Saquon Barkley ‘chasing greatness’ with 205-yard performance

PHILADELPHIA — Running back Saquon Barkley set a franchise record for rushing yards in a postseason game with 205 to lead the Philadelphia Eagles past the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in the NFC divisional round on Sunday.

Barkley now has the third-most rushing yards in a season, including playoffs, in NFL history with 2,329. He trails only Terrell Davis’ marks of 2,331 yards in 1997 and 2,476 yards in 1998.

Running through the snow at Lincoln Financial Field, Barkley had two rushing touchdowns of 60-plus yards, reminiscent of his 255-yard, two-touchdown performance against these same Rams in Week 12. Thanks in large part to Barkley’s efforts, the Eagles advanced to the NFC Championship Game, where they will host the Washington Commanders.

Fans rejoiced by chanting “MVP” and throwing snowballs after Barkley’s 78-yard touchdown run with less than five minutes left helped seal the deal.

“The atmosphere was crazy. It was crazy,” Barkley said. “I have a smile on my face thinking about it. This is what you dream about. That’s why I came to Philadelphia. I wanted to be a part of games like this, and I’m happy to be a part of it.”

The victory came at a price, as Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts appeared to injure his left knee after a third-quarter sack in which his leg became trapped underneath him while safety Jaylen McCollough tackled him to the ground. floor. Hurts said he hopes to play Sunday against Washington.

“It was a tough game, a challenging game. I was able to finish the game,” said Hurts, whose mobility was clearly affected after the play. “We’ll see how the week goes.”

Eagles standout rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell exited the game in the first quarter with a shoulder injury and was later ruled out.

Barkley surpassed the franchise record for most rushing yards in a playoff game set by Steve Van Buren (196) in 1949, also against the Rams.

Beforehand, Barkley asked a couple of distinguished former running backs for help.

He told ESPN that he spoke with LeSean McCoy, who ran for more than 200 yards against the Detroit Lions in the Eagles’ Snow Bowl victory in December 2013, and asked him for advice on running in the elements.

McCoy told Barkley to “run on tiptoe.” He also said to check with the team’s equipment manager, Greg Delimitros, to make sure Barkley had the proper length cleats to be able to cut through the snow.

Barkley also texted former Rams great Marshall Faulk, wanting to know how best to approach a game against a team that is preparing to stop you after having previous successes against the same team.

“He told me, ‘Don’t predetermine plays. Trust your reads and let your eyes and feet stay connected. Be patient,'” Barkley said.

After Sunday’s contest, Faulk texted Barkley: “Patience and trust. Great job.”

Barkley’s 205 rushing yards were the fifth-most in postseason history. He joined Eric Dickerson as the only players to have a 200-yard rushing game in the regular season and one in the playoffs in their career.

Barkley said he pursued the Eagles’ record for most rushing yards in a postseason game this week in the name of “chasing greatness.”

“I felt like I played a good game last week. [against the Green Bay Packers]” he said, “but you want to create a legacy, and I wanted to have one of those types of games. Just visualizing things and wondering what the number is. It’s funny how that happened.”