Saquon Barkley has been a revelation since coming to Philadelphia, giving the Eagles’ offense the edge it has been missing for some time. As part of the Eagles’ offensive line, he has become an unstoppable force that can’t be contained. His chemistry with Jalen Hurts and his crazy runs have made him the biggest threat to opposing teams.
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If teams are looking for an idea about how to tame Bakrley, Emmanuel Acho has a hilarious suggestion:
“Sue them. Sue the Philadelphia Eagles. This should be illegal. Sue him just sue him because there is no way you can play defense against the Philadelphia Eagles. What do you freaking do? Whichever way you guess you are going to be wrong. So sue him. Just freaking sue him.”
Acho took to X(formerly Twitter) to break down one of the Eagles’ plays from their win over the Ravens. He highlighted how having Barkley, alongside a dual-threat quarterback like Hurts, has become a problem for defenders. Especially those who find it hard to understand offensive play-calls.
Acho highlighted that defenders are trained from the outset to follow the pullers on the offensive line, which helps close the gaps that running backs exploit. However, linebackers also need to be adept at reading the quarterback’s eyes to anticipate plays.
This dual responsibility can lead to confusion, as seen with Trent Simpson and Roquan Smith, who both fell victim to this complexity while playing inside the box on Sunday.
The @NFL should file a class action lawsuit against @saquon and the @Eagles, it’s the only way to stop them.. #AchoAnalysis | @TheFacilityFS1 10a pic.twitter.com/wDjEpaR85T
— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) December 2, 2024
Simpson went towards Barkley when he tried to run on the outside, giving Hurts an opportunity to run through the gap and pick up the first down. Smith, on the other hand, went with the basics and tried to close the gap created by the offensive line. This time Hurts gave the ball to Saquon who went on the outside.
A couple of plays later, Simpson was left with the same dilemma- this time he honored the pullers. But he left space for Barkley who took it to the house for TD. Defenders truly have no respite here.
Philly’s run game is like a boulder coming down the hill. The other team knows what’s coming but can’t do anything about it.
Eagles Have Curated a Tremendous Strategy
Since the Eagles’ bye week, they have been running the ball more as part of a new offensive strategy that the Offensive Line urged Nick Sirianni to implement. Their O-line, which is probably the best in the league, loves to run block. This strategy has paid off as Philly leads the league in rushing since then and has gone on to win 8 straight games.
This approach wears down the defenses as it is tiring to defend against contact run plays. The best part is that opposition defenses know what’s coming their way. They can stack the box and force Hurts to run a pass play.
But eventually, they would give up space for Saquon Barkley to run, and a dynamic player like him needs just one chance to get a big gain on a play.
There will come a time when their run game won’t be able to find the rhythm as the defenses try new things. Hurts will have to throw more which he has shown he can do, especially with receivers like AJ Brown and Devonta Smith.
