The New York Giants couldn’t do anything to stop Saquon Barkley on Sunday afternoon.
Barkley racked up nearly 200 rushing yards while leading the Philadelphia Eagles to a dominant 28-3 victory against his former team at MetLife Stadium that pushed the Eagles to 4-2 on the year. It was not only his best day since joining the Eagles this season, but also his best rushing performance in years.
Barkley finished with 176 rushing yards on 17 carries on the season, leaving the Eagles just behind the Washington Commanders at the top of the NFC East race. He also made three runs of more than 35 yards during the game, something the NFL hasn’t seen since Isaiah Crowell accomplished it for the New York Jets during the 2018 campaign.
Barkley’s afternoon fell short of his career-high when he posted 189 rushing yards against the Washington Commanders in 2019. It was also the second-best rushing day for a running back against their former team in NFL history.
Barkley put the Eagles on the board first midway through the second quarter with a three-yard rush. He had made a 55-yard run earlier on that drive to set up the easy touchdown run as well.
The Eagles scored again on their next drive after Jalen Hurts hit AJ Brown for a deep 41-yard touchdown on a fourth down attempt, giving them a 14-point halftime lead.
The Eagles then scored on back-to-back drives in the second half to put the game away, both on 1-yard touchdown runs from Hurts right at the goal line. Barkley took off on both drives, first for a 49-yard rip and then for a 41-yard gain.
By the time the second push-push touchdown was on the board, the game was effectively over. Barkley, who had 176 rushing yards after the third quarter ended, and the Eagles cruised to a 25-point victory.
Things got so bad for the Giants in the fourth quarter that they actually pulled starting quarterback Daniel Jones in favor of Drew Lock. Jones was sacked seven times before being pulled, and he went just 14 of 21 for 99 yards. Lock didn’t fare much better down the stretch. He went just 3-for-8 for six yards.
Hurts finished throwing 10-of-14 for 114 yards and a touchdown. He also had 22 yards on seven carries on the ground, with his two rushing touchdowns. Brown had 89 receiving yards and his touchdown on five catches. Hurts now has six career games with a passing touchdown and multiple rushing touchdowns, which is the second-most in the modern era behind only Cam Newton.
Barkley now has 658 rushing yards this season, which is the most for any Eagles dating back to the first six games of a season in team history. Barkley entered the game averaging just over 96 rushing yards per game, a mark he nearly doubled on Sunday. His production was also the highest the Giants have allowed by a running back in the past decade.
While the Giants clearly have problems to solve on both sides of the ball — they are now just 2-5 and have yet to win a game at home this fall — Barkley didn’t hesitate to give the entire team that gave him his gave, to overwhelm. NFL start. He seems like a great fit in Philadelphia.
