Saquon Barkley sets Eagles franchise record with 255 yards rushing, 2 TDs in a 37-20 win over Rams

By Greg Beacham, The Associated Press on November 24, 2024.

INGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) – Saquon Barkley ran for touchdowns of 70 and 72 yards in the second half and finished with an Eagles-record 255 yards rushing in the streaking Philadelphia Eagles’ seventh consecutive victory, 37-20 over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.

Barkley racked up the ninth-most yards rushing in a game in NFL history largely thanks to his huge TD runs bookending the second half. He sprinted for a 70-yard score on the opening snap of the third quarter, and he added another huge run up the middle with 2:44 to play.

Barkley had 302 total yards while becoming the first NFL player with two 70-yard TD runs in a game since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2009. Barkley leads the league with 1,392 yards rushing, including a league-best seven 100-yard rushing games in his seismic first season with Philadelphia.

While averaging 9.8 yards per carry, Barkley obliterated the Eagles franchise record of 217 yards rushing by LeSean McCoy in 2013. He also had the biggest rushing performance ever against the Rams, exceeding DeMarco Murray’s 253 yards for Dallas in 2011.

A.J. Brown caught six passes for 109 yards and a TD from Jalen Hurts, who threw for 179 yards while NFC East-leading Philadelphia (9-2) surged away in a 24-point second half.

The Eagles improved to 4-0 against the Rams in the Los Angeles area since the franchise returned home, but they led just 13-7 at halftime despite dominating both sides of the ball in the second quarter.

Barkley began the third by cutting straight through the heart of LA’s defense and down the Eagles’ sideline for his ninth rushing TD. It was the second-longest run of the longtime Giants star’s seven-year career.

Kyren Williams rushed for a score and Demarcus Robinson caught a TD pass for the Rams (5-6), who lost their second straight home game.

Matthew Stafford passed for 243 yards while getting sacked five times by Philadelphia’s top-ranked defense, and Los Angeles couldn’t keep up with a Super Bowl contender in the second half of only its second loss in six games. Puka Nacua had nine catches for 117 yards, and Cooper Kupp caught a 27-yard touchdown pass with 1:07 to play.

Barkley had a mere 73 yards rushing in the first half for Philadelphia, which led 13-7 after Hurts hit Brown for a 6-yard score with 1:27 left on a play initially ruled incomplete, but reversed by video review.

Barkley broke open the game and the Rams’ defense with his run up the middle to start the third quarter. Los Angeles answered that 70-yard dash with Robinson’s short TD catch, his career-best sixth of the season, but Kenneth Gainwell rushed for a 13-yard TD moments later, one play after Barkley’s 31-yard catch-and-run on third and long.

The Eagles kept Barkley in the game late with a comfortable lead, apparently in an attempt to surpass his previous career-best of 189 yards rushing – and he found another gaping hole in the middle of Los Angeles’ defense, sprinting away for another score.

Injuries

Eagles: CB Darius Slay (concussion) left in the second half. … WR DeVonta Smith (hamstring) sat out for only the third time in his four-year career.

Rams: Starting RT Rob Havenstein (ankle) missed his third straight game, and backup Warren McClendon struggled in pass protection.

Up next

Eagles: At Baltimore next Sunday.

Rams: At New Orleans next Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

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