Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson says he once saw Saquon Barkley leap over a defenders head in a high school all star game
The Ravens (8-4) host the Eagles (9-2) at M&T Bank Stadium, and the biggest storyline will center around Saquon Barkley (Eagles) and Derrick Henry (Ravens), the NFL’s No. 1 and No. 2 rushers.
Both players are worthy MVP candidates who will battle for the rushing title and a chance at 2,000+ yards rushing.
Following Baltimore’s Wednesday practice, Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson told the media that he once saw Barkley leap over a defender’s head during a high school All-Star game.
Thanks to both teams’ explosive running backs and dual-threat quarterbacks, Sunday’s game will feature the NFL’s top two rushing teams. Philadelphia is No. 1 in the league with 193.4 yards per game, followed by Baltimore’s 180.2 yards per game. History suggests whichever team dominates on the ground will win this game.
On top of leading the league in rushing yards, Barkley leads the league in rushing yards per game (126.5), rushing average (6.2), and 100+ yard rushing games (seven, including five in the last six games). Barkley is T-4th in the NFL in rushing touchdowns (10), behind Henry (13), Jalen Hurts (11) and David Montgomery (11), while he is 1st in rushing touchdowns of 20+ yards (5), 30+ yards (4), 40+ yards (3) and 70+ yards (2).
You know a NFL player is really very special when they’re talking about him on both Wall Street and in Hollywood
Adrian Peterson was the last running back to win the NFL MVP award back in 2012. Saquon Barkley of the Philadelphia Eagles is considered to be one of the three front-runners for the Most Valuable Player award, alongside Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson.
Sunday brings an absolutely massive game, as Barkley and the league’s number one rushing offense visit Baltimore, who boast the NFL’s number two rushing attack. It’s also a matchup between the league’s top two individual rushers Barkley, and the Ravens’ Derrick Henry.
The stats do not lie—Barkley and the Eagles have been doing things at the running back position and in the running game since the 1940s. What makes these feats all the more impressive is that back then, most teams didn’t pass a whole lot, and most offensive production for every team came on the ground.
The Ravens, who could be without one of their top defensive players, Roquan Smith, on Sunday, will have to do their best to limit Barkley’s production.
Coming off a 255-yard rushing performance on Sunday Night Football, Barkley isn’t a player you can genuinely shut down or effectively contain. You have to try to limit the damage he can do.
The Eagles running back is having such an excellent season that he’s become a pop culture sensation. It’s not just NFL journalists or sports media personalities talking about Barkley.
Actor and Philadelphia native Michael Blackson, known for Next Friday and Meet the Blacks, is a huge Eagles fan. Blackson pointed out how Barkley has extra motivation this season, as he wants to prove the New York Giants wrong in not offering him the new contract he sought.
“Of course, I mean, they (Giants) didn’t give him the money that he wanted. So he will want to prove it and show them why they are going to miss him for the rest of the season,” Blackson said in an exclusive with RG. “That’s what you do against your old team. You go all out for your new team and show them why they should have kept him.”
Signing with a division rival and then lighting them up is the best way to prove your point to them. In addition to entertainment news, Barkley is now getting featured in finance news!
Jim Cramer, host of CNBC’s “Mad Money” and the world’s foremost finance bro, raves about Barkley regularly during appearances on the network’s stock market-related programming.
On Monday, Cramer claimed that Barkley could bench press 650 pounds.
Maybe the best ever to wear the uniform. Saquon Barkley
Cramer has also been extolling Barkley’s virtues on social media all season long, and he declared the running back to be in the G.O.A.T. conversation on X/Twitter after Sunday night’s performance.
You know a NFL player is really very special when they’re talking about him on both Wall Street and in Hollywood. However, Zach Orr and the Ravens defense just need to do what they do, stick to the game plan, and not get awed by the hype surrounding the stellar Eagles running back.
Eagles RB Saquon Barkley named NFC Offensive Player of the Week again for the fourth time this season
Saquon Barkley has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his 302-total-yard performance against the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday night.
