This Thanksgiving, Penn State fans who also root for the Eagles have plenty to be thankful for.
After a career day on Sunday, Philadelphia Eagles running back and former Penn State star [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] was honored once again by the NFL. Barkley was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the fourth time this season. Barkley is continuing to turn in an MVP-caliber season in his fresh start in Philadelphia, and he may be on track to lead the league in rushing when all is said and done.
Barkley rushed for a career-high 255 yards on 26 carries in the Eagles’ Sunday night win on the road against the Los Angeles Rams. Barkley had touchdown runs of 70 and 72 yards in the second half to help the Eagles outpace the Rams and put the game on ice. The former Nittany Lion ended his night with 302 total yards from scrimmage, and he broke the Eagles single-game rushing record previously held by LeSean McCoy.
Barkley is entering the Thanksgiving week schedule leading the NFL in rushing yards with 1,392 yards. He and Derrick Henry of the Baltimore Ravens appear to be in a race to the NFL’s rushing crown this season with Henry having 1,325 rushing yards. No other back in the NFL has broken the 1,000-yard mark with Josh Jacobs of the Green Bay Packers the next leading rusher with 944 yards coming into the week. This all sets the stage for a massive running back showdown on Sunday when Barkley and the Eagles travel down I-95 to face Henry and the Ravens in a possible Super Bowl preview.
Barkley currently leads the lead in total yards from scrimmage with 1,649 yards. Henry is second on the list with 1,421 yards, proving the Eagles are utilizing Barkley in the passing game effectively and driving opposing defensive coordinators crazy. In 11 games with the Eagles, Barkley has already rushed for a career-high season rushing total and he is one rushing touchdown away from his career-best of 11, which he recorded in 2018 as a rookie with the New York Giants. He is within 300 yards of his career-best season total yards mark of 2,028 (2018 with the Giants).
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