Saquon Barkley’s Explosive Warning Quietly Signals a Golden Opportunity for the Washington Commanders

Getting past the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East is a crucial step toward the Washington Commanders going one step further than last season and reaching the Super Bowl, but it won’t happen if they still can’t stop Saquon Barkley.

The Commanders were trampled all over by last season’s NFL rushing champion, but the good news is Barkley’s expected to decline in a key area during 2025. It’s a warning about the 2,000-yard running back spelled out by Establish The Run’s John Daigle.

He explained on the Ross Tucker Podcast how Barkley got “the most touches since DeMarco Murray,” who led the league with 449 touches for the Dallas Cowboys in 2014.

Daigle believes it was “absurd” how much the Eagles used Barkley en route to winning last season’s Super Bowl. It’s why Daigle cautioned “there will be regression, in terms of his explosive touchdown runs, like, you just can’t pop, you can’t naturally sustain how he scored touchdowns with 60-plus yard runs all the time.”

Barkley still being productive, but not as prolific breaking long runs is sneaky good news for the Commanders and their chances of tipping the balance of power away from Philadelphia.

Commanders Need to See a Slower Saquon Barkley

Breaking free of a soft Washington run defense was a happy habit for Barkley during the last campaign. He scored from 23 and 39 yards as part of a 146-yard rushing effort when the Eagles beat the Commanders 26-18 in Week 11.

Barkley also broke this 68-yard touchdown run to contribute to 150 yards on the ground in Week 16.

They were defeated then, but Barkley’s 60-yard scamper for six sent the Eagles en route to amassing 229 yards and seven rushing touchdowns to power a beatdown in the NFC Championship Game.

The numbers don’t lie. Failing to bring down Barkley and prevent touchdowns from distance cost the Commanders a chance to play in the Super Bowl.

Fixing the issue has been one of the priorities of this offseason. It’s led the Commanders to a different and more versatile defense ready to swarm on a Barkley even a fraction below last season’s levels.

Commanders Have New Ways to Solve Saquon Barkley Problem

The Commanders have taken a two-pronged approach to solving their Barkley problem. More accurately, a problem not limited to Barkley, but a broader frailty against league-wide running games.

Washington’s defense gave up 4.8 yards per carry in 2024, but they will present a bigger run front this season after beefing up in the trenches. Newcomers like 6-foot-5, 319-pound defensive tackle Javon Kinlaw, natural nose tackle Eddie Goldman, a 332-pound zero-technique, and 6-foot-5, 271-pound edge-setter Deatrich Wise Jr. mean the Commanders won’t be as easy to push off the ball this season.

They also won’t be easy to figure out when Kinlaw is expected to spend some time on the edge. Nor when Wise can slide inside to tackle.

New and moving parts give the Commanders a better chance of disrupting the Eagles’ blocking schemes. Putting more hats on a depreciating Barkley can be the X-factor that helps the Burgundy and Gold bridge the gap in the division and beyond.