It was far from a perfect day at the office for Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley. Still, he and the rest of the team are feeling good about themselves after beating another playoff team, the Buffalo Bills, 13-12 in Week 17 action.
Barkley had a down performance after the success of the last three games, but still made an impact on the offense. He finished with 19 carries for 68 yards, averaging 3.6 yards per carry, and had a long of 16 yards in the win.
Reporters asked Barkley after the game about his confidence in the Eagles entering the playoffs despite the struggles of the offense. The star running back was feeling good about his team as he answered it with the kind of conviction Eagles fans haven't seen in a while.
"We're confident," Barkley said via ESPN's Tim McManus. "Playoff football. That's what you sign up for. That's why you work so hard in the offseason to give yourself a chance to go compete for the Super Bowl. The beauty about NFL playoffs is one game, win or go home. I like us a lot against anybody."
Barkley is confident his team can bake any team in the playoffs
The Eagles have had a demanding schedule, entering the season with one of the NFL's toughest schedules and answering the call to play them. Among the teams that are in the playoff hunt if the playoffs started at the end of Week 17, Philly is 3-3 against them.
Not quite a winning record, but they have proven they can beat good teams like the Bills, Green Bay Packers, and Los Angeles Rams. This Eagles team is no slouch, but it does have some issues to address.
The offense continues to be a massive headache for Eagles fans, as they only picked up 190 yards in the win over the Bills. In the second half, this unit had 16 yards on 18 plays.
At least Barkley has been picking up steam late in the season with two 100-yard games in the last four games and rushing for over 70 yards in three of those contests. He's starting to show glimpses of the back Eagles fans saw a season ago.
Read more: Nick Sirianni assigns misguided blame for Eagles' offensive struggles in Week 17 win
The city of Philadelphia knows this Eagles team can beat anyone in the NFL, but which offense is going to show up in the playoffs? This Eagles defense is elite. It all comes down to the offense and figuring out their issues.