The Philadelphia Eagles have a clear secret formula that is working well for them, and everyone is screaming for them to keep doing it.
Stats came out showing the Eagles' success in shotgun formation versus under center. Philly averages 3.2 overall yards per play, 2.9 yards per rush, and 3.4 yards per pass in shotgun. While under center, the Eagles average 9.4 overall yards per play, 7.6 yards per rush, and 22.0 yards per pass.
Numbers don't lie. The Eagles are great when they are under center, which is something running back Saquon Barkley acknowledges to be the truth, but also doesn't want to be just under center all the time.
"I feel like for me, personally, it doesn't make a difference," Barkley said via The Athletic's Zach Berman. "It's running the football. Is there a difference? Yes. Outside zone is different. There's a difference with how you set it up, your shoulders square, what you see, what you're running. But to me, success — I'm not trying to brag here, I was drafted very high from Penn State, and the last few years in college, I was never under center. And then when you get to the NFL, you have to adapt and learn under center. I feel comfortable in either. I guess the numbers are showing that. But the player I want to be, it shouldn't be that way. I shouldn't have more success one way, and ultimately the run game falls down on me. So we're producing underneath, but I need to find ways to produce from 'gun, too, because it gives us a better balance, too."
Barkley wants to run out of under center and shotgun
The confidence seems to be back with Barkley, which is an incredible sight to see with a guy who has spent week after week talking about his frustrations with his play. He's coming off his second-best game of the season as he ran for 122 yards and scored a touchdown from 52 yards out in the 22-19 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14.
For the season, Barkley is starting to recover with the numbers as he has now rushed for 862 yards and five touchdowns. The best part about his stats is that he is averaging four yards per carry, a big boost from most of the season, when he was only averaging 3.7 or 3.8 yards per carry.
It appears the Eagles have found a formula in the running game that works with Barkley, but now it's about keeping it consistent. The good news is that Philly only has the Buffalo Bills as the lone winning team on the calendar, with the rest being the Las Vegas Raiders and the Washington Commanders twice.
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Barkley has a strong chance of still hitting over 1,000 yards on the season and could put up some big performances in the final four contests. He will make sure to get it done in shotgun or under center, as he doesn't care about that kind of stuff.