PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – NOVEMBER 14: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles reacts after his touchdown run against the Washington Commanders during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field on November 14, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
What Saquon Barkley is doing is virtually unprecedented in NFL history.
In his first 10 games in an Eagles uniform, he has over 1,100 rushing yards, a 5.8 rushing average, over 1,300 scrimmage yards, 10 touchdowns and eight plays over 30 yards.
That’s insane.
We could have squeezed a few Saquon numbers into our weekly Eagles Stats column, but there’s just too much good stuff.
Get top local stories in Philly delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Philadelphia's News Headlines newsletter.
So here’s our Special Edition Saquon Barkley Stats column. And I have a hunch it won’t be the last one.
1. ELITE COMPANY
Barkley is only the third player in NFL history with at least 1,137 rushing yards, a 5.8 rushing average and 10 touchdowns through 10 games. The others are Jim Brown in 1958 and 1963 and Walter Payton in 1977. Derrick Henry is very close this year at 1,120 rushing yards, a 6.1 average and 10 TDs. And Jim Taylor was close in 1962 (1,121, 5.7 average, 14 TDs).
Local
Breaking news and the stories that matter to your neighborhood.
2. EAGLES VS. GIANTS
2A. Barkley has four games with at least 150 scrimmage yards in the Eagles’ last eight games. He had four games with at least 150 scrimmage yards in his last 87 games with the Giants.
2B. Barkley already has four games this year with 140 rushing yards and 5 ½ yards per carry – the Saints, Giants, Jaguars and Commanders. He had three in six years with the Giants.
2C. Barkley has two games this year with rushing and receiving touchdowns. He had two in his entire six-year Giants career.
3. HUGE 4TH QUARTER
With his rushing touchdowns of 23 and 39 yards in the fourth quarter Thursday night, Barkley became only the ninth player in NFL history with two 4th-quarter rushing TDs of at least 20 yards – and the second Eagle. LeSean McCoy had 40- and 57-yarders in the fourth quarter of the Snow Bowl vs. the Lions in 2013. Including Barkley’s 65-yard TD run in the fourth quarter of the Saints game, Barkley already has three 4th-quarter TDs of at least 20 yards this year. That ties an NFL record shared by Shady in 2003, LeGarrette Blount with the Patriots in 2013 and six other players. Other than Barkley and McCoy, the only Eagle with multiple 20-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter in the same season is Correll Buckhalter in 2003.
4. BEST 5-GAME STRETCH EVER
Barkley’s 655 rushing yards since the Giants game are the most in Eagles history in a five-game span. Wilbert Montgomery had 633 in five games late in the 1979 season.
5. ANOTHER HUGE SCRIMMAGE GAME
With seven games left, Barkley is already the only player in Eagles history with three games with at least 185 scrimmage yards in a season. Several players have had two, most recently LeSean McCoy and DeSean Jackson in 2013. In just 10 games, Barkley already has the 4th-most games with 185 scrimmage yards in Eagles history, behind Brian Westbrook (6), Timmy Brown (5) and Wilbert Montgomery (4). Several others have three – Jackson, McCoy, Ricky Watters and Duce Staley. The only NFL players with more 185-yard scrimmage plays 10 games into a season are Jim Brown (5 in 1963), Walter Payton (4 in 1977) and Christian McCaffrey (4 in 2019).
6. THE FASTEST TO 1,000
Barkley reached 1,000 rushing yards faster than anybody in Eagles history. Barkley went over 1,000 yards on his fifth carry Thursday night, which was his 176th career this year. The previous fastest Eagle to 1,000 yards was Shady in 2011. He reached 1,000 yards on his 188th carry.
7. THE NEW GUY
Barkley’s 1,137 rushing yards are 4th-most in NFL history by a player in his first 10 games with a specific team. Eric Dickerson had 1,223 in his first game with the Rams, Adrian Peterson 1,197 in his first 10 games with the Vikings and Stephen Davis 1,143 with the Panthers. Davis has the most yards by a free agent in his first 10 games with a new team, just six more than Barkley.
8. SHADY, DUCE AND SAQUON
In just 10 games in an Eagles uniform, Barkley already has the 3rd-most games in Eagles history with at least 140 rushing yards with four. McCoy had eight and Duce Staley five. Steve Van Buren and Wilbert Montgomery also had four. Barkley’s six 100-yard games are tied for 4th-most in Eagles history with seven games left. Wilbert Montgomery had eight in 1981 and seven in 1979, and LeSean McCoy had seven in 2013.
9. DOING MORE WITH LESS
Barkley is only the second back in NFL history with more than 1,100 yards on fewer than 200 carries through Week 10. He has 1,137 yards on 197 carries. In 2009, Chris Johnson had 1,242 yards on 199 carries. Barkley’s 1,347 scrimmage yards on 220 touches are 4th-most through 10 games by a running back on 220 or fewer touches. Marshall Faulk had 1,378 on 205 touches in 1999, Fred Jackson 1,376 yards on 209 touches in 2011 and Roger Craig 1,351 yards on 175 touches in 1985.
10. BY LAND AND BY AIR
Barkley is the first Eagle with a 35-yard run and a 35-yard catch in the same game in a decade, since DeSean Jackson had a 67-yard TD run and a 57-yard TD catch from Donovan McNabb in the Eagles’ 27-17 win over Washington at FedEx Field in 2009. Believe it or not, he’s also the first Eagles running back with 35 yards both rushing and receiving since Timmy Brown against the Steelers at Forbes Field in 1961. Brown had a 42-yard catch and 65 receiving yards … although he’s officially listed with no catches because the 65 receiving yards came after a lateral from Pete Retzlaff. The last Eagles running back who actually had runs and receptions for 35 yards or more was Billy Ray Barnes with a 41-yard run and 67-yard TD catch from Bobby Thomason in the Eagles’ 31-27 loss to the Cardinals at Connie Mack Stadium in 1957.
Subscribe to Eagle Eye anywhere you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts | YouTube Music | Spotify | Stitcher | Simplecast | RSS | Watch on YouTube
