A Humble Saquon Barkley eloquently explains to the Pivot Podcast why he passed up setting his career-high for Kenneth Gainwell and Will Shipley to eat
Saquon Barkley sent his former team a loud, resounding message last Sunday.
During his first return to MetLife Stadium as an Eagles player, Barkley logged 17 carries for 176 yards (10.4 avg) and one touchdown on the afternoon.
Philadelphia dominated the New York Giants, ending with a 28-3 win.
Early in the fourth quarter, a mic-up Barkley can be seen conversing with Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni. Rather than return to the game, an unselfish Barkley told Sirianni to let the young guys eat.
This week, Barkley sat down with Ryan Clark and the Pivot Podcast, where he eloquently broke down why he decided to let his Eagles teammates “eat.”
Barkley finished 14 yards shy of his career-high rushing yards in a game and placed himself firmly back into the race for the NFL rushing title and the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award.
Darius Slay says the Cincinnati Bengals WR duo is top two in the NFL behind the Philadelphia Eagles
The Bengals and Eagles are set for a Sunday meeting featuring dynamic wide receiver duos on both teams. Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase will break records in Cincinnati, and A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith will do the same for Philadelphia.
Eagles cornerback Darius Slay praised the duo, calling them the top two in the NFL, but of course, they weren’t the No. 1 team on the list.
Darius Slay on Bengals’ WR combo: “They top two. Of course, we’ve got the best one here — I feel that — but they’re for sure up there as well. Nobody can go wrong with either one being 1A or 1B.”
Higgins has 29 catches, for 341 yards (11.8 avg), and three touchdowns on the season, while Chase is first in the NFL, with 39 catches, for 620 yards (15.9 avg), and six touchdowns.
Eagles rule out Mekhi Becton and Dallas Goedert for matchup vs. Bengals in Week 8
The Philadelphia Eagles will depart for Cincinnati on Saturday, and the team has ruled out star tight end Dallas Goedert (hamstring) and right guard Mekhi Becton (concussion).
Zack Baun, Eli Ricks, and Ainias Smith all logged full practices, and will be available for Sunday.
Higgins has 29 receptions for 341 yards, and three touchdowns in five games played this season. His 5.8 receptions per game are a career-high, and his 68.2 yards per game is the highest since 2021.
The Commanders host the Bears in Week 8 and are slight underdogs at home, but there are three reasons for optimism ahead of their matchup.
The Washington Commanders are having some kind of season in 2024, with a 5-2 record and leading the NFC East for the first time in a very long time. The offense is unified behind rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, and while the defense could use some help in a couple of areas, it’s been pretty solid, too.
This week, the Commanders host a Chicago Bears team that is hell-bent on proving Caleb Williams is better than Daniels. He’s not. The Bears lost to a horrible Indianapolis Colts team in Week 3, and he struggled mightily with the Tennessee Titans in Week 1. Williams has improved over the last few weeks, but the Bears have also faced the Jacksonville Jaguars and Carolina Panthers the last two weeks, so do with that what you will.
The Commanders’ quarterback situation is up in the air, but that’s no reason to be concerned. In fact, there are three reasons for optimism in Week 8.
Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images
Marcus Mariota is a capable veteran
When Jayden Daniels went down early in the game against the Carolina Panthers, Marcus Mariota stepped in and got the job done, leading the Commanders to a dominant 40-7 victory. He’s been in the league for almost 10 years, so he knows the game very well. He can use his legs when needed, makes accurate throws, and knows how to lead an offense.
The Bears have a much better defense than the Panthers, but if Kliff Kingsbury calls the right plays, Mariota will execute them. And this is only if Daniels doesn’t suit up; it’s still possible that he will play on Sunday.
Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images
The Bears are 0-2 on the road
Both of the Bears’ losses this season have come on the road, at Houston and Indianapolis. The Texans are well on their way to making a postseason appearance. The Colts look refreshed behind veteran quarterback Joe Flacco, but it’s unlikely they will go far sharing the division with the Texans.
And don’t forget, Williams’ NFL debut was almost ruined by the Titans in Week 1. His only saving grace was the defensive and special teams efforts to put points on the board.
The Commanders’ defense will still have its work cut out for it, but all they have to do is fluster Williams, and the Bears’ offense will crumble. They have the fifth-worst rush offense and ninth-worst pass offense in the league, and they’ve allowed 20 sacks, but the Commanders can’t go in cocky. Their defense has its struggles, and it needs to set the tone early so that it shows up to play.
Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images
Washington has an X-Factor
His name hasn’t been called as much this season as in the past, but Austin Ekeler is the X-factor everyone has forgotten. He can run the ball, he can catch the ball, he is a ridiculously talented utility player who can do just about anything you ask him to on the field. It’s not just Brian Robinson, Jr. and Terry McLaurin out there as weapons for the quarterback.
Ekeler joined the Commanders earlier this year, and he’s recorded 32 carries for 188 yards and a touchdown, plus 17 receptions for 201 yards. He averages 5.9 yards per carry and 11.8 yards per reception. Against a tough Bears defense, Ekeler can be a game-changer.
Commanders DC knows Caleb Williams presents a big challenge.
Joe Whitt Jr. is aware that Caleb Williams’s play is improving.
It was no secret that the Chicago Bears rookie quarterback struggled the first two weeks of the season. However, after seven weeks (six games), Williams has gotten more comfortable and gained confidence, and the Bears are now 4-2.
“Caleb, he’s a very talented young man,” Whitt said. “You see why he was regarded the way that he’s regarded coming out. I have the same respect for him.”
Last week, the Washington defense could dial up blitzes and come after the Panthers’ Andy Dalton and pretty much know where he was going to be. Dalton simply does not possess the mobility of Williams. Whitt knows his challenge is much greater this week.
