Elite players calling their shots isn’t new to the sport. Larry Bird famously started the trend by reciting what he would do on the next play before following it up. That trend carried forward to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant on the free throw line before the Steph Curry look-away three-pointer became the stuff of legend.
However, replicating that in football was a rather impossible feat. Given the sport’s unpredictability from play to play, calling your shot is practically unimaginable. For a moment, football fans thought that Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley pulled off the ultimate flex, but it turns out the lip readers mistook what he said.
Saquon Barkley Chats With Jalen Hurts Before Game-Winning Touchdown
The Divisional Round matchup between the Los Angeles Rams and Eagles was one for the ages. With continuous snow pouring down, it made for a magical atmosphere, especially for one man.
Contributing 232 (205 rushing, 27 receiving) out of the total 350 yards that the Eagles accumulated, Barkley finished with the fifth-highest rushing yards in NFL playoff history. It left him less than 160 yards shy of the all-time single-season record set by Terrell Davis with 2,476.
For good measure, he added two touchdowns: a 62-yard bomb and a 78-yard game-ender. Prior to taking the snap on the game-winning score, Barkley said something to Hurts. Initially, some fans thought he was saying, “Watch this,” or, “I got this.”
A split second later, he was dashing through the snow, effectively ending the game and punching a ticket to the NFC Championship Game. It seemed like a legendary moment where Barkley called his shot and then took off for a game-winning, 78-yard score.
Saquon to Jalen before his game clinching touchdown run, "Watch this". pic.twitter.com/oAminYAEMv
— Jake Laskey (@JWLaskey) January 19, 2025
Over the last few weeks, the NFL has seen these celebrations pop up. Lamar Jackson did it, celebrating after throwing a pass before it was even caught for a touchdown. So, the thought of Barkley doing the same thing didn’t seem too crazy, especially when Barkley revealed that he asked for this play specifically.
“It was a play that I asked for, just being out there and seeing and getting a feel for what they were doing,” he said. “And then me and coach talked about it, took it to Kellen [Moore]. It’s just a beautiful thing when stuff like that happens, and it all comes together.”
Saquon Barkley says he asked for the play call on his 78-yard touchdown pic.twitter.com/ZwjNJFC92y
— Eliot Shorr-Parks (@EliotShorrParks) January 19, 2025
However, during that same postgame interview, Barkley revealed what he actually said to Hurts before his 78-yard scamper … and let’s just say it isn’t as cool as calling his shot.
Barkley revealed that he lined up on the wrong side, so that’s what he and Hurts were discussing prior to the snap. It seems that he was asking Hurts, “Should I switch?”
Saquon Barkley before his 78 yard touchdown run, thought he may have been lined up wrong and that’s what he was asking Jalen Hurts about.
He says it worked! pic.twitter.com/LxeK9uJMUz
— John Clark (@JClarkNBCS) January 19, 2025
Not as cool of a moment, to be sure, but I think Barkley and the Eagles were plenty happy with the result of the run and the game.
Next up, Philadelphia will take on Jayden Daniels and the red-hot Washington Commanders with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.