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Although the Philadelphia Eagles got a tough blow with the loss of a pass rusher, running back Saquon Barkley entered the rarified air. And Jason Kelce said Barkley’s MVP candidacy is an example of a shifting NFL, according to The Dan Patrick Show.
Kelce said running backs may be regaining their status as individually integral to offensive success.
“If you look at it from a positional value, yes,” Kelce said. “I think the best quarterback in the league is always the most valuable player. But I think when you factor in how different the offense is without Saquon, what they are doing this year with the same pieces, and how much better they are, I think there (are several) games they lose without Saquon. I think that the story behind it all, who he is, and how this has all happened, that factors in for me.”
Barkley ran for scores of 70 and 72 yards in the second half of a 37-20 win over the Rams. He finished with an Eagles-record 255 yards rushing in Philadelphia’s seventh consecutive victory.
The seventh-year veteran currently sits around third in odds to win the NFL MVP Award. But he’s surrounded by quarterbacks like Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Jared Goff. That speaks volumes about how well Barkley has played.
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley is making a big difference
The Eagles have returned to their perch among the top teams in the NFL. And it’s easy to see the free-agent signing is a key part of that resurgence. Kelce said the entire league is looking at things differently.
“The league has shifted in some ways back to this line of scrimmage game,” Kelce said. “You see it with the Detroit Lions. We are going to see it with the Ravens tonight. The Chargers are certainly trying to play that style of smash-mouth football with Greg Roman. The Eagles are doing it.
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“It feels like, more than ever, the running back position over the last decade has been completely devalued. And now we have Saquon, Derrick Henry, and some guys in Detroit, Gibbs, and Montgomery. I guess it pays to have really good running backs.”
Indeed, the Lions are at the top of the NFL pecking order through Week 12. The Chiefs have something to say about that, but the Eagles may be No. 3 or No. 4, along with the Buffalo Bills. And a case can be made with the Ravens in that top-five mix.
Eagles HC Nick Sirianni likes his weapon
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said Barkley is a big play waiting to happen, according to espn.com.
“Saquon has that ability to hit home runs, and so sometimes that’s how it goes,” Sirianni said. “You get some short gain, short gain, short gain — boom, home run. Saquon is that type of player, and our offensive line did a good job of handling the variations of the front.”
Barkley finished the game with 302 total yards, becoming the 12th player in NFL history to top 300. He is the first Eagles player to reach that level. He also became the first NFL player with two 70-yard TD runs in a game since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2009.
Last year in the NFL, talk centered on how running backs are easily replaced. That has driven down contract prices for the position. Barkley and Henry may help drive them out of the roof.
