Saquon Barkley is an MVP candidate, but a bigger trophy could be on the horizon

Saquon Barkley just had one of the best games from an offensive player in NFL history.

Against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night Barkley absolutely went off, running around, by, and through the Rams defense to the tune of 255 yards and a pair of touchdowns. When you add in the 47 receiving yards Barkley added in the passing game, it all added up to 302 yards from scrimmage, which stands as the tenth-best game in NFL history.

It was also the ninth-most rushing yards from a player in a single game in league history.

With the Eagles winning by a final score of 37-20, Barkley’s offensive outburst boosted what is becoming an impressive MVP resume.

“Saquon has that ability to hit home runs, and so sometimes that’s how it goes,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. “You get some short gain, short gain, short gain — boom, home run. Saquon is that type of player, and our offensive line did a good job of handling the variations of the front.”

With the Eagles holding a 13-7 lead as the second half got underway Barkley took a handoff from Jalen Hurts, and 70 yards later the running back was in the end zone, having completely changed the complexion of the game:

This play is vintage Barkley, as he displays the vision, the footwork, the change-of-direction skills, and ultimately the burst that make him one of the game’s best offensive players.

That 70-yard run was not even his biggest play of the night.

That came later in the second half, with the Eagles holding a 30-14 lead. With Sirianni looking to wind down the clock and put the game on ice, he turned to Barkley once more:

This is a beautiful design, with Barkley winding back to the left behind a pair of lead blockers in guard Mekhi Becton, and tight end Grant Calcaterra. The pair create a perfect hole for him, and then Barkley does the rest, putting his left leg in the turf and bursting upfield, slicing through the Rams’ secondary for a 72-yard touchdown run.

And putting the game on ice, just like his head coach wanted.

The game also went into the record books for both teams. For Philadelphia, Barkley broke the team’s franchise records of 217 yards rushing by LeSean McCoy in 2013, and 296 total yards from scrimmage by Duce Staley in 2000.

The game also went into the record books as the most rushing yards allowed in a single game by the Rams, breaking the mark of 253 set by DeMarco Murray for the Dallas Cowboys back in 2011.

Rams head coach Sean McVay praised Barkley after the game.

“[Barkley] is getting tough, hard-earned yards, and then you give him a vertical seam like he got a couple of times,” McVay said. “He has the explosiveness and long speed and the ability to finish. That is what opened and blew the game up for him. He was outstanding.”

With Barkley turning in performances like the ones he delivered Sunday night, he is certainly making a case not just for Offensive Player of the Year, but for MVP honors. It is a case we made here at SB Nation after another command performance, that time against the Washington Commanders.

But more importantly, Barkley is a massive reason the Eagles are now 9-2, and looking like a very difficult out in the NFC come playoff time.

Looking at “Team Tiers” as calculated by RBSDM, which examined Expected Points Added per Play on both offense and defense, the Eagles are among the league’s elite teams, up there with the Detroit Lions and the Buffalo Bills:

And looking just at offenses, the Eagles lead the way when it comes to EPA in the run game:

Put those together, and it could give Barkley a chance at winning an even bigger trophy come February.