allen led the Buffalo Bills could have lots of affect when the ballots are turned in. But he additionally hasn’t been as constantly dominant as Barkley has been this season. Baltimore quarterback Lamar Jackson additionally could have an opportunity to win the award for the second straight season, however voters will first must determine whether or not he or working again Derrick Henry is his personal staff’s MVP.
In Philadelphia there isn’t any doubt. When Hurts has struggled, Barkley has been there. When Hurts has thrived, Barkley has been there too. And when Hurts was out, Barkley stepped up earlier than the Commanders loaded the road of scrimmage with practically their total protection within the second half in an try to cease him.
And via all of it, Barkley was who he at all times was throughout these first six troublesome, injury-riddled seasons with the New York Giants. He was a optimistic affect within the locker room, a pacesetter of the staff from the day he arrived.
“His will is on show 24/7,” left sort out Jordan Mailata mentioned final month. “He would not cease, he would not waver. He’s very encouraging, he is at all times speaking to us, he is at all times speaking about what he sees and what he needs. And it is Saquon Barkley, man, it doesn’t matter what he says, you are like, ‘Yes, sir.’
Considering what number of stars there have been already in Philadelphia when he arrived, together with alongside the offensive line, taking up a management position wasn’t going to be simple. Barkley got here from a perennial loser. The Giants had been 34-64-1 in his time in New York, with double-digit losses in 5 of six seasons. Most of his new teammates, in the meantime, had skilled nothing however profitable. They had even misplaced a Super Bowl simply 13 months earlier.
They did not care about MVP awards, yards or anything. All they needed was to win.
And they rapidly found that that was precisely what Barkley had come to do.
“I like being in that (MVP) dialog,” Barkley mentioned final month. “That’s effective and all. But if you happen to inform me I may have the yr I’m having and win an MVP however not win a Super Bowl, or I can have the yr I’m having and never win the MVP or an offensive participant of a yr and win a Super Bowl, I’ll take the opposite one.”
He made that clear on his first day as an Eagle, as he appeared round in admiration on the expertise round him. And these proficient gamers appeared again, realizing that pretty much as good because the Eagles had been, even throughout their Super Bowl run two years in the past, they’d by no means performed with a participant like Barkley.
“Saquon – mentioned Sirianni – is a particular participant”.
Everyone knew it was. Everyone knew that after he received out of New York and performed behind an actual offensive line, he would present the world that, as former Giants normal supervisor Dave Gettleman as soon as mentioned of him, “he had been touched by the hand of God.”
He has demonstrated this and extra in each recreation this season. He has confirmed his price. He has confirmed his price.
And voters ought to acknowledge that there isn’t any one within the NFL this season extra invaluable than him.
Ralph Vacchiano is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He spent the earlier six years overlaying the Giants and Jets for SNY TV in New York and, earlier than that, 16 years overlaying the Giants and the NFL for the New York Daily News. Follow him on Twitter at @RalphVacchiano.
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