Before this NFL season began, a major concern surrounding the Philadelphia Eagles was how their new running back would play behind a new-look offensive line.
That question has been definitively answered.
Saquon Barkley added to his candidacy for the NFL’s most valuable player and the Eagles won their seventh consecutive game on NBC’s “Sunday Night Football” by dominating in the run game, yet again, and sprinting past the Los Angeles Rams 37-20.
Just one season after being cast off from the New York Giants, Barkley ran behind an overpowering offensive line for a career-high 255 yards — the first time in his career he has rushed for more than 200 yards — including touchdown runs of 70 and 72 yards in which defenders could barely lay a hand on the back, let alone stop him.
It was the most individual rushing yards in a single game since 2009, and pushed Barkley to 1,392 yards on the season, a new career-high set in only 11 games.
Already the NFL’s leader in yards from scrimmage, Barkley pushed his lead in that category by also catching four passes for 47 yards. With the win, the Eagles improve to 9-2, including 5-1 on the road, to extend their NFC East division advantage over the Washington Commanders.
“We just got to keep building,” Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts said postgame on NBC. “Momentum is the fakest thing out there because it could end or begin at any moment. We just want to continue to build, learn from our mistakes and play good ball.”
The Rams drop to 5-6. They had won four of their last five games, but the loss won’t derail their playoff aspirations, not in an NFC West division that remains tightly knotted together entering the season’s home stretch.
But the story was Barkley and the legitimate Super Bowl potential he has created for a team that, just one year ago, was enduring a late-season collapse. This season, the Eagles have gotten stronger as the weeks have gone on.
Even with the hole left by the offseason retirement of center Jason Kelce, a likely future Hall of Famer, the Eagles entered Sunday owning the NFL’s top rushing offense, averaging 181.3 yards per game.
Against the Rams, Philadelphia rushed for 314. The run-pass combination kept the Rams’ defense off-balance, as Philadelphia converted nine of its 15 third-down opportunities, compared to 0-of-8 for Los Angeles.
“He’s a hell of a player,” Hurts said of Barkley. “He’s the best at what he does.”
SNF blog: Look back at how the game unfolded
The consistency of their run game has allowed Philadelphia to ground down teams in second halves, and that trend also continued as Philadelphia scored 24 points after halftime to the Rams’ 13.
The Eagles are now only the second team in NFL history, and the first since 1949, to rush for at least 150 yards and multiple rushing touchdowns in six consecutive games.
“I got a fresh start,” Barkley said postgame. “I’m around a great group of guys. The whole organization for me, top to bottom, has welcomed me in with open arms. I’m having fun. I’m ready to go out there and perform at a high level and get ready for next week.”
Cowboys beat Commanders in bizarre fashion, plus Packers dominate 49ers
- The Dallas Cowboys beat their rival Commanders 34-26 on the road in one of the most bizarre games in years. Trailing 27-20 with 21 seconds remaining, Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels found Terry McLaurin for an 86-yard score that seemingly would allow Washington to tie the game. The only issue? Kicker Austin Seibert’s extra point went wide left and Dallas (4-7) held on to win the matchup. The game featured two kickoff return touchdowns, two missed extra points, a blocked punt and a blocked field goal attempt, the only time that has happened in NFL history. Washington, once a lock for the postseason, has now lost three straight.
- The Green Bay Packers (8-3) established themselves as a legitimate playoff contender with a dominant 38-10 win against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday. Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love threw two touchdowns while running back Josh Jacobs exploded for 106 yards and three scores on the ground. The 28-point loss is the worst for San Francisco (5-6) since October 2018.
- The Minnesota Vikings withstood a late comeback attempt by the Chicago Bears to improve to 9-2. Minnesota led 27-16 with 1:56 left in regulation but Caleb Williams led a successful touchdown drive and two-point conversion to make it 27-24 with 22 seconds left. Chicago then recovered the onside kick and Cairo Santos hit a 48-yard field goal as time expired to push to overtime. After a defensive stop, the Vikings’ John Parker Romo drilled a 29-yarder to win the game. The entire state of Minnesota took a collective sigh of relief after the game. It was the Bears’ fifth straight loss.
