Following a 302 yard performance on Sunday Night Football against the LA Rams, new Eagle superstar, Saquon Barkley was the talk of the town, and not just in Philadelphia. Fans and commentators everywhere are talking about the former New York Giant, and how he has revolutionised the Eagles offence.
After his former Giants teammate, Daniel Jones, who was paid a handsome contract by the Giants just a few seasons ago, was cut from the team, Barkley’s level of play is under an even greater microscope. The Giants offense has been atrocious this season. New York fans are infuriated that the front office did not shell out the cash to keep Barkley on the roster. Especially so, considering Barkley is making a relatively modest $12.6 million per year.
The combination of the Giants offensive struggles and Barkley’s continued dominance has led to Barkley being a top-3 leader in the MVP race. Should he be the clear favourite? The numbers indicate so.
Saquonic Stats
Barkley’s stats are seismic, and league leading. In 11 games, he has put up 1,392 rushing yards, which is the most in the league. In terms of all-purpose yards, he is leading the league, and has over 200 more total yards than the second highest, Derrick Henry. Not to mention, Henry has an extra game on Barkley. Barkley’s AP Yards per game is 149.9, which is absurdly high for a non-returner.
Last season, with D’Andre Swift in the backfield, the Eagles running game averaged 4.2 yards per running play. So far in 2024, Barkley and the Eagles are averaging 5.2 yards per play on the ground. Barkley himself is averaging 6.2 rushing yards per attempt, on over 200 attempts.
The numbers speak for themselves, but to speak for them, Barkley makes this offensive unit unstoppable. Sure, he is fortunate to have a formidable offensive line ahead of him, and talented pass catchers who occupy defensive attention, but the Eagles had all of that last year. An X-Factor like Barkley, who can be both a bell-cow out of the backfield, and make acrobatic plays in space, is the type of player who makes everyone around him better. His value to the team goes beyond the stats.
Storylines
On a practical level, narrative comes into play when talking about the NFL MVP. It is the sportswriters who decide this award, and sportswriters favour good stories.
Saquon Barkley’s Eagles catapult to the top of the NFC, while their bitter rival New York Giants unravel after losing their best player for nothing!
-Nathan
That’s a pretty juicy headline, with no hyperbole or exaggeration.
Giants fans saw Saquon’s 2024 success coming. In New York, he wasn’t surrounded by elite talent. He was drafted near the end of Eli Manning’s tenure at quarterback, then dealt with the highs and lows of Daniel Jones for several seasons. In those seasons, the Giants struggled to establish identity, lacking offensive-line talent, and wide-receivers for Jones to throw to.
Jump to 2024: Saquon leaves New York for the hated Eagles, who are extremely talented and are actively contending for a Super Bowl.
The 2023 Eagles started hot, opening the season with a 10-1 record, but fell apart at the end of the season, flaming out in the playoffs. Some blamed it on coaching, others blamed it on Jalen Hurts quarterback play. It was clear that there was a culture issue, which was perhaps indicative of a lack of leadership.
Barkley is a fervent leader. He was in New York, and is in Philadelphia. He is team oriented, and has helped revitalize the culture in Philadelphia.
This weekend, the Eagles play the Baltimore Ravens, in a game that features the league’s two leading rushers. if Barkley statistically outduels Derrick henry, and the Eagles pull out a win in Baltimore, it will go a long way for Barkley’s MVP case; a case which has been growing stronger with each passing week.
“But it’s a Quarterback Award!”
What is more infuriating than the insistence on quarterbacks being exclusively eligible for MVP? Sure, the QB position comes with the most responsibility, but that shouldn’t mean that the Most Valuable Player award automatically go to the league’s best quarterback.
It is particularly infuriating when prominent football writers concede that the award can only go to a quarterback when, as mentioned, the writers are the ones voting for MVP.
The last running back to win the MVP was Adrian Peterson, in 2012. He is also the last non-QB to win the award. It is high time that another great running back get recognized for playing the league’s best football – which Barkley is.
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