History has been made in the City of Brotherly Love as Philadelphia Eagles star running back Saquon Barkley, 27, has become the ninth player in NFL history to eclipse 2,000 NFL rushing yards in a single season.
With their rivals, the Dallas Cowboys, in town, the Eagles took to the field looking to seal their spot as the winners of the NFC East and owners of the second seed in the NFC. Making history may not have been the team’s top priority, but it was certainly in the back of everyone’s minds at the very least. The Eagles dominated the game from the second quarter and finished the blowout with a 41–7 victory.
Philadelphia faced initial struggles offensively against Dallas as they suffered from self-induced miscues. At the half, Barkley looked to be falling too far behind to reach the 2,000-yard mark realistically. A major second-half boost would lift Barkley up and over the legendary milestone. He finished this week’s game with 167 on 31 carries.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni quickly removed Barkley from the game in an effort to protect him once the accomplishment was reached. Barkley now sits with 2,005 yards on the season and only trails Eric Dickerson by 100 yards for the most rushing yards in a single season. The Eagles host the New York Giants to conclude the regular season on Sunday, Jan. 5, at 1 p.m.
Now that Philadelphia is locked into at least the second seed, they will host a Wild Card game in the first week of the playoffs. The team hopes to return to their second Super Bowl appearance in three years. If the Eagles cannot achieve the No. 1 seed, it will be interesting to see if they play any of their starters next week.
Will Philadelphia give Barkley an opportunity to break the all-time single-season rushing record? Or will they opt to preserve their offensive weapon in hopes that he can enter the playoffs healthy and full of rest?
Reporter David Neisz contributed to this report.
