Michael David Smith ,
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A year ago, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley won the NFL’s Offensive Player of the Year award, and the Eagles adding him was one of the key reasons they won the Super Bowl. This year, things are very different.
Barkley is struggling through an ugly season in which he’s been one of the worst running backs in football: Of the 24 running backs who have at least 75 carries so far this season, Barkley ranks dead last in yards per carry, with 3.3. Last year, Barkley averaged 5.8 yards per carry.
And yards per carry is far from the only statistic that reflects just how far Barkley has fallen this season.
Last year Barkley ran for 125.3 yards per game. This year Barkley is running for 52.7 yards per game.
Last year Barkley ran for a first down on 23.8 percent of his carries. This year Barkley has run for a first down on 15.0 percent of his carries.
Last year Barkley ran for 2,005 yards in 16 games. This year Barkley is on pace to run for 896 yards in 17 games.
Last year Barkley ran for 13 touchdowns in 16 games. This year Barkley is on pace to run for seven touchdowns in 17 games.
On Sunday, the Eagles’ offense got back on track in a 28-22 win over the Vikings. But Barkley held the offense back: He managed just 44 yards on 18 carries, and on the only pass he caught he was tackled behind the line of scrimmage for a loss of two yards. It’s been that kind of year for Barkley, in which even when the Eagles are playing well, he hasn’t been a part of it.
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