The Philadelphia Eagles may be in the mood to make some history this season, as running back Saquon Barkley has a chance at challenging the all-time single-season rushing record. Running backs are en vogue this season, and Barkley is one of the main reasons why.
When Rams great Eric Dickerson ran for 2,105 yards in 1984, many assumed that record would never fall. With the transition to an even more pass-happy game, it seemed like this record was ging to stand the test of time.
After an incredibly impressive game against the Washington Commanders, Barkley has found himself slowly climbing up the single-season rushing yards charts.
Is there a chance that Barkley, who needed to rebound after playing at a less-than-torrid pace in his most recent game, can still catch Dickerson and break the record? It may be tough, but Barkley has the tools needed to do it.
How many more yards does Saquon Barkley need to break Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record?
Rushing Yards | Yards Needed |
|---|---|
1,838 | 268 |
Barkley needs around 162 more yards to break the 2,000-yard barrier. He would become the ninth player in NFL history to ever his 2K in a season, and he'd become the fourth in the last 20 years to do so after Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, and Derrick Henry did the same.
Barkley has the benefit of playing on a team that is built to run over opponents with a strong ground game so he won't be bereft of touches in the next few weeks. The Eagles' final two games are against division rivals in the Cowboys and Giants, both of whom struggle to stop the run on occasion.
If the Eagles are still fighting it out for seeding in the NFC, there's a very high chance Barkley is going to get in a full game in Week 18 and not be on a snap count. Doing so will be imperative to catching Dickerson, who is looking more impressive than ever after compiling those numbers in 16 games.
No matter what happens, Barkley has put together arguably the greatest individual season an Eagles skill position player has ever had. Breaking the rushing record will be difficult, but it may not be impossible if he keeps this play up.