Saquon Barkley and the Eagles' unanimous decision

Another big game for the ex-Giant, as the free agent runner keys a win over Washington.

Saquon Barkley

Iran Barkley was a fight fan’s fighter. He launched himself into the national mind when he peered through his own blood and knocked out Thomas Hearns. Four years later, Barkley beat Hearns again. Somewhere in there he lost a tough split decision to Roberto Duran, lost another war to James Toney, and he got knocked out by Nigel Benn in a first round that could have had both fighters arrested for assault. But he did enough to be known, to some, as “The Fifth King,” the guy on the outside looking in on Hearns, Duran, Marvin Hagler and Ray Leonard, always laced up in case the door opened.

The key to understanding Barkley, and his most famous relative, is his record. He lost 19 fights. Most of the time, there’s a commission or a doctor or a loved one who stops you before you lose 19 fights. By then, there is no incentive other than the magnetic, mocking pull of the ring. Through riches and homelessness and headlines and footnotes, Barkley never quit throwing.

A couple of weeks ago, Saquon Barkley did something royal. He was running at the edge of the Jacksonville defense, and he did a spin move, and he thought about trying another, but he sensed Jarrian Jones, a Jaguars’ rookie, wasn’t buying it. So he jumped over Jones. Backwards. Suddenly the 2024 NFL season had a cover photo. And suddenly Barkley, Iran’s great nephew, crossed over. Until then he had been a running back’s running back. Now he belonged to everyone.

On Thursday night, the Eagles had six explosive plays and Barkley had three of them. He took a little flip from Jalen Hurts and streaked 43 yards. He later broke loose for touchdowns of 23 and 39 yards. The Eagles, paralyzed in the first half and frustrated by the misbehaving foot of kicker Jake Elliott, finished off Washington, 26-18, and now lead the NFC East by a game and a half. More to the point, they have won six consecutive games since a 2-2 start, after which Eagles fans were sending coach Nick Sirianni’s resume to every butcher shop in town. They are reminding people that they did go to a Super Bowl two years ago, and that’s before they got Saquon Barkley.

He is one of three running backs who went to a new team this year and re-established their names. Derrick Henry went from Tennessee to Baltimore, Joe Mixon from Cincinnati to Houston, and Barkley from the Giants to Philadelphia. The running back position has become a stepchild in recent years, with so many teams preferring the long, aerial handoff to tight ends, or putting their backs in screen plays. In the 2024 draft, only Jonathan Brooks (Panthers) was drafted as an RB through the first 65 picks.

But Barkley, Henry and Mixon are old-fashioned beasts of burden who can become thoroughbreds whenever they see a crack. They rank 1-2-3 in NFL yards per game, with Barkley averaging 113.7, and Barkley leads everyone in carries with 19.7. The odometer doesn’t really apply to him, or to Henry, Mixon or Josh Jacobs for that matter. He’s a long way from losing his 19th fight.

Philly fans are about as forgiving as a Martin Scorsese enforcer. In Game 2, Barkley risked wearing out his welcome before he’d officially said hello. It was the Eagles’ first home game, and they were in the process of nailing down the Falcons when Barkley dropped a third down pass from Hurts. That stopped the clock and gave Atlanta enough time to beat the Eagles, 22-21. Barkley, who got through his entire rookie year with the Giants without fumbling, owned the mistake and has barely taken a misstep since.

The patrons yelled, “Thank you, Giants” as Barkley emerged from the locker room after Thursday’s win. Their turnpike rivals wanted to keep Barkley, who had become a free agent. Barkley’s agent told the Giants it would take at least a 3-year contract at $12.5 million per, and at least $25 million would have to be guaranteed. General manager Joe Schoen, in the process of assembling offensive linemen for running backs who couldn’t get through (or over) the holes that Barkley handled routinely, said no. Then he closed his eyes and hoped Barkley would go to the Bears or Bayern Munich or anywhere outside the NFC East.

Howie Roseman of the Eagles came back to offer three years at $37.75 million and $26 million guaranteed. That did the trick. Unfortunately for the Giants, all this was part of HBO’s “Hard Knocks” series, which this year branched into free agent season. Said Giants’ owner John Mara, “I’m going to have trouble sleeping if it’s Philadelphia.” The seventh  Sunday of the season was a Valium-proof afternoon for Mara and Giants’ fans, because Barkley ran for 176 yards in the Meadowlands on 17 carries, and the Eagles pounded the Giants, 28-3.

In four of his past five games Barkley has broken 100 yards, and in three of their past five games, the Eagles have run for more than 200 yards. Barkley has eight rushing touchdowns, which is notable because he doesn’t get one-yard plunges. When the Eagles get within a sniff of the end zone, they almost always go with Hurts and the “Tush Push,” or the “Brotherly Shove,” or whatever you call the free ride Hurts gets from his backs and linemen. Hurts has 11 touchdowns like that.

This was a showdown of sorts, because the Commanders and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels had taken the early lead in the division. A Hail Mary on the final play against Chicago can create believers. But Daniels hurt his ribs in the next game and hasn’t been quite as dynamic since. In this game, the Eagles took away favorite target Terry McLaurin, and 16 of Daniels’ 32 passes went to Austin Ekeler or Zach Ertz. Daniels tried to get outside on a fourth-and-two that was snuffed by Zack Baun, when a 44-yard field goal would have given Washington a 13-12 lead. (Elliott had missed an extra point and two field goals for the Eagles.)

Five plays later Barkley was scoring from 23 yards, and on the first scrimmage play after that, Reed Blankenship intercepted Daniels. The Commanders will be favored in their next three games (Dallas, Tennessee and New Orleans) before the Eagles come to Landover on Dec. 22.

By then Barkley will still remember how the Giants confused him with a shot fighter. He is only 27. He’s endured a torn ACL and a couple of standard-equipment ankle injuries, and before that he’s known hardship up close. His dad Alibay was an amateur boxer who developed a drug problem, spent some years in and out of the joint, and moved the family out of The Bronx and into the Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania for safety’s sake. Still, there were periods of homelessness for the Barkleys.

Saquon could have been a fighter. Before he even got past the first grade his dad would send him into the street in search of random opponents. But the kid didn’t share his great uncle’s taste for getting hit. Coaches descended upon his little town of Coplay, and Barkley first picked Rutgers. Then James Franklin surfaced and insisted he come to Penn State, which Barkley did, after much remorse. He didn’t enjoy telling Rutgers no. Forty-three touchdowns at Happy Valley validated that decision, including a 25-carry, 194-yard day that featured a 79-yard touchdown in a come-from-ahead, 52-49 loss to USC in the Rose Bowl.

Barkley was drafted second overall by the Giants and was Offensive Rookie of the Year. Two years ago he was part of the Giants’ playoff win over the Vikings and ran for a 28-yard score. So this is more of a confirmation than a comeback, and it also makes for a particularly bad nightmare. Every time the Giants wake up, they and Barkley are still leaping backward.