Saquon Barkley’s Hunt for 2,000
There are only six games left in the regular season for the Eagles.
And sitting at 1,392 rushing yards.
There’s a big question to ask…
Could Saquon Barkley be the first running back in the NFL to hit 2,000 rushing yards since Derrick Henry did in 2020?
Shattering Career Highs
PHOTO: Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images
It only took 11 games for Saquon to surpass his previous records. In 2022 and his 2018 rookie season, Saquon amassed 1,307 and 1,312 rushing yards, with an extra 721 and 338 receiving yards to go with those seasons. These were also the only two years that Saquon made the Pro Bowl during his six seasons in New York, Jersey.
Now, with just under 1,650 total yards on the year with Philadelphia. Saquon has broken his rushing high by almost 100 yards, with another third of the season left to play. And while he might not break his receiving yard high (currently 257), a franchise record is still in play.
Sitting at 1,607 yards is LeSean McCoy’s franchise rushing record, set in 2013. The last time an off-season acquisition broke a franchise record in his first year with the Eagles was A.J. Brown, breaking Mike Quick’s 1,409 receiving-yard record, which had been in place for almost 40 years.
The Remaining Schedule
With just 6 games left in the season, there’s an opportunity for Saquon to join an exclusive club of NFL running backs. But with an early division clinch and seeding being fairly determined already.
There’s a possibility Eagles starters won’t see all 6 games to finish the year.
And with the following teams remaining, here is how they rank against the run across the league in Yards Per Carry and Rushing Yards Against:
- @ Baltimore Ravens – 1st in YPC (3.5) / 2nd in RYA (77.9)
- vs Carolina Panthers – 23rd in YPC (4.7) / 32nd in RYA (160.5)
- vs Pittsburgh Steelers – 5th in YPC (4.0) / 4th in RYA (90.3)
- @ Washington Commanders – 26 in YPC (4.8) / 29th in RYA (145.5)
- vs Dallas Cowboys – 30th in YPC (4.9) / 31st in RYA (150.5)
- vs New York Giants – 32nd in YPC (5.1) / 30th in RYA (148)
In 6 games, Saquon would need to average 101.3 rushing yards per game. A number he’s surpassed more times than not against a few of the league’s best and worst defenses against the run.
If the Eagles find themselves locked into playoff seeding by Week 18, the starters will likely not see any playing time, giving Saquon only five games to accomplish this feat.
In 5 games, that magic number jumps up to 121.6 yards. That is an amount Barkley has only hit in 5 of 11 games this year.
Coming off of a 255-yard game against the Rams, the Eagles will be looking for another big game from their RB1, who’s also making a name for himself in the MVP race.
PHOTO: Gary A. Vasquez/Imagn Images
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Categorized:Eagles