Big Reputation
There is a lot of speculation that the Eagles may use Saquon Barkley a little less this season after he went over the magical 2,000-yard rushing mark a year ago enroute to the Super Bowl title.
Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a regular season. Here is the list:
Eric Dickerson, LA Rams, 1984, 14 games, 332 carries, 2,105 yards, 6.0 avg.
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota, 2012, 16 games, 348 carries, 2097 yards, 6.0 avg.
Jamal Lewis, Baltimore, 2003, 16 games, 387 carries, 2066 yards, 5.3 avg.
Barry Sanders, Detroit, 1997, 16 games, 335 carries, 2,053 yards, 6.0 avg.
Derrick Henry, Tennessee, 2020, 16 games, 378 carries, 2027 yards, 5.4 avg.
Terrell Davis, Denver, 1998, 16 games, 392 carries, 2008 yards, 5.1 avg.
Chris Johnson, Tennessee, 2009, 16 games, 358 carries, 2006 yards, 5.6 avg.
Saquon Barkley, Eagles, 2024, 16 games, 345 carries, 2005 yards, 5.8 avg.
O.J. Simpson, Buffalo, 1973, 14 games, 332 carries, 2003 yards, 6.0 avg.
People will point out that the NFL season is now 17 games, but remember, the Eagles sat Barkley out of the final game, a 20-13 victory over the NY Giants, so he appeared in 16 games.
Even though sitting out didn’t enable him to challenge for the all-time single-season record, it was the right move. The Eagles needed Barkley fresh for the postseason, and he responded by rushing for another 499 yards (5.5 avg.) and five touchdowns in the Eagles four playoff wins.
There has been no indication from the Eagles that Barkley’s workload will lessen, although it wouldn’t be surprising if it happened.
Last season he had a career-high 345 regular season carries and added another 91 in the postseason.
That is a lot of wear and tear, but Barkley never looked worn down.
The 6-foot, 233-pound Barkley is as finely conditioned of an athlete as there is in the NFL. He is 28-years-old, which isn’t young for a running back, but he also runs behind arguably the best offensive line in football.
He averaged 21.5 carries per game in the regular season and 22.75 in the postseason.
It wouldn’t be surprising if his load lessens a little, but he is such a big part of the offense and if he stays healthy one has to wonder if Barkley could he keep performing at such a high rate?
In looking back at the other running backs on the above list, here is what they accomplished the year after they rushed for 2,000 yards:
O.J. Simpson 1974: 14 games, 270 carries, 1,125 yards, 4.2 avg.
Adrian Peterson 2013: 14 games, 279 carries, 1,266 yards, 4.6 avg.
Chris Johnson 2010: 16 games, 316 carries, 1,364 yards, 4.3 avg.
Terrell Davis 1999: four games, 67 carries, 211 yards, 3.1 avg.
Derrick Henry 2021: eight games, 219 carries, 937 yards, 4.3 avg.
Barry Sanders 1998: 16 games, 343 carries, 1,491 yards, 4.3 avg.
Jamal Lewis 2004: 12 games, 235 carries, 1006 yards, 4.3 avg
Eric Dickerson 1985: 14 games, 292 carries, 1,234 yards, 4.2 avg.
The year after their 2000-yard seasons, every running back not only had significantly fewer rushing yards, but all of their average yards per attempt went down.
This doesn’t mean the same has to happen for Barkley, but it is worth noting that none of the original eight 2,000 yard rushers came close to matching both their output or their yards per carry they season after.
The odds of another 2,000-yard season this year, based on history, isn’t good for Barkley, but the Eagles have a great passing game and may be able to take some of the load off him. Either way, there is no reason that he can’t have another big season, but based on history, just don’t expect another 2,000-yard campaign.
Photo: Saquon Barkley / Courtesy of Philadelphia Eagles
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Author: Marc Narducci
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