Saquon Barkley rushed for just 22 yards on 10 carries in the Eagles\' 24-21 loss to Dallas on Sunday, marking his worst performance since joining Philadelphia and continuing a dramatic decline from his historic 2024 campaign.
The All-Pro running back has averaged only 1.9 yards per carry in fourth quarters this season. He averaged 6.6 yards per carry in fourth quarters last year when the Eagles dominated late in games.
Barkley acknowledged his struggles after Sunday\'s defeat. He also fumbled in the fourth quarter and failed to record a rushing yard in the final period.
\"I\'m not playing well. I\'ve got to play better. That\'s really it,\" Barkley said. \"I\'m in a little funk right now. I\'ve had funks before. Just got to break it.\"
The Eagles held a 21-7 halftime lead but Barkley managed just nine yards on four carries in the second half. He totaled seven yards on three first-down rushes after halftime.
Barkley is averaging 1.4 yards before contact per rush this season compared to 2.64 yards last year, according to Pro Football Focus. Against Dallas, he averaged negative-1 yards before contact per rush.
Tackle Jordan Mailata defended Barkley and pointed to offensive line execution as the primary issue.
\"It\'s not on Saquon. It\'s on all of us,\" Mailata said. \"We got to do a better job with execution. Until we do that, this run game is not going anywhere.\"
Barkley is on pace for 1,057 rushing yards this season after recording over 2,000 yards in 2024. He has only two rushes of 20-plus yards through 11 games compared to 12 through the same point last year.
Defenses have stacked the box against Barkley more frequently this season. He faces eight or more defenders on 48.6 percent of rushes compared to 40.3 percent in 2024.
Barkley insists he remains healthy and has clocked speeds exceeding 21 mph this season. December has historically been his most productive month.