PHILADELPHIA – Tanner McKee was on the field when the directive came in from the Eagles sideline – let’s get Saquon Barkley over 2,000 yards. From there it was Barkley left, Barkley right until he scampered left for a 23-yard gain, and that was it. With just over 11 minutes still to play in the fourth quarter, the mission had been accomplished.
The Eagles called timeout and mobbed him. He is now just the ninth running back in NFL history to reach the 2,000 milestone and sits at No. 8 on that all-time list.
“I’m not going to lie but just being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and some of them I grew up watching, definitely means a lot,” said Barkley.
Barkley finished with 167 yards in the Eagles rout of the Dallas Cowboys, 41-7, on Sunday and now has 2,005 yards. He needs 101 more with one game left to break Eric Dickerson’s 40-year-old record for most rushing yards in a season of 2,105 yards.
“Before the series, we all knew he needed 40 yards or something at the time, so we’re like, ‘Let’s go get it for him,’” said McKee, the Eagles’ third-string quarterback who was sent into the game in the third quarter after backup Kenny Pickett’s ribs were too sore to continue.
“The way football is right now (with an emphasis on passing), it’s kind of hard to rush for 2,000 yards in 14 games,” said Barkley. “So, whether it’s 16, whether it’s 17, it’s a feat that you can never take away from what I was able to do with the O-line. And only eight other players did it, so it’s a special moment.”
How ironic would it be for Barkley to break Dickerson’s record against the team that drafted him second overall, employed him for six years, and did nothing hut lose while he was there?
“The way I look at it, if it’s in God’s plan, then it is,” said Barkley. “I’m not overly trying to go get it. I’m not scared of it. I would love to, but at the end of the day, also, we’ve got bigger things that we’re focusing on, and we’re able to clinch the division right here, whether we play next week or not.
“Rest, I’m fine with that too, because I didn’t come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record. I want to do something special, meaning special with the team.”
If the New York Giants weren't on your Christmas card list, maybe they should be. They are owed a giant thank you for discarding Barkley like a trash bag filled with wrapping paper that, just minutes before being ripped to shreds, covered packages underneath a Christmas tree.
“It’s up Nick (Sirianni) to be honest,” said Barkley, referring to the Eagles head coach. “Whatever his decision is, I’m all for it. If his mindset is we’ll go out there and try it, I’ll go out there and try it.
“But if his mindset is let’s rest and get ready for this (playoff) run, then I’m all for that, too. I’m not just saying that because the cameras are in my face or the mics are in my face, I really mean that. I came here to do something special, and obviously breaking a record is special, but I want a banner out there.”
Most of Barkley’s teammates want to see Dickerson’s record fall.
“Why not?” said receiver A.J. Brown. “I want to be a part of it. Looking back on the year, I wanna say that was my teammate. It would mean a lot for history purposes. I like to say to my kids I was a part (of the team) when Saquon did that. You know, I was part of that team. Who knows what happens next week, but we’ll see.”
Left tackle Jordan Mailata was hoping Barkley could get 268 yards rushing against the Cowboys and not have to worry about whether the starters will play next Sunday in what could be a meaningless game.
“We were all saying it: why don’t we just go for it right now?” said Mailata. “That was the mindset the whole time. Until Coach sat him out. That was kind of whack. …We just had the feeling that if we don’t go for it (Sunday) we might sit out,” said Mailata. “We don’t know. Coach hasn’t really said anything yet.”
What did Sirianni say?
“We'll see where we are in a couple of days,” said the coach. “There's a lot that goes into it. …We'll do what we need to do, what's right for the football team. Always got to do what's right for the football team to reach our goals of what we need to do. Like I said, I've got a lot to think about. I'm going to enjoy this, and I'll think about it tonight at some point.”
