The Philadelphia Eagles’ path to another deep postseason run doesn’t require a schematic overhaul, a quarterback controversy, or dramatic changes in leadership. The solution is far simpler — yet it continues to elude them in critical moments.
When they're at their very best, everything flows through Saquon Barkley, the reigning Offensive Player of the Year, who transformed their offense in 2024. But in 2025, inconsistency, injuries, and internal frustration have clouded what should be the clearest offensive identity in the NFC: Barkley is the engine, and Philadelphia wins when he is featured.
The story of the Eagles' offense this fall has been uneven at best. Injuries along the offensive line have compromised rhythm. A.J. Brown’s public irritation with Jalen Hurts has become a weekly subplot. Calls to fire offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo have grown louder. And Hurts himself has lived under constant criticism for the offense’s stagnation, particularly his lack of precision and timing in the vertical passing game.
All of those issues matter -- but none matter more than the fact that Philadelphia too often sidelines its best player.
Eagles must get Barkley more involved if they want more games in January
Barkley’s usage this season has been puzzling. He’s had just one 100-yard game -- the Week 8 explosion against his former team, the Giants, where he ripped off 150 yards and a touchdown on only 14 carries. That type of efficiency (10.7 yards a pop) is what makes Barkley one of the league’s most dynamic weapons, yet the Eagles have treated that performance like the exception, rather than the rule.
And that wasn't the case last year.
Over the last two weeks alone, in back-to-back losses, the trend has become more glaring. Against Dallas in Week 12, Barkley received only 10 carries, producing 22 yards behind an offensive line that struggled to create movement. In Week 13 against the Chicago Bears, he amasses 56 yards on 13 carries-just when the Eagles began to find traction, they abandoned the run entirely in the second half.
When the offense needed stability, they turned away from the one player who consistently provides it.
Although many fail to admit it, Philadelphia doesn’t win ballgames because of Jalen Hurts -- they win with him. The distinction matters. Hurts can operate efficiently when the run game is humming, when defenses must dedicate resources to Barkley, and when the passing script stays on schedule, with manageable third downs and layered intermediate looks.
What the Eagles cannot be is a team that asks Hurts to live in obvious passing situations, force tight-window throws, and shoulder the entire offensive operation. It's not that he can't make throws, but living in that environment is not a recipe for success like it is for the elites of the league. And that's ok.
Behind him, however, Barkley is one of the most uniquely gifted offensive players to enter the league this century. His combination of vision, explosiveness, power, and receiving ability unlocks the offense in ways that no other player on the roster can replicate. When he’s featured -- 15, 20, even 25 touches -- the playbook expands, the tempo steadies, and defenses lose their balance.
It's a complicated storyline with layers upon layers of questions. Still, if Philadelphia wants its postseason run to last beyond Wild Card Weekend or the Divisional Round, the formula is unmistakable: feed Barkley.
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He is their identity, their stabilizer, and the clearest key to another championship push.