Posted September 29, 20241 yr Running Wild Posted: September 24th, 2024 | Author: Tommy Lawlor I remember hearing rumors that the Eagles might pursue Saquon Barkley back in March. I doubted them because the Eagles have been able to find good RBs at a cheaper price. Would Howie Roseman really pony up big money for a star RB? Yes. And it’s a great thing he did. Barkley has been everything the Eagles hoped for and more. 24-109-2 22-95 17-147-2 Barkley leads the NFL in rushing with 351 yards. He has been a workhorse for an offense that needed such a RB. With AJ Brown missing the past two games, the passing game hasn’t been as explosive. That meant Barkley had to help move the chains and make plays. With the Eagles down 3-0 on Sunday, Barkley took a hand-off and went left. Good blocking got him to the second level and he just exploded down the field. I jumped up and started screaming at the TV "GO! GO! GO!” That was the most excited I had been all afternoon. Barkley’s run put a TD on the board and it gave life to the Eagles. They went up 7-3 and things felt immediately different. The star RB made a star play. 65 yards like he was shot out of a rocket. That play doesn’t happen if the Eagles go bargain shopping. D’Andre Swift’s long run last year was 43 yards. This year Swift has found that life away from Philly can be brutal. He has 37 carries for 68 yards for the season. Barkley almost matched his season with one run. Yikes. Howie changed his mind on pursuing a RB when the market shifted. Barkley feels like good value right now. He’s not cheap, but you’re getting a difference-making player. He’s absolutely worth the money. The Eagles offense is second in the league in yards. AJ Brown has only played one game. DeVonta Smith missed half of the Saints game. The OL was missing two starters for most of the Saints game. Jalen Hurts and Barkley have made the offense go. There are still some red zone issues to work through, but you have to be excited by the potential this group has shown. It will be fun to see how the offense comes together over the course of the season. ***** This needed to happen. Grant Calcaterra has really struggled as a blocker this year. He’s okay when he is on the move, but struggles as an in-line blocker. He has hurt the offense with missed blocks. Stoll isn’t a gifted athlete or receiver, but he is big, strong and physical. That can help the offense. Having Calcaterra and EJ Jenkins on the field at the same time wasn’t good if they had to block. ***** Good breakdown here by Franimal. Jalen Carter was the star on Sunday, but the whole defense played well and had a hand in shutting down the Saints. http://igglesblitz.com/2024/09/running-wild/
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