The Philadelphia Eagles’ offensive woes came back to haunt them, as their inability to sustain a running game factored strongly in a shocking 24-21 loss at the hands of the Dallas Cowboys in Week 12. Philadelphia built a 21-0 lead in the first half behind quarterback Jalen Hurts, and wide receivers AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, but the Eagles failed to score in the final 40 minutes, allowing Dallas to storm back with 24 unanswered points.
Much of the Eagles’ offensive issues could be traced to running back Saquon Barkley, who carried the ball just 10 times for a season-low 22 yards and lost a fumble in the fourth quarter inside the Cowboys' territory. He averaged only 2.2 yards per carry on the day, and his longest run was seven yards.
On the season, Barkley has 662 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 3.8 yards per carry. Although he ranks fourth in the NFL in total carries, the seven-year veteran has produced the 14th-best rushing yardage, with only one 100-yard game in 2025 compared to 11 in 2024. He rushed for over 2,000 yards last season.
“I’m a big believer that the run game starts with me, ends with me,” Barkley said, acknowledging his struggles. “I’m in a little funk right now, I’ve had funks like this before. Just gotta break it. Only way I know how is by flushing this, working my butt off, and get ready for my next opportunity.”
Philadelphia's offensive coordinator, Kevin Patullo, dialed up just 18 running plays against Dallas, a strategy that limited Barkley to 10 carries while backup Tank Bigsby had only one run for eight yards. Bigsby averages nearly eight yards per carry on the season, revealing the scarcity of opportunities for alternatives in the backfield. In the second half, Barkley totaled nine yards on four carries as the Eagles shifted focus from the ground game.
The Eagles' overall rushing attack has regressed significantly in 2025. The team averages 3.9 yards per carry and 115.2 rushing yards per game, down from 4.9 yards per carry and 179.3 yards per game last season. Their run rate has dropped to 48.1% of plays, though still third in the league, compared to 56.3% in 2024. Defenses appear more capable of containing Barkley, forcing Philadelphia into a more pass-heavy approach led by Hurts, who completed 27 of 39 passes for 289 yards and two rushing touchdowns against the Cowboys.
The Eagles also faced a season-high 14 penalties for 96 yards, including costly infractions that negated key gains in the second half. While they still sit at the top of the NFC East with an 8-3 record, Philadelphia’s inability to close out the contest remains concerning. Coupled with defensive injuries and a weak running game, these issues raise concerns ahead of their Week 13 matchup against the Chicago Bears in a Black Friday primetime game.
