Survive and advance. One team had Barkley, and the other one did not. It is just that simple. Running back Saquon Barkley, who has been great all season long, was called upon to deliver the goods in a win-or-go-home scenario.
The Philadelphia Eagles bell cow lined up next to signal caller Jalen Hurts in the shotgun formation with less than five minutes to go in the divisional round playoff game on Sunday afternoon. Hurts looked over at Barkley, barely seeing through the blizzard-like conditions that covered Lincoln Financial Field like a blanket. The MVP candidate and superstar athlete looked back at his quarterback and said, “I got this.”
Barkley took the handoff and ran like the wind. He was able to find the crease, avoided a tackle and ran for a 78-yard touchdown. He realized he would score from about 30 yards out.
The Eagles’ fans went crazy as they watched their team hang on against a tough Los Angeles Rams team for the remainder of the game and win by six, 28-22.
Barkley, who was going to be the ringleader of the offense with the conditions rapidly deteriorating, ran for a playoff record 205 yards on 26 carries. He found the end zone twice in the game, including a 62-yard score in the opening quarter which made it a 13-7 game.
Embed from Getty Images“The elements were great, but the atmosphere was even better,” Barkley told NBC’s Melissa Stark after the game. “Our fans are amazing. It was a close one, but that’s playoff football, and at the end of the day, we got the job done.”
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford gave Los Angeles everything he had in the final minutes. A 10-play, 70-yard drive after Barkley scored in the fourth quarter led to a touchdown pass to Coby Parkinson. It brought the game to within one possession.
The Rams got a critical stop and were able to get the ball back for one final drive. Stafford, like the Super Bowl winning quarterback that he is, got Los Angeles down the field thanks to a jaw-dropping incredible catch by Puka Nacua.
However, the Eagles’ used the ‘bend but don’t break’ defense and forced an incompletion on fourth down to force a turnover and put the game away.
The Eagles defense gave their best when the best was required. Aside from the stop on the final Rams drive, they forced two huge fumbles that led to Eagles field goals. Six points made all the difference in the contest.
Hurts completed 15-of-20 pass attempts with 128 passing yards and 70 rushing yards. He had a 44-yard rushing touchdown to start the game but injured his knee in the second quarter that all but ended his ability to be a dual threat and run for the rest of the game. He was fitted for a knee brace, but did not miss any snaps, but was easily taken down on the safety. He was sacked an incredible seven times.
“It comes through Philly. That means everything for this city, this team, and we’ve got everything we want in front of us,” Hurts said.
Stafford was 26-of-44 with 324 passing yards and two touchdown passes. He was sacked five times, including on the final drive that put more pressure on them to get the first down.
Philadelphia moves on to the NFC Championship Game to face the Washington Commanders next Sunday, which is being called the ’I- 95’ matchup. Game time is set for 3:00 p.m. ET on Fox.
