As a career-long member of the NFC East, Saquon Barkley knows quite well how intense each rivalry game can be. And, Week 16 was certainly no different.
Barkley had one of his best games of the season with 21 carries for 132 yards and a touchdown to help the Eagles roll past the Commanders, 29-18, to clinch back-to-back NFC East titles.
After the game, the star running back kept it honest while addressing the bad blood, and even suggested the feud is so genuine, the energy from the fanbases getting into it in the stands spilled onto the field.
“I guess it was a theme,” Barkley said. “We look back at one point, the fans were fighting in the thing and I guess it kind of carries over to the game. But, it’s chippy out there. We have a lot of history with this team, especially since I been here. … This team don’t like us, this is the truth, and we don’t like them, either. But, we got to keep it football.”
Given the two yearly meetings with Washington, it makes sense why Barkley feels how he does after facing the Commanders 12 times in his career while with the Giants and Eagles.
Saturday’s meeting marked his fourth-straight 100-yard game against Washington, the most by a running back since Cowboys legend Emmitt Smith in 2001-02. The matchup also added to Barkley’s all-time edge against Washington, with the All-Pro now a combined 7-4-1 against them, including a 2-1 mark as an Eagle.
The Eagles and Commanders had multiple dust-ups during the game, as they have over the years, one of which saw Barkley get briefly involved at the tail end. And, thanks to the schedule makers, the rivals will have a quick turnaround and will see each other again in Week 18 for the season finale in Philadelphia.
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