The title itself might not mean a ton.
For winning the NFC East — a feat the Eagles can accomplish with a win on Sunday — you get a hat, a shirt and eventually a banner inside the Linc. But there’s an even bigger reason why winning the division means something.
And Saquon Barkley knows all about it.
“The beauty of winning the division is you’re guaranteed a locked-in home playoff game,” Barkley said. “I’d say that’s a big difference. But if we do what we gotta do, that will take care of itself.”
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Barkley, 27, sort of knows from experience. The opposite experience.
During his six years with the New York Giants, Barkley’s team got to the playoffs just once. In 2022, the Giants earned a wild card spot, which meant they had to go on the road. After beating the Vikings in Minnesota, the Giants’ 2022 season came to an end at the hands of the Eagles a week later at the Linc.
The Eagles overpowered the Giants 38-7 in the divisional round on their way to Super Bowl LVII.
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“We had to go to Minnesota and it was loud and hectic there,” Barkley said. “And then we had to come here and it was loud and hectic here. The reason why it’s not a myth about home-field advantage and it’s not a myth about energy and the environment you have playing at home. So you definitely want to secure that.”
In the Giants’ wild card win in 2022, Barkley had 109 scrimmage yards and 2 touchdowns. And against the Eagles the following week, he had 82 scrimmage yards and a near signature moment.
One play still haunts Barkley a bit. In the third quarter, he took an inside zone handoff and picked up a 39-yard gain but was tripped up by safety Marcus Epps, who prevented what would have been an 80-yard touchdown.
“I got a lot of crap for it,” Barkley said. “Talking to my [personal trainer] and all the people I’m working with, if that moment comes again, how can I get ready for that, how can I finish the season off strong. But definitely how can I get stronger.”
That was Barkley’s only season out of six to even make it to the playoffs with the Giants. The Eagles have already punched their ticket to the postseason this year and are closing in on the first division crown of Barkley’s career.
In Barkley’s six seasons in New York, the Giants never won more than 9 games. The Eagles in 2024 reached that mark in November.
They’re starting to cross off their goals for the season but plenty remain.
“You set goals as a team and things you want to accomplish and you go out there and it actually comes to life, it’s big,” Barkley said. “But when it happens, it’s no surprise because we talked about it and you work for it and success is not an accident. I truly believe in that. It’s a big week against a division opponent and we gotta go out there and get a win.”
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