Eagles' Saquon Barkley Is Recapturing An Important Middle Ground

PHILADELPHIA - It’s not the “2KSA” from the 2024 season, but the Saquon Barkley that the 10-5 Eagles have seen over the past three weeks is a reasonable enough facsimile for the organization to go where it wants to go.

And the heightened expectations around Philadelphia are obvious enough to define where Philadelphia wants to go.

It’s Super Bowl or bust for the third time in four years.

Since Dec. 8 against the LA Chargers, Barkley has had two of his three 100-yard games this season, sandwiching an acceptable 78-yard rushing performance against the Las Vegas Raiders.

The raw numbers against the Chargers, Raiders, and the Washington Commanders during a 29-18 win on Saturday night are 63 total carries for 332 yards (5.3 yards per carry) and three touchdowns, one in each game.

Over the first 12 games of the season, it was a slog for Barkley, who rushed for 740 yards on 198 carries (3.7 yards per carry).

The superstar was also leading the NFL in negative runs.

Against the Commanders, Barkley looked like his 2024 self with an explosive 48-yard run and a powerful 12-yard TD tote in which the Penn State product bounced off multiple Washington defenders.

Getting Dirty

Dec 20, 2025; Landover, Maryland, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) walks off the field after the first half against the Washington Commanders at Northwest Stadium. | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Recently, Barkley has been verbalizing the need to run with more power and embrace the idea of “dirty runs.” If it’s blocked for two or three yards, get three or four and keep the offense in phase.

"A mindset this game was run like I'm 230, 235 (pounds),” Barkley said. “... There are times when I don't [run like that]. I've had games where I've rushed for 200 yards and been more like a scat back.

“God blessed me with that ability.”

The unintended consequence of that has been a propensity to search for the big play at the expense of the meat and potatoes run that will keep an offense ahead of the sticks.

“What's so unique about him is that he can make some of those runs that are blocked for three or two go for big ones,” head coach Nick Sirianni said Monday when asked about Barkley’s mindset by Eagles On SI. “We saw that in the game [against Washington]. We had one on his really long run. We didn't block that up as well as we should have or well as we could have, and he slipped through that and got [48], but there's a time and place to do that.”

There’s also a feel to make sure you get the three yards that are there, especially if that three turns into a negative run whale searching for something bigger.

Barkley seems to have recaptured that middle ground at the right time for the Eagles.

“There's a time and place to get the dirty three and he can be any type of back that he wants to be because that's how talented he is,” said Sirianni. “He did a lot of good things there. Like I said, made some runs, like you said, the dirty runs, but then also finished some of those dirty runs for big ones like one I just mentioned and the touchdown run.

“Such a special player. Special guy.”

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