With his fourth NFC Offensive Player of the Week (Weeks 1, 7, 9, 12), Barkley is the first Eagles play to earn it four times a season.
Hall of Famers Terrell Davis (1998), Barry Sanders (1997), and LaDainian Tomlinson (2006) are the only other NFL running backs to earn this distinction 4x in a season.
For the 𝗙𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧𝗛 time in 12 weeks, @Saquon is your NFC Offensive Player of the week 🤩
Barkley’s explosion included touchdown runs of 70 and 72 yards, and his 255 yards are the ninth-most in an NFL game in league history. Barkley shattered LeSean McCoy’s record of 217 yards in a game (2013 Snow Bowl vs. Lions) with his 72-yard run that acted as a knockout punch in the win.
The New York Giants are currently projected a receive a fourth-round compensatory pick in the 2025 NFL draft.
It’s bad enough that the New York Giants (2-9) have become a laughing stock this season on the field. Now their front office, coaching staff, and ownership are taking on heavy fire as well.
The messy departure of Daniel Jones and the decisions to allow running back Saquon Barkley and safety Xavier McKinney leave via free agency are coming back to haunt them in major ways.
Jones leaves behind a king’s ransom in dead cap money ($22 million next year) and a legacy of losing that could take the team years to recover from. Depending on how things break and where Jones lands, the Giants could receive a compensatory draft pick for him.
It’s not all on Jones, naturally, but he was still their best hope at quarterback for the remaining seven games. Instead, they decided to have local folk hero Tommy DeVito take over ahead of backup Drew Lock. That decision has already cost them as DeVito was bounced around pretty good in their 30-7 drubbing last week against Tampa Bay at home.
McKinney was signed to a $67 million deal that appeared to be egregious at the time. He currently leads the NFL interceptions (7) and will get some All-Pro consideration.
The Giants backfilled McKinney’s loss by drafting Tyler Nubin, who looks like he could develop into a top safety in this league.
Based on the Over The Cap formula, the Giants are in line for a compensatory fourth-round selection.
It’s the Barkley situation that stings the most. Giants general manager Joe Schoen decided to not make Barkley a free agent offer, allowing the rival Philadelphia Eagles to scoop him up on Day 1 of free agency.
Barkley wanted to stay. He wanted to be a Giant his whole career. Team co-owner John Mara even told Schoen in a clip from HBO’s Hard Knocks that he would “have trouble sleeping” if Barkley ended up in Philly.
Now, Barkley is embarking on a historic season and is in the MVP conversation. He could also end up in the Super Bowl as the Eagles are off to a 9-2 start.
To add insult to injury, Barkley’s loss has been canceled out on the OTC chart. He factored in but not enough to earn a second compensatory pick.
The loss of Barkley is canceled out by the signing of guard Jon Runyan Jr. Schoen decided to prioritize the offense line again this offseason — a choice hailed by many — but his additions have not really had much of an impact on the offense.
Many have written and said that Barkley would not be thundering towards Canton had he stayed in New York. We agree. He would likely not have made much of a difference for this offense which cannot seem to get out of its own way.
The same of all of this is that the Giants are stuck in the mud (again) and going nowhere fast and Jones and Barkley — once the two faces of the franchise — are gone with with little to nothing to show for.
The Baltimore Ravens opened as a 2.5-point home favorites over the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 13
The Eagles are atop the NFC East, and they’ll get a chance to make the ultimate statement to the rest of the league against the Baltimore Ravens, a dominant AFC North power.
BETMGM has revealed their early betting lines and the Ravens are 2.5-point home favorites at M&T Bank Stadium.
Moneyline (ML)
Eagles +115 (bet $115 to win $100)
Ravens -140
Against the spread (ATS)
Ravens -2.5 (-115)
Eagles +2.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U)
51 (O: -110 U: -110)
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The Philadelphia Eagles opened as a 2.5-point road underdog to the Baltimore Ravens in Week 13 on CBS
The Eagles are atop the NFC East, and they’ll get a chance to make the ultimate statement to the rest of the league against the Baltimore Ravens, a dominant AFC North power.
