Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley is on pace to break the single-season rushing record. How did he play in Week 16 against the Washington Commanders, and what does he need to do to top Eric Dickerson’s all-time mark?
Can Saquon Barkley Pass Eric Dickerson This Week?
Barkley is having an outstanding season and is currently on pace to break the single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set by Dickerson in 1984.
You don’t have to remind Barkley, though. He knows all about it and knows how far he is away from breaking it and what he needs to average.
“I know a lot about Eric Dickerson,” Barkley said. “I know that he has the record. He’s (had it) for 40 years. Obviously, I’ve heard the talk. I know the number.”
The single-season rushing record is a goal that Barkley and the Eagles’ offensive line have set for themselves.
Entering Week 16, Barkley had a league-leading 1,688 yards. In the Eagles-Commanders game, he rushed for 150 yards, putting him at 1,838 yards on the season.
Over 100 rushing yards in…
*checks notes*
THE FIRST QUARTER!@saquon | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/bkzqjvTQ7i— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 22, 2024
Barkley needs to amass 267 yards down the stretch to break Dickerson’s record, needing to average approximately 133.5 yards over the next two games.
Barkley has averaged 120.5 yards per game this season, so it will take some above-average performances to get there, but it’s certainly possible.
Barkley said he has studied Dickerson’s game and wants to mimic the former back.
“I feel like you want to be great, you’ve got to be able to study the greats and learn from them,” Barkley said recently.
“So I try to focus, especially in my position, on the history of the position and learning the position and watching those guys and seeing the stuff that they were able to accomplish and as a competitor try to go out there and go get them.”
Barkley has a chance to set the record against his former team, the New York Giants, in Week 18. In October, he tore the Giants apart for 176 yards in just three quarters of action in the teams’ first meeting at MetLife Stadium.
In Week 17, Barkley will face the Dallas Cowboys, who have been dreadful against the run (although they limited Saquon to just 66 yards on 14 carries in their first meeting in November).
He still averaged 4.7 yards per carry, as the Eagles limited his workload and spread the ground attack around in the 34-6 victory over Dallas. Philadelphia used its running back-by-committee approach to total 187 yards rushing and playing ball-control offense.
In regards to the NFL single-season yards-from-scrimmage record, Barkley is just 395 scrimmage yards behind Chris Johnson’s 2,509. Barkley is dangerous enough out of the backfield on swing passes and checkdowns to potentially get there.
Look for the Eagles to get the ball in Barkley’s hands in open space as often as possible. They’ll also push for more ground-and-pound offense as they look to finish the season strong.