Last year at this time, Saquon Barkley was a member of the New York Giants and was mired in a season riddled with losses. This season, he is with the Philadelphia Eagles and is in the thick of things in the NFL playoffs. On Sunday afternoon, Barkley won his first playoff game with the Eagles — and he could not be happier.
Saquon Barkley Goes From Couch Potato to Playoff Hero
Last January, Barkley was home sitting on his couch watching playoff football and tweeting messages to his fans. This January, he got to play in the game with others on their couches watching him perform.
Barkley came to the Eagles via free agency from the Giants in the offseason. He was an unrestricted free agent and the Eagles offered to pay his price after the Giants balked. The Giants finished 3-14 and are home watching Barkley in the playoffs.
“A year ago I put out a tweet when I was on my couch watching playoff football that I gotta find a way to get back in it,” Barkley told Fox Sports’ Erin Andrews after his Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Green Bay Packers 22-10 Sunday afternoon. “So, I’m just happy to be here.”
Barkley, who rushed for 2,005 yards in 2024, rushed for 119 yards on 25 carries in his Eagles’ playoff debut. He almost scored late in the fourth quarter, but he just sat down so he could bleed the clock and ensure the victory.
"A year ago I put out a tweet when I was on my couch watching playoff football that I gotta find a way to get back in it. So, I'm just happy to be here." @ErinAndrews spoke with @saquon after the @Eagles win over the Packers to move onto the Divisional Round ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/CXlLnQZncN
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 13, 2025
Barkley did his damage against the 10th-ranked defense according to the PFN Defense+ metric. This comes from the final regular season description of the Packers” defense:
“The Packers end the season in the top 10, but on a sour note after seeing their 11-game win streak against the Chicago Bears snapped.
Green Bay finished second in defensive EPA per dropback, behind only the Broncos. That was mostly a byproduct of all the Packers’ splash plays, as they ranked third in takeaway rate and 10th in sack rate.
That has led to some massive games, but it also has limitations against the best offenses. Five of the Packers’ six losses came against the Eagles, Vikings, and Lions, which bodes ominously for a playoff run that starts in Philadelphia.”
The Eagles will play a Divisional Round game next weekend with the date, time, and team still to be determined.