BETMGM has revealed their early betting lines, and the Eagles are 2.5-point road underdogs at M&T Bank Stadium.
Moneyline (ML)
Eagles +115 (bet $115 to win $100)
Ravens -140
Against the spread (ATS)
Ravens -2.5 (-115)
Eagles +2.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U)
51 (O: -110 U: -110)
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
Saquon Barkley is becoming a trendy pick for NFL MVP honors after a career day with the Eagles.
Since [autotag]Saquon Barkley[/autotag] joined the Philadelphia Eagles ahead of this season after his tenure with the New York Giants, things could not have gotten off to a better start.
The former Penn State star running back has been sensational for his new team, and that was punctuated with his career day on Sunday Night Football when he rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns while also totaling 302 yards.
He set the Eagles’ franchise record for most rushing yards in a game and the ninth-highest total for a single game in NFL history.
Barkley has now already surpassed his previous career high for rushing yards in a season, and there are still six games left to be played.
Penn State fans have long known just how good of a player he is, but after a rocky time with the Giants that was marred by injuries and stunted by poor offensive line play, he’s finally getting to showcase his talent on the national stage again.
Barkley has a real shot at reaching the coveted 2,000 yard mark this season, something that only eight other running backs in the history of the NFL have ever accomplished. The last to do it was future Hall of Famer Adrian Peterson in 2012 who finished with 2,097 yards, the second-most of all time.
Peterson also happened to win MVP that year, the last time a non-quarterback won the award.
Barkley has given himself a real chance to make history by doing that this year if he can get to that plateau, and based on the way he’s performing, there’s a good chance he can reach it if he stays healthy.
Philadelphia has now won seven games in a row, and the former Nittany Lions stand out is a major reason why as he continues to put up eye-popping numbers that could make his season one of the best in the history of the sport.
Except it wasn’t his. It was one for Philadelphia Eagles teammate Dallas Goedert, which is a terrific prank to play and an acknowledgement of what a huge game that was.
Dallas Goedert pranked Saquon Barkley with a fake drug test request in his locker after his historic game. 😂
Dallas Goedert was selected for a random drug test postgame… looks like Goedert is having some fun with it and moved it to Saquon Barkley's locker after his huge career high game 🤣🤣🤣 #FlyEaglesFlypic.twitter.com/cDZ8yfqaIX
Good morning, Winners. Welcome back to the Morning Win. Thanks so much for rocking with us today. We appreciate you.
Guys, look. I know the NFL MVP award has always been a quarterback’s trophy. And, honestly, I’m not mad at that.
The quarterback is, by default, the most valuable player on the field. The position handles the ball more than any other. A quarterback is a distributor. The player must be the straw that stirs the drink. An elite quarterback is an MVP-worthy player.
But, folks. I’m sorry. That can’t be how it works this year.
Not after we just watched Saquon Barkley trample all over the Rams for 255 yards. Nope. Sorry. Nuh uh. I’m not going to act like I didn’t just watch that happen. That might be the best offensive performance we’ve seen from anyone this season, regardless of position.
Again, 255 yards. 303 all-purpose yards. Two touchdown runs of 70-plus yards. That’s insane.
Even if you take away those two big runs, Barkley still would’ve finished with 24 carries for 113 yards. That’s a great day at the office for most backs in the NFL.
Not this guy, though. That’s your MVP.
It’s been 12 years since a non-QB won the MVP award. It was Adrian Peterson in 2012. He couldn’t be denied. He ran for 2,097 yards and 12 touchdowns. That’s the second-highest single-season rushing total ever behind Eric Dickerson’s 2,105 yards in 1984 — one of the greatest seasons in NFL history.
Here we are, 12 years later, and it feels like history is repeating itself.
After Barkley rushed for 255 yards against the Rams on the road, he’s on pace to finish with 2,154 yards this season. He’s already got 10 rushing touchdowns this year.
