Philadelphia Eagles star Saquon Barkley didn’t hold back when it came to talking about his team’s recent struggles. That included Thursday’s disappointing effort against the New York Giants, which was the Eagles’ second consecutive loss this season.
Barkley didn’t have as poor a performance as he did against the Denver Broncos. However, it wasn’t necessarily his best either.
He had twice as many carries in the Giants game, finishing with 58 yards and zero touchdowns. He's yet to achieve a game with 100 or more rushing yards this season.
While Hurts had more passing yards than rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart, he also threw an interception, with Barkley eventually chasing down the Giants defender to prevent a pick-six. However, the Giants still scored after that, and throughout the game with ease, en route to a 34-17 win.
The Eagles’ offense had their chances, but a combination of fumbles, an interception, overthrown passes, penalties, and poor clock management led to a crushing defeat at the hands of a division rival that was 1-4 entering the game.
Barkley was among the players that reporters spoke to in the locker room following his team’s disappointing “Thursday Night Football” outing, and he was clearly frustrated with the effort.
A reporter asked if he felt the Eagles’ offense had become “too predictable,” which may have led to their struggles in games this season. While the star running back didn’t agree or disagree, he did explain what’s necessary for his team.
"We just gotta do a better job of executing on those plays," Barkley said, regarding their efforts on offense.
He noted that it’s arguable to call any team “predictable” at this point in the NFL season, given they have an established playbook and run plays that other teams can study as a “foundation.”
"I don't get into the ‘it's predictable,’ or pointing fingers. I'm not going to. I think [Kevin Patullo] is doing a hell of a job. But we all got to be better, and that's just the truth, and if anybody else thinks anything different, they gotta wake up," he told reporters.
Patullo is the current offensive coordinator and playcaller for the Eagles. He initially joined the team as a pass game coordinator in 2021 and worked as an associate head coach for several years before shifting to the OC role.
Wide receiver A.J. Brown echoed Barkley's sentiments, indicating they have to do better and play a complete game on offense.
"We have to get it fixed because it's showing up. We can't keep putting pressure on the defense and the special teams to dig us out of this hole," Brown said.
With the latest loss to the Giants, the Eagles fall to 4-2, which keeps them atop the NFC East. Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders are just a game behind them at 3-2, suggesting they’ll be their toughest division rival and potentially in the way of securing a postseason spot.
However, the playoffs are still several months away. For now, the Eagles are their own toughest opponents and need to address their mistakes to possibly regain the composure they had in significant wins over the NFC’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams.
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