“He can throw the ball from the pocket; he can throw it on a move. His arm contortion, where he can get the ball out from different angles, is really impressive. He can escape inside and outside. When he sets his feet, he can make any throw in the book. So, he’s a talented young player that’s going to be good for a long time in this league.”
The Bears certainly have the weapons for Williams and the offense to excel. The receivers group is loaded with DJ Moore, Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze. Also, Whitt knows what running back D’Andre Swift is accomplishing, averaging rushing for 54 yards per game and receiving 32 yards a game.
“Well, every game you’re going to have eligibles that are premium players, and they have a number of them…a lot of respect for those eligibles. And so, we have to just do a good job…they run the screens as good as anybody in football. So, we have to make sure that we do a great job of leveraging the screens play by 11 men. We have to set the edges inside, out.”
Seeing the Washington offense will most likely be without Jayden Daniels, if Whitt’s defense could generate two or three turnovers that would be very helpful as well.
Browns DC Jim Schwartz on Lamar Jackson: “He’s gone from a run-first QB to a pass-first QB
Lamar Jackson is a two-time NFL MVP, but his performance through seven weeks of the 2024 season could be the best he’s ever played.
Jackson and the 5-2 Ravens will face the 1-6 Cleveland Browns on Sunday at Paycor Stadium. Ahead of Thursday’s practice, the Browns’ defensive coordinator was asked about Jackson’s continued improvement.
Schwartz highlighted Jackson’s growth from a perceived run-first quarterback to a player dominating the passing game.
Browns DC Jim Schwartz on QB Lamar Jackson: “He’s gone from a run-first quarterback to a pass-first quarterback that can make plays. … They pretty much opened the whole passing game up to him.”
Through seven games played in 2024, Jackson is on pace to potentially break his record for the most rushing yards in a season by a quarterback (1,206 yards). Jackson is currently averaging 67.2 rushing yards per game.
As a passer, Jackson is completing 68.2% of his passes for 1,810 (5th in NFL), 15 touchdowns, two interceptions, and a 118.0 rating.
Here are five things to know for the Titans and Lions.
The Tennessee Titans are gearing up to face the Detroit Lions in Week 8. These teams’ seasons could not be more opposite thus far, as the Lions are 5-1 while the Titans are 1-5.
With the Titans’ record, even a win in this game wouldn’t do much to improve the team’s postseason chances. The Titans have lost two in a row and are coming off a big loss at Buffalo last weekend.
The Titans are a massive underdog for the second week in a row. Current odds have the team as 11-point underdogs in Detroit. Now, let’s identify the five things to know for this Week 8 matchup.
The Titans will be without some notable players
DeAndre Hopkins #10. (Photo by Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty Images)
On Wednesday, the Titans traded star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins to the Kansas City Chiefs. The veteran will now get a chance to play meaningful postseason football while the Titans add more draft capital.
The team wasn’t done making moves there, however. Linebacker Ernest Jones IV was shipped off to Seattle to join the Seahawks in return for Jerome Baker and another mid-round pick.
More dominoes could fall before kickoff so that this roster may look even more different.
It appears likely Mason Rudolph will start at QB again
ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK – OCTOBER 20: Mason Rudolph #11 of the Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Timothy T Ludwig/Getty Images)
Per reports, Will Levis is considered a “longshot” to play in Week 8. As a result, Mason Rudolph should be expected to get the start once again.
Rudolph started off on a positive note in Week 7, but the QB simply couldn’t do enough to keep his team in the game. Without Levis, you can likely expect fewer turnovers, but it likely won’t make a difference in the outcome of this game.
Williams could still appeal the suspension, but reports are that the WR will not do so. Again, Williams’ absence likely doesn’t make a difference in the outcome of this game, but it is something to monitor.
The Titans could have another new right tackle
Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Titans have tried out several options at the right tackle spot in 2024. Nicholas Petit-Frere, Jaelyn Duncan, and Leroy Watson IV have all received starts and have been horrible.
This week, the Titans signed Isaiah Prince to the practice squad. Brian Callahan is familiar with Prince because the two spent time together in Cincinnati. Prince has even played in a Super Bowl, so why not try him out?
The Titans will be short on receivers
Nick Westbrook-Ikhine #15 of the Tennessee Titans. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
The Titans currently have just four WRs on the roster after trading Hopkins and placing Treylon Burks on IR. Calvin Ridley, Tyler Boyd, and Nick Westbrook-Ikhine will be the starters while Jha’Quan Jackson will be the WR4.
Mason Kinsey and Bryce Oliver are on the practice squad, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see either of them get called up for Week 8. Perhaps the team can find a building block at the position now that playing time has opened up for the young guys.
The Eagles have signed OL Jack Driscoll to the active roster and have signed WR Parris Campbell and DT Siaki Ika to the Practice Squad.
The Eagles are set to take the field for their first practice of Week 8, and the team signed Jack Driscoll to the active roster from the practice squad.
The team also announced that Parris Campbell and defensive tackle Siaki Ika have signed to the practice squad.
We have signed OL Jack Driscoll to the active roster from the Practice Squad and have signed WR Parris Campbell and DT Siaki Ika to the Practice Squad. pic.twitter.com/Uw2R7NZRVY
Driscoll was elevated to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Giants. Driscoll was also brought up for the Week 6 game against the Browns, playing five snaps on special teams.
Driscoll was signed to the practice squad on Sept. 3, rejoining the team after spending four years with them and being drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 draft.
Campbell had six catches for 30 yards and a touchdown in four games with the Eagles.
A third-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in 2023, Ika was released from the Browns’ practice squad on October 15.
Ika played in four regular-season games for the Browns last season as a rookie and the playoff contest in Houston.
