The Philadelphia Eagles clinched the NFC East by beating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 17 41-7 despite backup quarterback Kenny Pickett leaving the game early with an injury.
Saquon Barkley had another fantastic outing, rushing for 167 yards on a season-high 31 carries. That performance brought his season rushing total to 2,005 on the year, making him the ninth player in NFL history to rush for 2,000 yards in a season. If Barkley rushes for 101 yards in Week 18, he will break the single-season record set by Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson in 1984 (2,105).
“I’m not going to lie. Just being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect… definitely means a lot,” Barkley said in the post-game press conference. “At the same time, I wouldn’t be able to do that without this team. Like I said, you can’t be great without the greatness of others. I’m just happy I was able to be a part of a team and be able to reach a milestone like that.”
SAQUON BARKLEY. 2K RUSHING YARDS. pic.twitter.com/HDS8Jy1MRK
— NFL (@NFL) December 29, 2024
He laughed when asked if he thinks he has a shot at the NFL’s single-season rushing record.
“The way I look at it: if it’s in God’s plan, then it is,” Barkley explained. “I’m not scared of it. I would love to [break the record]. But at the end of the day, we have bigger things that we’re focusing on… Whether we play next week or not and rest, I’m fine with that too because I didn’t come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record. I want to do something special, meaning special with the team.”
Philadelphia is still in the running for the top spot in the NFC. The Eagles can clinch best record in the NFC with:
- Eagles Win Week 18
- Vikings Lose Week 17, Win Week 18
- Lions Lose Week 17 & Week 18
