The Philadelphia Eagles struggled on offense against one of the NFL’s worst teams on Sunday. They were outgained 302-292 in total yards against the Carolina Panthers, and once again had to lean on the run game to grind out a 22-16 win.
Despite some tough sledding at the Linc, Saquon Barkley still managed to get his yards, finishing with 124 on the ground on 20 carries. He managed to break the franchise’s single-season rushing record in the fourth quarter of 1,607 yards, which was previously held by Eagles great LeSean McCoy. Barkley now has 1,623 yards, 11 rushing touchdowns and nine 100-plus yard performances in 13 games this season.
The next record on Barkley’s radar is the big one: Eric Dickeron’s NFL single-season record of 2,105 yards set in 1984.
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Barkley has averaged 124.8 yards per game this season, which puts him on pace to break Dickerson’s record entering Week 15. He entered the Panthers game needing to average 120.8 rushing yards over his final five games. His 124 yards on Sunday shaved that number down slightly, as he’ll now need to average 120.5 yards per game against the Steelers, Commanders, Cowboys and Giants.
Pittsburgh boasts the NFL’s No. 4 ranked run defense in terms of yards allowed. The Commanders (27th), Cowboys (31st) and Giants (29th) are all near the bottom of the league in that category, so the opportunity is there.
It’s worth noting that Dickerson set his record during a 16-game regular season. Barkley will try to take advantage of a 17-game season to catch him, but there’s a reason Dickerson’s record has stood for three decades. Accomplishing the feat in 2024 is arguably more impressive, given how devalued the running back position has become in the modern game.
Philadelphia is old-school in that respect. The Eagles are now hovering near the bottom of the league in just about every passing category, including yards and attempts. They lead the league in rushing by a wide margin, though, with Barkley and quarterback Jalen Hurts leading the charge behind the league’s most dominant offensive line, a group Barkley continues to praise throughout his historic 2024 season.
As for Barkley’s chase for history, only eight players have ever rushed for 2,000 yards in a season. The last was Derrick Henry, who rushed for 2,027 yards as a member of the Tennessee Titans in 2020.
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