The Eagles had some impressive moments against the Green Bay Packers on Friday night but there were very few bright spots. One of those bright spots just so happened to be the very same bright spot of the offseason. Saquon Barkley.
Barkley was a big surprise signing for the Eagles this offseason after the Giants decided that they didn’t want their “$40 million quarterback to hand the ball off to a $12 million running back”. At the time there was plenty of concern that this would come back to haunt the Eagles as they are not known for spending big money on running backs.
Fortunately for Philadelphia, those thoughts can now be put to rest. The Eagles invested in much more than just a running back. They needed a difference-maker on an offense full of game-changers. Last season, the Eagles lacked the killer instinct ability to put away teams when the opportunity presented itself. Thus the signing of Saquon Barkley.
On Friday night, Barkley showed the NFL world that he was worth the investment and more. He’s been very vocal about his love for the culture within the team and passionate fans around the team. In his first game as an Eagle, Barkley showed just how much he appreciated it.
Saquon was the difference maker they needed on a night when the offense struggled to find consistency. He made a huge catch to help get the Eagles on the board early on and didn’t stop there. Barkley finished with 109 rushing yards, 23 receiving yards, and 3 touchdowns in his debut as a Philadelphia Eagle.
It was the best debut that the Eagles had seen in a long time. Quite frankly, it was the only three-touchdown debut that Eagles fans had witnessed since the 2004 debut of Terrell Owens. Saquon is only the second Eagles running back to score two rushing touchdowns and one passing touchdown since Jordan Howard did it in 2019.
He was lighting every time he touched the ball. This further helps fans understand the excitement of both the players but also head coach Nick Sirianni. Days before the game, Nick Sirianni had this to say about Saquon:
“Saquon made a run at practice, and I was wearing sunglasses and looking at a couple of coaches and lowered them to see their reaction and we were all saying, ‘alright this is awesome’. It wasn’t just the play he made and what we have with him on the field, but the leadership he brings. Super excited for him.”
The key component in Saquon’s debut was that it showed just how efficient he can still be. Much was made about his free agency process on Hard Knocks this offseason. Giants GM Joe Schoen was even on record telling Frank Gore about how running backs tend to decline at the age of 27 years old which just so happens to be Saquon’s age.
Well, Joe, I’d hate to be the bearer of bad news for you but it looks like the Eagles may just be the team to unleash Saquon’s full potential and if I’m being honest, he doesn’t look like he’s slowing down at all. This is the freshest version of Saquon that the NFL has seen in quite some time. It looks like the Eagles and their fans get to enjoy this refreshed version of the former number two overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
