Even in what could rightfully be characterized as a moment of all-time greatness, Saquon Barkley kept employing his greatest weapon: his impressive sense of even keel.
What Barkley did in a 37-20 road conquest of the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night was rush for a career-high and Eagles franchise record 255 yards on 26 carries, with two rushing TDs of 70-plus yards. That surpassed the previous single-game franchise high of LeSean McCoy’s 217 yards almost 11 years ago.
It was the ninth-best single-game rushing performance in NFL history, but it wasn’t a singular feat in this game.
For Barkley also racked up 47 yards receiving, for 302 total yards from scrimmage. That also was a career-high, surpassing his best days as a Giants backfield stalwart. And it was another Eagles franchise record, and again, ninth-best for a single game in NFL history.
At 1,602 yards from scrimmage through his first 11 Eagles games, Barkley is the fastest player in NFL history to reach 1,500-plus with a new team.
Taken as a whole, Barkley conceded with a smile, “Not too shabby.”
But that brief aside that showed how good he felt about himself and his performance in the moment was quickly qualified by a nod to teammates on the offensive line and around him in the backfield.
“You wish every run is a seven-yard pop, a 10-yard pop, but it’s not like that every time,” Barkley said after the Rams game. “You’ve got to stick with it, you’ve got to be able to grind it out, you’ve got to get a feel, be able to get a rhythm. I’ve been able to get a rhythm, a great rhythm, with the guys up front in recent weeks.
“These guys here are amazing. They make my job a lot easier. I’m probably going to get a lot of credit and everyone will say this and say that, but the reality and beauty of this game is it’s a team game. My favorite quote that Nick (Sirianni) always says is, ‘It’s hard to be great without the greatness of others.’ Those guys, and the tight ends and wide receivers blocking down the field, are super amazing.”
Barkley offered an example. Noting a counter run early in the game looked very promising as he took a handoff from Jalen Hurts, he said, “my shoe kind of came off, and I got tackled. When I was coming back in the game I asked for it one more time, and I was talking to Jalen and I said, ‘this thing’s going to pop.’
“We’ve got trust in that play, trust Grant (Calcaterra), because I follow him and he did a really good job in pulling and setting the block for me, and I was able to rip it and hit a home run.”
Calcaterra, 25, is a third-year tight end whose main job is to block. Apparently, because he’s really good at it.
But starting tight end Dallas Goedert, also enjoying throwing some blocks during Barkley’s historic game, indicated blocking for Barkley is a bit easier than one might think.
While people were musing about the 70-yard and 72-yard Barkley scoring bursts in the second half Sunday, Goedert recalled throwing a block on one of the runs.
“I’m blocking my guy and next thing you know … I see Saquon going,” Goedert said. “So I let go my guy and just watched because you never know what he’s going to do. It’s always special and having a front row seat to it, it’s pretty sweet.
“We’ve got a lot of great players on this team, but he’s up there for most valuable on our team. He makes special plays nonstop, makes everybody’s job easier. I don’t get a vote but if I was voting I would vote for him.”
Indeed, the Barkley-MVP talk is gathering steam, mostly from a league perspective, not an Eagles one.
“I didn’t know we would have this much success, and could keep thinking God is blessing me a lot — a ton, to be honest,” Barkley said. “I’m thankful to be here. I’m thankful for the fresh start. A big reason why I wanted to come here, me and my family and my fiancee, I had a conversation with her (and said), ‘I think this is the spot where I can rewrite my story, show that I’m the kind of player that I feel like I can be and was meant to be.’
“It’s working out right now, but the beauty of the NFL is, week to week. Yeah, we’re hot right now, but we’ve got to get ready for next week and keep moving.”
Asked if he already feels like he’s on a championship trek, however, Barkley added, “I’ve never been one. I don’t really know what that feels like. I guess that’s a blessing in disguise.”
Barkley has shied away from talk of individual accolades before, although after so many disappointments in New York and ultimately a less than amicable parting with the Giants, you’d think he’d welcome dreams of such recognition.
So perhaps in the wake of a 255-yard record setting game and seventh straight win, he might have allowed a least a glimmer of self-satisfaction. Just a glimmer …
“We’ll start thinking about that when the season’s over,” he said of MVP talk. “I’m not really … I don’t … I love being in that conversation, it’s cool and all. But like I said, it’s a team sport. If you told me I could have the year that I’m having and win an MVP but not win a Super Bowl, or not win an MVP but win the Super Bowl, I’m going to take the (latter) one.
“Whether I rush for 250 yards or rush for 50 yards, I’m still coming in Monday and doing the same thing; I still have my routine on Tuesday and Wednesday and etc., etc., etc.”
