Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley takes responsibility for his team's poor running game performance, despite statistics suggesting the issues extend beyond his individual play. The article highlights Barkley's commendable attitude while acknowledging factors contributing to his lack of production.
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley warms up before an NFL football game against the New York Giants, Thursday, Oct. 9, 2025, in East Rutherford, N.J. The reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year isn’t pointing fingers for his lack of production.
He’s not assigning blame. While fantasy football managers are complaining and rival fans are poking fun, Barkley is choosing to be a good teammate by taking it all on the chin. “I’m not getting the job done,” Barkley said after a 44-yard performance vs. the Vikings. “I own the running game. That’s my responsibility. I was brought here to make plays in the run game, and I’m not making plays in the run game. I’m taking too many negative runs, and I own that.” It’s an admirable approach and one we’ve come to expect from Barkley. That’s the way he’s wired. But anyone who has followed the Eagles closely should know this isn’t his fault. It’s not Barkley’s fault he’s averaging 52.7 rushing yards per game, which ranks 27th in the NFL. It’s not his fault he’s averaging 3.3 yards per carry, the worst clip among backs with at least 75 carries. It’s not Barkley’s fault that he has zero runs of 20-plus yards. Does Barkley deserve some criticism? Sure. But Barkley is merely a piece in a puzzle that doesn’t fit right now. Anyone who watched Barkley last year — and even in the six years prior with the Giants — knows how special of a player he is. He’s still the same guy who set the NFL rushing record for the most yards in a season, playoffs included. Barkley didn’t all of a sudden forget how to play running back. Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Sept. 28, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. A part of the problem is defenses have changed. After everyone saw what the Chiefs did to the Eagles, holding Barkley to 57 yards on 25 carries in the Super Bowl, teams are trying to replicate that. Stacked boxes have been a theme, and rarely have the Eagles had answers. Barkley pushed back on that being a reason why things look so dysfunctional, though. Asked if defenses keying in on him is just life after rushing for 2,005 yards last season, Barkley said, “I hate that narrative.” “No one wanted me to rush for 2,000 yards . It wasn’t like they just handed us 2,000 yards rushing,” Barkley said. “We just had a different mindset and a different attitude, and that starts with me.”Barkley would never say this, but let’s acknowledge what so many have pointed out for weeks: it starts with head coach Nick Sirianni and first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. Sirianni is the one who steers the ship. He’s the one who hired Patullo internally to replace Kellen Moore as the Eagles’ OC. And Patullo is the one who is ultimately responsible for game planning, calling plays and adjusting. One could argue Jalen Hurts should be at least partially responsible. The sixth-year quarterback has more ownership over the offense than he ever has. But Hurts, more or less, is working with what is getting sent in from the sidelines. Teammates have said he’s in “command” of the line of scrimmage, making the right pre-snap adjustments necessary for success. Hurts has even gone rogue this season to get Barkley more involved; Barkley’s wheel route touchdown vs. the Broncos was Hurts’ call, Barkley said. So, Sirianni and Patullo, especially, have been a problem. That’s not breaking news, but it’s bears repeating.The offensive line and its leader have been at fault, too. Jeff Stoutland, known as perhaps the best offensive line coach in the NFL, is also the Eagles’ running game coordinator. He has a lot of say in what types of runs are called. And the majority of those runs have been unsuccessful. That reflects negatively on Stoutland and his offensive line, which has not held up its end of the bargain. Now, there are obvious excuses to make for the Eagles’ front. All-Pro left guard Landon Dickerson has been playing through a torn meniscus suffered in August and a recent ankle injury. All-Pro center Cam Jurgens, who had offseason back surgery, left Sunday’s game with a knee injury. Future Hall of Fame right tackle Lane Johnson has missed snaps with back and neck injuries. Right guard Tyler Steen is a first-year starter, and Brett Toth has struggled mightily filling in for Dickerson and Jurgens. But Johnson said after the Giants loss that injuries aren’t an excuse for a group that talented. Jordan Mailata added that stacked boxes shouldn’t be an excuse, either. “We’ve seen that before,” Mailata said after the Vikings game. “The difference is we’re just missing. We’re missing on key blocks.” It’s all been disjointed, and that’s affecting Barkley. According to Pro Football Focus, Barkley is gaining 1.13 yards before contact per carry. What is he supposed to do? Backwards hurdle an entire front four? If you asked Barkley, maybe that’s the solution. Just make guys miss and be Superman. But everyone else in the Eagles’ locker room knows Barkley isn’t the problem — and they don’t want him to take on the responsibility of a collective failure. “Saquon is the best,” Hurts said Sunday. “I don’t want him to feel like he’s carrying that by himself. It is a group effort. Everyone is involved in that. Everyone has to look and say, ‘Well, how can we help get something going the way it needs to go?’” Fortunately for the Eagles, Barkley being bottled up didn’t cost them on Sunday. Hurts, DeVonta Smith, A.J. Brown and theBut for the Eagles to get where they want to go, they have to get more out of the running game. And the responsibility falls on everyone to get that done — certainly not just Barkley. 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Saquon Barkley Philadelphia Eagles NFL Running Back Offense
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