Saquon 'in a little funk' as Eagles' run game struggles
Running back Saquon Barkley is shouldering the blame for the Philadelphia Eagles' struggling rushing attack after Sunday's 24-21 loss to Dallas Cowboys.
"I'm more disappointed with myself, not frustrated with anybody else," Barkley said postgame, according to ESPN's Tim McManus. "I'm a big believer the run game starts with me and ends with me. I'm in a little funk right now. I've had funks like this before, just got to break it.
"I'm not getting the run game going. I'm not getting yards. I'm tired of the excuse of people trying to stop the run game. I don't really subscribe to that. Just got to be better, got to make plays."
Philadelphia squandered a 21-0 lead, allowing the Cowboys to score 24 unanswered points. Barkley lost a fumble in Eagles' territory in the fourth quarter that aided the Cowboys' rally.
Barkley logged 10 carries for a season-low 22 yards, also his fewest since joining the Eagles in 2024. The NFL's reigning Offensive Player of the Year has rushed for 684 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 3.7 yards per carry through 11 games this season.
The star tailback's numbers have declined steeply after he racked up a league-leading 2,005 rushing yards and averaged 125.3 yards per game last season.
The Eagles scored 26 combined points in their previous two games, victories over the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers. Philadelphia is averaging 303.6 yards of total offense and 110.5 rushing yards per game, down from 179.3 rushing yards last season.
Quarterback Jalen Hurts lamented the Eagles' inability to sustain their hot start after scoring on their first three offensive possessions of the game. The Super Bowl LIX MVP said he hopes Sunday's defeat will "light a fire in us as a team."
"We've got to find a way to finish the game, and we've got to find some consistency in what we do," Hurts said.
The Eagles (8-3) will host the Chicago Bears (8-3) on Black Friday.