Saquon Barkley burst free for a 65-yard touchdown on his first carry and topped 100 yards rushing for the first time this season before leaving with a groin injury—the kind of setback that could derail last season’s 2,000-yard rusher just as he was playing like his old self.
“Hold up,” Barkley said. “He’s fine, honest.” He mentioned that he likely could have finished the game if the Philadelphia Eagles hadn’t been dominating the New York Giants—a hefty lead against his old team, thanks in large part to his most prolific game of the season.
Barkley ran for 150 yards and that long touchdown, and he also caught one of Jalen Hurts’ four scoring passes as the Eagles beat the Giants 38-20 on Sunday.
“I don’t think there’s anything that we can’t do,” Hurts said. “It’s a matter of are we working towards it and working in it the right way?”
The answer through eight games seems to be a clear yes. The Eagles (6-2) evened the season series against their NFC East rivals after the Giants won 34-17 earlier this month. They also put the rest of the conference on notice over the last two games that their offense has found its groove again.
Barkley ripped off a 28-yard run on the final play of the third quarter but shook his head as he ran gingerly back to the sideline. He was checked inside the medical tent—he called the injury “nothing crazy”—and later grabbed his helmet and jumped in celebration when backup Tank Bigsby ran for a 29-yard gain.
“I went out swinging,” Barkley said with a laugh.
Hurts, who completed 15 of 20 passes for 179 yards, put the game away with a 17-yard touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert to finish that drive and make it 31-13. Bigsby ran for 104 yards, and Barkley has an extra week to recover with the Eagles headed into a bye.
Hurts’ fourth touchdown pass of the game was a 40-yard strike to Jahan Dotson.
Barkley’s initial carry gave him more yards than he had in all but one game this season. He had just 44 yards last week against Minnesota and a low of 30 against Denver—a precipitous drop compared to a season ago when he rushed for more than 2,500 total yards for the Super Bowl champions.
“They controlled the line of scrimmage and that was a major point of emphasis,” Giants coach Brian Daboll said. “Give them credit for doing that. When a team runs for nearly 300 yards, it’s pretty difficult to control the game, if you will. And we missed out on some opportunities.”
Barkley’s early breakout was another sign the Eagles’ offense is clicking after a sluggish start to the season. In a win at Minnesota last week, Hurts threw for more than 300 yards, and receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith had big games.
The Eagles ran for 277 yards on Sunday—the final piece they needed under first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who was on the hot seat early—to feel like they’re on the path toward a repeat championship run.
“In football it’s always us. All of us,” coach Nick Sirianni said. “I know they love Kevin. But it’s always all of us. I think Kevin’s really mentally tough. You have to be in this game.”
Hurts connected with Barkley for a 9-yard touchdown and threw a 6-yard TD pass to Goedert, sending the Eagles into halftime with a 21-10 lead. Goedert’s two scores gave him a career-best seven touchdowns this season.
On the Giants’ side, Jaxson Dart failed to duplicate his masterful first effort against the Eagles, throwing for 193 yards and a touchdown. With New York trailing 24-10 late in the third quarter, Dart was sacked by Jalyx Hunt, and the Giants settled for Graham Gano’s 34-yard field goal. Dart was sacked five times during the game.
“We have to start figuring out ways to win because I do, I hate it, and I’m not used to it and I’m not just going to accept it,” Dart said.
### Skattebo’s Season Could Be Over
The Giants’ pursuit of their first season sweep of the Eagles since 2007—and first win at Philadelphia since 2013—suffered a serious blow when rookie Cam Skattebo suffered a dislocated right ankle and had to be carted off the field.
Skattebo was scheduled for surgery Sunday night at a local hospital. He took a hard hit over the middle and went down; his foot appeared to twist backward. Players from both teams huddled around the standout running back until he was driven off.
Dart had thrown an 18-yard touchdown pass to Skattebo that tied the game at 7-all before the Giants unraveled.
### Injuries
**Giants:**
– CB Art Green (hamstring)
– Cornerback Cor’Dale Flott (concussion)
– Tight end Daniel Bellinger (neck)
**Eagles:**
– A.J. Brown sat out with a hamstring injury
– Center Cam Jurgens missed the game with a knee injury
### Up Next
The Giants will host the San Francisco 49ers next Sunday. The Eagles expect to welcome back defensive end Brandon Graham from his short-lived retirement when they return from their bye week on Monday, Nov. 10, at Green Bay.
https://www.phillytrib.com/sports/saquon-barkley-breaks-out-with-150-yards-before-hurting-groin-as-eagles-pound-giants-38/article_910feadd-e43a-456e-96da-e4f42b1aaab3.html