As Eagles search for answers in wake of loss to Cowboys, they should start by reexamining how they're using Saquon Barkley
ARLINGTON, Texas — Saquon Barkley does not take the A.J. Brown approach to airing grievances.
The Philadelphia Eagles running back does not lament his opportunities in the way his star receiver does, and when Barkley does lament, he tends to direct all criticism squarely at himself.
So it could be easy to overlook the role of Philadelphia’s running game amid complaints from the Eagles' star wideout and criticism of their first-year offensive coordinator.
And yet, a look at the Eagles’ third loss on the season shows a trend. It’s one that might make Philadelphia wish Barkley was throwing more of a fit about his usage.
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A year after Barkley led the league in rushing yards (2,005), rushing attempts (345), yards from scrimmage (2,283) and total touches (378), Barkley’s production has dipped significantly. He’s declined from 125.3 rushing yards per game to 62.2; from 21.6 attempts per game to 16.8. And while plenty around Eagles headquarters will argue that winning is more important than any specific contributor’s production, the correlation between the two is undeniable.
In each of their three losses, he’s received 12 or fewer carries and 17 or fewer touches.
Put another way: Barkley’s three games with the fewest opportunities occurred in the Eagles’ losses. The Eagles are not relying on Barkley enough.
Correlation does not always equal causation. NFL coaches love to say styles make fights, and some defenses will neutralize the run more effectively than others. But this correlation creates a data point the Eagles would be prudent to note. And it’s a data point that at least some in Philadelphia believe is not coincidental.
“Obviously I think the game plan is to probably take Saquon away and make it difficult for him,” Brown said after the Eagles’ 24-21 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday. “So they mix in a lot of good looks, put guys in the box, pull guys out of the box and it's a number of things. I don't think it's just one thing, they just come in the game and take him away.
“Just, teams have been playing us different this year.”
The more that blueprint for thwarting Philadelphia works, the more opponents will repeat it.
As Eagles' run game wavers, Barkley ‘tired of the excuse’
Barkley was characteristically tough on himself after rushing for 22 yards on 10 carries vs. the Cowboys. He also chipped in 52 yards on seven catches, including some to manufacture a run game, but that didn’t reassure the second overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
“The run game didn’t get going and I always will own that and I just got to be better,” Barkley said from the postgame locker room. “I'm a big believer that the run game starts with me and ends with me so I'm in a little funk right now.
“I'm not getting yards and tired of the excuse of people trying to stop our running game. I don't really subscribe to that. Just got to be better.”
Ask coaches, teammates and Eagles staffers not named Saquon Barkley, and they’ll tell you that the problem is not only — or even necessarily primarily — Saquon Barkley.
An offensive line’s ability to create lanes for a back directly correlates to his success. A play-caller’s willingness to call runs and then call them again matters. Even the quarterback’s decision on whether to run or pass on option plays weighs in.
“We can't say that this is the ultimate team game when things are going [well], and then when they're not going good after a loss, it's on one person,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said. “When it's not going as planned, [we don’t] assign blame to one person. It's always still all about the team.”
Left tackle Jordan Mailata, who was among the Eagles linemen that struggled to handle a Cowboys five-man front that some Eagles didn’t expect, agreed.
“It’s not on Saquon, it’s on all of us,” Mailata said. “You can just watch the film.
“It’s on all of us up front.”
In aggregate, the Eagles’ run blocking has not fallen off much since last year, per ESPN Stats and Info. The Eagles ranked ninth in run blocking across last season, with a 72% success rate, per ESPN. While ESPN had yet to include Week 12 data as of Monday evening, the Eagles’ first 11 weeks featured an identical 72% success rate — good for 10th in the league.
But a line can only block for runs that a play caller, quarterback and running back dial up.
“Make no mistake about it,” Sirianni said, “we want to get Saquon the ball as much as we can because we know good things happen.”
Eagles need to let Barkley carry them vs. Bears and beyond
Two counterpoints could arrive to question the need to integrate Barkley.
The first: Is this a matter of Barkley’s opportunities or his production?
The second: Are losses only correlating with fewer Barkley touches because the Eagles aren’t running as much in the second half as they try to catch up rather than maintain a lead?
Neither bears out.
Because while Barkley’s fewest-opportunity games all correlate with the Eagles' losses, his lowest production games do not. Barkley’s 88 yards from scrimmage in the Eagles’ 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos ranks fifth among his 11 outings. His worst outing from scrimmage, at 42 yards, came in a 28-22 win over the Minnesota Vikings.
And to the second concern: An analysis of Barkley’s first-half touches dispels the idea that the Eagles are only giving him second-half carries when they lead. When analyzing Barkley’s first-half touches only, his three fewest opportunities produced two losses.
So what explains the correlation?
The value of a run game in the NFL goes beyond its raw data and beyond its raw impact. A potent run game often wears down defenders more quickly than pass plays, the physicality hurting opponents later in the game when they more often run out of steam. And the more a team runs, the more it usually controls the clock and gives its defense more time to stay fresh.
As the Eagles saw against the Cowboys, an explosive pass game may spark a 21-point lead — but it also won’t prevent an unraveling to the tune of 24 unanswered points.
Sirianni said Monday that he and his colleagues were “searching for answers.” He also expressed confidence in offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo when asked about Patullo’s job security.
“As coaches, we’re always looking for answers and we’re never into assigning blame,” Sirianni said. “What sometimes can happen is [assuming] ‘it’s just this.’ Well, it’s not ‘just that.’ It’s every piece of the puzzle: coaching, playing, execution, scheme, everything.
“We’ve got to be better in all of those aspects.”
Barkley touches and carries alone may not guarantee Eagles wins. Lessons from the Cowboys game also include the importance of ball security and discipline after two giveaways and a season-high 14 penalties.
But sticking with Barkley, even if he doesn’t start quickly, may be a necessary if not sufficient part of a winning recipe.
A Black Friday game against the Bears, who rank bottom-five in rushing yards allowed and bottom three in yards per carry allowed, will offer a great time to start.
“Anytime you're one-dimensional, that makes it tough,” Sirianni said. “So we got to identify what it is and try to get better from it.”