Saquon Barkley wasn’t seeking revenge against the New York Giants in his first game against his former team, yet he made a significant impact in his return to MetLife Stadium. Barkley rushed for 176 yards in the Philadelphia Eagles’ 28-3 victory, the most rushing yards he’s ever had in his former home stadium.
Barkley, who averaged 10.4 yards per carry in the victory, had that total after three quarters. His career high in rushing yards is 189, which is also the most rushing yards any running back has totaled against his former team (Cedric Benson had 189 in 2009 against the Chicago Bears when he was with the Cincinnati Bengals).
Despite approaching the career mark against the team that allowed him to walk, Barkley chose to bypass attempting to achieve the milestone.
“That was on our mind, as I got word from the box that he was close to his career high,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said after the win. “As I sat there with him I said ‘Here’s where you are and here’s what it is.’ And he looked at me and said, and this gives me chills to think about, he looked at me and said ‘Let the other guys eat.’ I was like ‘You’re special dude.’
“This guy is such a great teammate. All he cares about is winning.”
Barkley could have been the fourth running back in Eagles history to rush for 200+ yards in a game. He could have broken the MetLife Stadium record for rushing yards (Isaiah Crowell had 219 rushing yards for the New York Jets in 2018) — against his former team.
This could have been the ultimate insult to injury for the Giants, with Barkley really proving a point to his former organization. Having a big day was enough for Barkley, as the Eagles had the victory locked up when he was taken out of the game.
“He’s a special player. He’s a special person,” Sirianni said. “I know this football team loves him. That guy is selfless. That guy’s a baller.
“I can’t say enough good things about him … I wanted to leave it up to him and that’s what he told me.”
