In the early stages of their divisional-round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley busted off a 62-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 13-7 lead. Now, while some New York Giants fans were in their feelings given the history between them and Barkley, another team was jealous of the Eagles, and that's the New York Jets.
On the replay of the touchdown, a key block from former Jets offensive lineman Mekhi Becton created the massive hole for Barkley to run through, leading him to the lengthy playoff touchdown.
And since Becton was a bit of a failed experiment on the Jets, it appears the Eagles are getting much more out of the former first-round pick than his former team.
The Jets selected Bekton with the No. 11 pick in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Louisville, and through his first three seasons with New York, the 6-foot-7, 363-pound lineman appeared in 31 games, starting in 30.
With injury problems plaguing 2021 and 2022, Becton's leash with the Jets got shortened significantly, and after the 2023 season, the offensive lineman elected for free agency.
In 2024, the Eagles signed the former first-round pick, giving him a chance to join one of the top groups in the league.
Another major switch Becton made in Philly was bouncing inside as an offensive guard, using his massive size as a way to create even bigger holes for Barkley to run through.
Although hindsight is oftentimes 20/20, Jets fans are in absolute shambles over letting him go. However, he doesn't look back on those times fondly.
So, seeing fans so upset now has been somewhat comical.
For Giants fans watching the Eagles this season, it's a bit harder of a pill to swallow with their situation. Barkley was seemingly willing to stay with them, but the Giants weren't willing to pay him $37.8 million over three seasons. Sure, for the most part, paying a running back a lot of money following their rookie contract is a risky choice. That risk rises once injuries get into the mix.
However, Barkley has been one of the best running backs, year after year, throughout his time in the NFL. He's had some injuries that have caused him to miss time, but he's shown to be elite when healthy.
And with this divisional-round matchup looking to be a neck-and-neck battle until the end, it's clear that Giants and Jets fans have a much stronger rooting interest for the away team, not the Eagles.