Saquon Barkley’s Philadelphia story could have a very worthwhile ending

On By Littum

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — The lasting image of this indelible season will be a running back in the open field. It will be the melding of memories: a cut, a catch, an MVP-caliber careening force that carves his name into Philadelphia sports history.

Saquon Barkley delivered two runs Sunday night that won’t soon be forgotten. They will be enjoyed between rounds inside the most deserted dive bars on the most depressing days. Yes, but do you remember that race? Someone will immediately ask which one. Sometimes the first will be quoted. Someone will shout. They’ll joke about how Landon Dickerson flattened the Los Angeles Rams linebacker who was flailing helplessly as Barkley slipped by for a 70-yard score on the first play of the second half.

A beer will open the second story. Foam will flow through the fingers, like Barkley from the left side of the line. Remember how he planted that foot and exploded? Diving Rams edge rusher Jared Verse grabbed only air. Barkley was already gone, already surprised, already simultaneously breaking two single-game franchise records on a 72-yard touchdown run.

Perhaps Barkley’s 255 rushing yards, along with his 302 scrimmage yards, by then will have successfully supported an MVP campaign, which cornerback Isaiah Rodgers offered unprovoked in the locker room after the game, as if the award served as both a synonym and definition for the player who fueled the Philadelphia Eagles in their 37-20 win over the Rams at SoFi Stadium.

“It’s the first time I’ve been around an athlete like that,” Rodgers said. “Everything he does is shocking to me. It’s new to me. I’m just enjoying the show right now, just like everyone else is.”

The majority of Sunday’s announced 74,400 paid attendees were wearing green. A raucous contingent filled one of the stadium tunnels and chanted “MVP” as Barkley left the field. No Philadelphian has ever seen a running back like him. No teammate can even summon the words to describe the player whose seven 100-yard games spurred a streak that has now reached seven games.

“You can’t,” Dickerson said.

The Left Guard would also have run out of breath at some point. He was somehow out in front of Barkley and blocked on a screen, one of the running back’s four receptions for 47 yards. Barkley is the all-around catalyst. Coach Nick Sirianni said, “He’s got everything you look for in a back.” The head coach watched his offense waste its first two red-zone opportunities, then lean on Barkley while trailing 7-6 on a second-quarter drive in which he logged 42 of 62 of its total yards, including a 13- yards catch on toe. along the sideline to the Rams 7.

Two plays later, Jalen Hurts completed a 6-yard touchdown to AJ Brown, a catch that required an official review. Brown, a three-time Pro Bowler, is finding himself the beneficiary of favorably shaped defenses. He caught six passes for 109 yards, a significant number considering his tandem playmaker, DeVonta Smith, was sidelined with a hamstring injury.

“When you combine one problem with other problems, you have a problem,” Hurts said.

Problems. Oh right. There were some problems in the game. But that baggage will rot on the LAX tarmac, long forgotten by an Eagles team whose offensive talent and defensive dominance can seemingly erase any mistake. Three penalties in four plays forced the Eagles to settle for a second field goal in the first quarter. And inexplicably, Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore called a fourth-down Hurts draw that, when stopped, gave the Rams two seconds to attempt a Hail Mary just before halftime.

But Josh Sweat sacked Matthew Stafford to eliminate any potential injury. After surrendering 8.8 yards per carry play on their first two defensive drives, the Eagles held the Rams to negative six yards on the final four drives of the first half. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s unit held the Rams to fewer total yards (290) than Barkley achieved. They sacked Stafford five times. Brandon Graham’s will long be remembered. The 15-year veteran pumped up what felt like a home crowd before hitting Stafford on a third-and-9. He moved into third place on the franchise’s all-time sack list (76.5), trailing only Reggie White (124) and Trent Cole (85.5).

But this is where Graham is likely to stay. The team’s longest-tenured player told reporters his season is over after tearing his triceps in the second half. He said a Rams running back hit him on the play and hit his arm in what he initially thought was minor pain. But the injury “stung a little longer.” He stayed on the sidelines. He began to embrace his teammates. Later, in the dressing room, he called his wife and children. They cried together. Graham, who announced earlier this year that 2024 is a final farewell tour, may have played down his finale.


Brandon Graham hits Matthew Stafford as he throws a pass in the third quarter. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

“Hate that it had to go like this, but at the end of the day, man, I have no regrets,” Graham said. “Man, I really put it all in, put it all in today like I do every weekend. We’ll just see where we go from here, man. But I hope we keep that trophy no matter what at the end of the day. And as I said I want to be a captain. And the mission is still the mission. And I still want to be me.”

Sirianni wouldn’t even talk about the possibility of losing Graham without some finality from upcoming medical advice. “Love him,” Sirianni said. “One of my favorite guys I’ve ever been able to coach. We’ll see where it’s at. Again, I’m not ready to talk about it yet. We’ll keep hoping.”

“It stinks,” Barkley said of Graham’s assessment. “I’ve only been able to be his teammate for such a short period of time, but I felt like I’ve known him my whole life. He’s the reason this transition for me has been so easy, him along with all the other guys. It’s great to have such a vet, to be able to talk to him about anything. I remember OTAs where we would sit in the sauna and just talk about life and get to know each other. The energy and passion he brings not only to his team but to the city. He epitomizes what it means to be a Philadelphia Eagle.”

Barkley himself fulfills the requirement. His impact on the Eagles’ success is unquestionable. His influence has reached the level of quarterbacks who have dominated the NFL’s MVP honors for the past 12 years. The last non-QB to win the award was Adrian Peterson in 2012. Barkley should at least be considered to break that streak. His production defies human limits. He spoke to reporters next to his locker, where there was an announcement from the league about a randomized drug test. It was actually tight end Dallas Goederts. He had jokingly hit it on Barkley’s locker to deliver an unspoken point.

Barkley signed with the Eagles to rewrite his history. He has now produced more yards than ever before in his career with the Giants.

“My story is not done,” Barkley said. “It goes on. When the season is all said and done, we look back and smile and be happy about the things I did or the things I didn’t do. Right now we’re just getting ready for the flight. Sleep well. Get some rest and recover.”

(Top photo: Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)