The Philadelphia Eagles enter Week 9 with a solid 5-2 record, and since getting healthy at receiver with the return of A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the offense looks dominant, as many expected it to be.
But for all its star power, it’s easy to see who the offense is running through.
Star running back Saquon Barkley has been a driving force for the Eagles. He’s second in the league with 766 rushing yards, or 109.4 yards per game.
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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley warms up before a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)
The Eagles, a team that sputtered in the second half of the 2023 season on the way to a shocking wild-card loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs, are back to dominating on offense. And the run game is a clear advantage to open up everything for quarterback Jalen Hurts.
So, was Barkley the missing piece this team needed to get back to the Super Bowl? One Eagles legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer thinks he could be.
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“I won’t say it is,” Brian Dawkins told Fox News Digital over Zoom Wednesday. “They still have some growing to do. New offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator. They still have some growing pains to go through.”
Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in his first year on head coach Nick Sirianni’s staff. And while the Eagles haven’t been blowing teams out, the offense is getting better as it gets healthy.
But it’s hard not to think Barkley’s presence is taking things to the next level in Philly, and Dawkins is among critics who can’t fathom why the New York Giants let Barkley walk.
“It baffles the heck out of me how you let [No.] 26 out of the building,” Dawkins said, while discussing his experience with a ruck march in San Antonio, Texas, through USAA, the Wounded Warrior Project and Face the Fight.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs during the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Neo Quimica Arena. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“To have that talent in the backfield that you can depend on, the versatility of him to be able to do what he does to be able to go 60 yards on a touchdown is unbelievable,” Dawkins said. “So, now you not only have the ability to have home run hitters as far as the receivers are concerned, but you have in the backfield a home run hitter as well.”
As Dawkins put it, Barkley is a “franchise back” in every sense of the phrase.
When you have to face a talent like him, it completely changes how a defense game plans, Dawkins said.
In the end, it’s pick your poison with who you want to stymie on game day.
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“When it comes to Saquon, in terms of what he does, the way that I equate it is baseball,” Dawkins said. “I see it like this. When you have a fastball that can get past you at any time, then my changeup is always gonna happen.
“Saquon is the fastball. They can line up at any snap and throw that heat, and, for the most part, they’re going to gain some yards from it. First quarter is usually tough on offenses to move defenses because they’re fresh. But as the game goes on, that two-yard [gain] becomes an eight-yard over time.
“So, that’s your fastball, and now we have to honor that as a defense. Soon as you honor that, now we have A.J., we have ‘Swole Batman’ and ‘Slim Batman.’ I don’t know if they still go by those titles. We have those cats on the outside to now be able to blow the top off the defense. Because we have to make sure we’re down to tackle that beast in the backfield.”
NFL Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins discussed whether Saquon Barkley is the missing piece for the Philadelphia Eagles. (IMAGN/Getty Images)
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The beast in the backfield has been comfortable seemingly from the start in Brazil, when the Eagles took down the Green Bay Packers to open up the season. Barkley had three touchdowns. He also willed them to a win over the New Orleans Saints despite poor offensive output.
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