The Philadelphia Eagles let thier pads talk in their Wild Card round win over the Green Bay Packers on Sunday. In a game in which the Eagles struggled to consistently move their ball through the air, the Eagles managed to keep the ship steady with their defense and rushing attack.
Late in the game, star running back Saquon Barkley put the game on ice with a long run. However, rather than score an easy touchdown after he broke free, Barkley opted to slide in the open field, effectively allowing the Eagles to end the game by running out of the clock.
The move cost sports bettors a lot of money, as many people bet that Barkley would score a touchdown in the game, and was a hot topic of conversation on social media. After the game, Barkley addressed his decision to go down.
“Stats don’t matter. The only stat that matters is the win,” Barkley said, according to Pro Football Talk. “Whether we throw for 400 yards, rush for 400 yards or win 3-0, I don’t give a [expletive], to be honest. I just want to win.”
Barkley was asked if not scoring the touchdown was a difficult decision for him to make.
“It wasn’t tempting. Situational football,” Barkley said. “A first down you win the game? Get the first down and sit down.”
However, he did admit that his teammates let him have it a little bit.
“They told me I should’ve taken a little bit more, but at the end of the day the most important thing in the playoffs is winning and advancing.
“The most important thing is winning games. The stat line don’t matter. The only stat that matters is getting Ws.”
It’ll be interesting to see if Barkley’s unselfishness is just what the Eagles need to get back to the Super Bowl.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.