Eagles’ Saquon Barkley fulfilled a promise he made to teammates in victory vs. Commanders

PHILADELPHIA — After the Eagles’ 26-18 victory over the Commanders on Thursday, wide receiver Britain Covey walked past reporters in the tunnel halls and conveyed a sentiment shared by many players in the locker room.

“Good, we got Saquon,” Covey said.

In his first season with the Eagles, running back Saquon Barkley has ignited Philadelphia’s offense when it needs a spark and has helped his teammates stay positive in difficult moments.

And he did that against Washington, too.

With about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Eagles led just 12-10 against the Commanders and needed their struggling offense to score a touchdown.

In the first 53 minutes, the Eagles scored one touchdown, punted three times, missed two field goals and settled for two field goals in the red zone.

All night, Barkley inspired his teammates.

Barkley told them he was going to make a big play to win the game. He made good on his promise when he rushed for a 23-yard game-winning touchdown with four minutes, 58 seconds left. On third-and-3, he popped it outside and ran past every Commanders defender into the end zone, giving the Eagles a 19-10 lead.

On the Eagles’ next possession, Barkley ran behind guard Mekhi Becton and cut it back for a 39-yard touchdown to give Philadelphia a 16-point lead (26-10).

He amassed 146 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns on 26 attempts against the Commanders.

“I’ll tell you what I told (Saquon) at the start of the third quarter,” Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said. “I said, ‘I’ll be damned if we lose this game in my comeback game.’ He said, ‘I have you.’ He showed up in the fourth quarter. He says, ‘I told you so.’ I was like, ‘Oh, thank you. I appreciate you.'”

Barkley, who played the first six years of his career with the New York Giants, signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Eagles in March. While playing in New York, he became one of the NFL’s best running backs.

But Barkley didn’t dominate consistently because he dealt with injuries and played on poor offenses. This season, he has flourished behind Philadelphia’s elite offensive line and is on pace to break his single-season rushing record of 1,312 yards, which he set in 2022.

Last night, Barkley became the sixth running back since 1970 to rush for 1,000 yards in 10 games with a new team. He currently leads the NFL with 1,137 rushing yards.

“He can make your O-line look a little better than it is,” Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “I saw his skills in training camp pretty early on and I was like, ‘Oh, (expletive).’ He’s obviously having a good year. But he’s really a glue in this locker room. He brings people together.”

Johnson and other Eagles players admire Barkley’s selfless attitude.

Barkley, one of the NFL’s biggest superstars, wants his teammates to get more credit than he does.

During his postgame interview, Barkley skipped over a question about his performance to mention that backup running back Kenneth Gainwell and the offensive line wore down Washington’s defense early in the fourth quarter, making it easier for him to score his two touchdowns.

“He’s amazing and he’s humble at the same time,” Becton said. “You don’t see people who are really, really good and still humble at the same time. I can say that about him. He assumes the leadership role. He wants it on his back. He is a leader. He is so humble.”

The Commanders held Barkley to 56 rushing yards in the first half. But after the break, the Eagles made adjustments in the running game to be more explosive.

Barkley’s 43-yard catch-and-run during the third quarter set up a field goal, and his two touchdowns in the fourth quarter put the Commanders away.

“When you have those guys up front, it’s easy to get stronger because they lean on those guys,” Barkley said.

Barkley also helps his offensive linemen.

“Just how hard he runs and how much he wants things to work,” center Cam Jurgens said. “He’s always talking to us and making sure he’s doing the right things. And just the constant communication with what we can do and what he can do. And how we make this thing come together. It helps in a game like this, when things don’t work, and then you finally click and things work.”

The 8-2 Eagles are a Super Bowl contender this season. Only the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions have a better record.

Over the next seven weeks, the Eagles will have to work on some issues, including their slow offensive start.

But Philadelphia doesn’t have to be perfect to beat the best NFL teams. Barkley helps them win by making absurd plays that so few can make.

“You keep feeding a guy with that type of ability and determination, sometimes the willpower takes over,” Johnson said.

Thank you for trusting us to deliver the journalism you can trust. Consider supporting us with a subscription. Cayden Steele can be reached at [email protected]