Derrick Henry raves about Saquon Barkley's historic night in 3 words as Eagles RB torches Rams defense for 302 yards
It has been a season for running backs and on Sunday night in Week 12, Saquon Barkley decided he would serve yet another reminder of why running backs deserve more respect in the National Football League. In a primetime showdown against the Los Angeles Rams, Barkley decided to take charge of the night, rushing for 255 yards and two TDs as the Eagles pushed a sixth loss on the Rams.
Barkley racked up a total of 302 scrimmage yards, making the rest of the league stand up and take notice of his MVP credentials. Fellow bellcow running back Derrick Henry also paid attention to the proceedings, tweeting in the aftermath:
"GO CRAZY GANGSTA!!"
Exploring Saquon Barkley's historic stats tonight vs Rams
You'd need a deep breath to explain Barkley's dominant performance against the Rams in a single sentence.
With 255 yards rushing, Barkley set the single-game rushing record in franchise history. Those 255 yards also mean that he is now at number nine in the all-time list of single-game rushing yard totals. Former MVP Adrian Peterson is comfortably top of the list with 296 yards for the Vikings in a game against the San Diego Chargers back in 2007.
And there's more. Barkley's 302 scrimmage yards mean he is also at number nine in the list of the top 10 scrimmage yards in a single game in NFL history. Incidentally, former Rams WR Flipper Anderson holds the record for most scrimmage yards in a single game with 336 (all receiving yards) which came in a game against the New Orleans Saints back in 1989.
If Barkley continues at this pace, he will be on track to eclipse the single-season NFL rushing yard record Erick Dickerson set with 2,105 yards in 1984.
And if those stats weren't enough, Barkley registered more rushing yards (255) than the entire Giants offense did on Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers through the run AND the pass (245). Yikes.
At this rate, Barkley will break LeSean McCoy's single-season franchise rushing yard total in Week 15 when they face the Pittsburgh Steelers. Those numbers could also propel Barkley to become the first non-QB to win the NFL MVP award since Adrian Peterson. The Vikings finished that year 10-6 with the sixth and final seed. The Eagles, meanwhile, are 9-2 heading into Week 13.
To make matters worse, the New York Giants won't get a compensatory pick for Barkley since they signed too many free agents, per Over The Cap.