Saquon Barkley Hits 2000, And Eagles Clinch The 2-Seed
Before today, only 8 players in NFL history had rushed for 2000 yards. Saquon Barkley just made it 9. With no Jalen Hurts, Barkley led the way, rushing for 167 yards, helping the Eagles eventually win 41-7. The win not only clinched the NFC East but the 2 seed for the Eagles. Guarenteeing the Eagles will have home-field advantage unless they play the Lions in the NFC Championship game.
It took the Eagles a while to get going. They went 3 and out on their 1st 2 drives gaining just 9 yards in the process. On the other side, CJ Gardner Johnson got a pick 6 on the first drive, but then the Cowboys easily moved the ball down the field to tie it up.
But the Cowboys never scored again, and the Eagles racked up 4 more TDs and a FG. Kenny Pickett eventually settled in and scored 2 TDs, 1 a deep pass to Devonta Smith, and another a Tush Push after Devonta Smith was tackled just short on another deep pass. But then on what could have been ruled a late hit, he took a hard hit from Micah Parsons and was knocked out of the game.
Tanner McKee didn’t flinch though in his 1st NFL action. He delivered an impressive pass to AJ Brown to get 1 TD, then hit a streaking Smith to get another.
Saquon Barkley Makes History
But the story was Saquon Barkley making history. Even while leading 34-7, the Eagles sent Barkley back out onto the field to try and get to 2000. It didn’t take him very long. He got 4 carries for 46 yards, capping it off with a 23-yard run to push him over 2000. From there, the Eagles finally pulled the starters as Saquon and his offensive linemen celebrated on the sideline.
It moves him into 8th on the singles season rushing leaderboard, and he needs 100 more to set the record. He may not get that chance next week with the Eagles possibly having nothing else to play for, but he at least got the chance to join the 2000-yard club.
Eagles Playoff Picture
The next game that matters for the Eagles will come Wild Card Weekend. We do not yet know who that will be. As of now, it would be a 3rd matchup with the Commanders.
If the Commanders beat the Falcons, they will clinch the 7 seed. But if the Falcons beat them, Commanders could be in trouble. It would create a scenario where if they lose week 18, and the Bucs and Falcons both win, the Commanders would be out, and the Bucs would be in as the 7 seed.
There is also an outside chance the Commanders move into the 6 seed, and the Eagles end up playing the Packers. It would require the Packers losing out, and the Commanders winning out. The Packers are currently playing the Vikings, but get the Bears in week 18.
But the Eagles don’t have to worry about anything in week 18. They can kick back, get a bye for their starters, and just see where the cards fall for who they will play.
There is still a very outside chance they can win the 1 seed. They need the Packers to beat the Vikings, the 49ers to beat the Lions, and then the Vikings to beat the Lions in week 18. It requires a lot to happen, but by Monday night they will know if they have a shot.
There is the looming question of if they let Saquon try to break the record. But the fact they pulled him and the starters after he got to 2000, tells you they don’t plan to let him chase history. He needs 100 more yards. If the number was smaller, they might let him go for it. But it might be too big of a number to risk it. But if the Vikings and Lions lose this week, and the Eagles have something to play for in week 18, it could still happen.
Whatever the case, Saquon has been as good as advertised. With the help of an elite O-line, he has had one of the best offensive seasons in Eagle’s history.
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The Top 10 Biggest Storylines From Philly Sports in 2024
Honorable Mentions
Obviously, not everyone had the same 10 stories on their list. So here are a few that got a few votes, but did not get enough to crack the top 10. So here are a few honorable mentions before we get to the top 10.
- 76ers Arena Debate
- Zack Wheeler Signs A New Deal, Pitches Like a Cy Young
- Carter Hart Arrested
- Haason Reddick Traded
- Union Fire Head Coach Jim Curtin
- Cutter Gauthier Forces A Trade
- Bryce Harper Break Slump With 3 HR Game
- Joel Embiid Scores 70 Points In A Game
- Tyrese Maxey Makes It to His First All-Star Game
10) Sixers Lose To The Knicks In The Playoffs- (19 Votes)
The Sixers 2023-2024 season started out as well as you could hope. Joel Embiid, coming off winning MVP, looked even better. He dropped 70 in a game and was averaging over a point per minute.
But then disaster struck. A meniscus injury kept him out for most of the rest of the season. They were 31-8 when he played, but 16-27 without him. Embiid came back by the end of the year, but it was not enough to get out of the Play-in Tournament. But they managed to get through that, and hopes were high that they could get past the Knicks in the playoffs.
Those hopes were dashed in 6 games. While Embiid and Maxey played great, the rest of the team was not so great. The Sixers didn’t even last long enough to get their usual 2nd round exit. Not to mention we had to deal with Knicks fans taking over our own building.
It was an ugly end to an ugly season, that at one point had so much hope.
9) Jason Kelce and Fletcher Cox Retire (33 Votes)
Eagles fans have been lucky to have two Hall of Fame-level players for the past 13 years. Jason Kelce, drafted in 2011, and Fletcher Cox drafted in 2012. Those two, along with Brandon Graham, were the last remaining players from the Andy Reid era. They lasted through Reid, Chip Kelly, Doug Pederson, and Nick Sirianni. They were part of the only team to win a Super Bowl in Eagles history. But in the same off-season, they both called it a career.
First Jason Kelce, in a tear-filled press conference, and then later Fletcher Cox, in a slightly more subdued one. Two huge leaders on the two sides of the ball, leaving at the same time. There were questions about how the Eagles would survive losing two leaders. But there is not question that they are two of the greatest Eagles of all time.
9) Phillies Great Start, Winning NL East For First Time Since 2011 (43 Points)
We will get to the way the season ended, but the start of the season was magical. A rotation putting up historical numbers, a lineup near the top of the league, and a shutdown bullpen.
Going into the All-Star Break, the Phillies were on top of the world, having just recently swept the Dodgers. From April 5th to mid-July, the Phillies won or tied 23 of their 28 series. They were 28 games over .500. But then August got ugly. September was a bit better, still not as good as they were earlier though. But they had built up such a big lead, that the NL East crown was never truly in doubt.
They took home the NL East Pennant for the first time since 2011. But going into the playoffs the feeling around the team was nowhere near as good as it was back in July.
7) Eagles Get Blown Out By The Bucs In The Playoffs (46 Points)
Most of the 2023 collapse was not eligible for this list. The 10-1 start, to the 11-6 finish, mostly all happened in 2023. But the end of it all, the playoff game vs the Bucs, fell in 2024.
They drew a 9-7 Bucs team that only made the playoffs because of how bad the NFC South was. But the Eagles had been even worse, and it showed on that night. The Eagles got embarrassed down in Tampa Bay. They lost 32-9. That 32 for Tampa included a Safety that might be the worst play of Jalen Hurts career. They were lifeless and showed no fight at all. It was way many didn’t believe Nick Sirianni would be back. But we will get to that part of the story later in this list.
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
