“Sirianni Says Saquon is Not Injured”: Skip Bayless Shocked by Eagles HC’s 2nd Quarter Move Against the Steelers

The Philadelphia Eagles (11-2) hosted the Pittsburgh Steelers (10-3) in one of two possible Super Bowl previews on Sunday afternoon. The Week 15 matchup gave running back Saquon Barkley another opportunity to stake his claim to the MVP honors. Instead, he spent a chunk of the second quarter on the sidelines following a tackle from Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Barkley’s backup, Kenneth Gainwell, stepped in for him. His extended playing time amidst Barkley’s absence led fans, including Skip Bayless, to believe Barkley was injured. However, head coach Nick Sirianni stated otherwise at halftime. This caught Bayless completely off guard.

Fans shared Bayless’ sentiment. They joked Sirianni must have been going against Barkley in fantasy football this week.

Week 15 is the first round of the playoffs in most fantasy leagues, so Barkley’s stint on the bench wasn’t well received. Despite that, Sirianni’s decision to use Gainwell paid off.

Kenneth Gainwell makes two big catches versus Steelers

Football coaches all maintain a “next man up” mentality. They tell their depth players to always be ready because you never know when your opportunity will arrive. Gainwell’s came against Pittsburgh, and he capitalized not once, but twice in the red zone.

His first key reception came in the second quarter. On 3rd-and-3 at the Steelers’ 18-yard line, he took a Jalen Hurts throw 16 yards to convert and set up Philadelphia’s second touchdown.

He did something similar in the third quarter, racing to the one-yard line from Pittsburgh’s 15-yard line on a 3rd-and-9 catch. Hurts would plunge in for a rushing score two snaps later.

While both of those plays were critical to the Eagles’ victory, a play he made in the first quarter drew the most praise on social media. On 3rd-and-5, Gainwell spun Steelers cornerback Donte Jackson into the dirt before picking up a first down.

Gainwell complemented Barkley well on Sunday by picking up 60 total yards on 10 touches. His flair also helped reignite Philadelphia’s passing attack, as Hurts played his best game of the season – 25/32 (78.1%), 292 yards, two touchdowns – while carrying the Eagles to a 27-13 victory.

Philadelphia (12-2) is now tied with the Detroit Lions for the NFC’s best record. They’ll look to officially secure the NFC East title against the Washington Commanders (9-5) next week. Kickoff for the divisional contest is set for 1:00 p.m. E.T. on Dec. 22.