By Matthew SchmidtShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Philadelphia Eagles opened up a 21-0 lead against the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday and seemed prepared to cruise to a win, but the Cowboys ended up scoring 24 unanswered points to hand the Eagles a deflating three-point loss.
It snapped Philadelphia's four-game winning streak and was just the latest blow in what has been an incredibly odd season for the Eagles, whose offense has looked out of sorts for much of the year.
Read more: Shedeur Sanders Deemed Not ‘Healthy’ for Cleveland Browns
While most of the attention has been focused on the strange dynamic between quarterback Jalen Hurts and wide receiver A.J. Brown, running back Saquon Barkley took it upon himself to shoulder the blame for the collapse against Dallas.
"We've got to do a better job of putting teams away. We didn't do that, and I definitely didn't help," Barkley told reporters. "... Last year, I was a big part of that. I've been kind of nonexistent this year, so I've got to figure it out for the team."
...While Barkley logged seven catches for 52 yards in the Week 12 defeat, he carried the ball 10 times for just 22 yards. On the season overall, the 28-year-old has totaled 684 rushing yards and four touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry while also catching 35 passes for 259 yards and a couple of scores.
Those numbers are in stark contrast to Barkley's massive season in 2024, when he racked up 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground, logging 5.8 yards per attempt in his debut campaign in Philadelphia.
The Eagles signed Barkley to a three-year contract in March 2024 and then handed him a two-year extension last spring following his tremendous season.
Clearly, things have not been the same for the Penn State product this year. Whether it's the mileage finally catching up to him or Philadelphia's declining offense as a whole — or perhaps a combination of both — that has resulted in Barkley's decrease in numbers is debatable.
Read more: Chiefs Urged to Miss Playoffs in Wild Take From NFL Exec
One thing is for sure, though: Barkley doesn't even look like a shell of the halfback he was last season. For reference, the former New York Giants star averaged 125.3 rushing yards per game in 2024. This year, he has posted just one 100-yard performance overall and has only hit 80 yards three times in 11 games.
The Eagles are 8-3 and will face the Chicago Bears on Friday.
For more on the Philadelphia Eagles and general NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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