Will he get there? No idea. But, honestly, he doesn’t have to. It’s not the gaudy yardage totals that make him the MVP. It’s the impact. The moments. Who else is doing reverse hurdles, y’all? He’s been the best player on one of the best teams this season. The team he left is down in the dumps and looking for direction.
You can make arguments for other names. Lamar Jackson is awesome. So is Derrick Henry. But, man. Nobody is impacting their team as much as Saquon is right now.
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And the loss wasn’t close, either. Lauren Betts and the Bruins dominated South Carolina. Here’s Meg Hall with deets:
“The Bruins beat South Carolina on the boards (41-34), held four starters to under five points, and *checks notes* not a single starter went to the free-throw line. UGLY STUFF.
Furthermore, five UCLA players scored in double figures, including Londynn Jones, who was sensational from the line with five 3-pointers, and star center Lauren Betts, who had 11 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and four blocks. WHEW.
Postgame, Betts raved about her team and how proud she was, but she also sent a direct warning to college basketball. “If you’ve been sleeping on UCLA,” Betts said. “You need to stop right now.”
The real story here is less about South Carolina having its winning streak snapped and more about how good UCLA is.
The Bruins are the real deal. We should all take Lauren Betts’ advice: Don’t sleep.
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Division rivalry games are always chaotic. But I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like what I saw during Sunday’s Commanders-Cowboys showdown.
The last minute of this game was stupid. Silly. Outrageous. All of the above.
So, starting from 2:49 left in the 4th quarter, we had:
A 99-yard kick return from KaVonte Turpin to put Dallas up 27-17 (2:49 left to play)
A 51-yard field goal from Austin Seibert to cut the lead to 27-20 (1:40 left to play)
An 86-yard touchdown pass from Jayden Daniels to Terry McLaurin to cut the lead to 27-26 (0:21 left to play)
A MISSED extra point on that McLaurin touchdown (0:21 left to play)
A 43-yard onside-kick return from Juanyeh Thomas to push the lead to 34-26 (0:14 left to play)
Then, finally, Daniels through his last interception of the game to end it all on a Hail Mary attempt. It was insane. ESPN’s win probability chart looked broken throughout that final stretch.
Never seen anything quite like this, man. Probably never will again.
Jackson earned his second NFL MVP award last season, and Bills fans believe Allen deserved the nod instead.
X, formerly Twitter, is where many people go to wage verbal warfare on social media. For some time, there has been an ongoing war between the #BillsMafia and the #RavensFlock, despite the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens being in different divisions and not having met in the postseason in recent years.
(The Ravens knocked the Bills out of the 2020 postseason in the divisional round in the only playoff meeting between these two teams).
The beef between bases centers around the National Football League Most Valuable Player award. Jackson earned his second NFL MVP award last season, and Bills fans believe that Allen deserved the nod instead.
Jackson had been running away from the rest of the pack this season, emerging as the clear midseason favorite. But now Allen, fresh off an actual MVP moment (helping to hand the reigning Super Bowl champs their first loss of the season), is running neck and neck with him.
Some oddsmakers now even have Allen as the favorite. So who is going to win? It all depends on how the voters define the term most valuable player.
If you regularly watch Ravens games (given that you clicked over to this site, we’re pretty confident that you do), you’ll notice that Jackson consistently makes something out of nothing.
Multiple times a game, every game, he takes a play that could be disastrous and turns it into something positive.
Steve Walsh, who played quarterback in the NFL for a decade and even led the Chicago Bears to a playoff win (not many people have been able to say that post-Walter Payton era), summarized it perfectly.
“Lamar Jackson, who I got to see up close and personal as a coach when he was in high school down in Florida, has developed his passing game over the years,” Walsh said in an exclusive with RG.
“But he still has unbelievable escapability ingrained deep in his talent pool to be able to escape and pick up three to five first downs with his legs on simple dropbacks.”
Walsh is right—Jackson has established himself as a phenomenal pure passer. He can consistently convert third downs and keep the chains moving in situations where it looks like nothing positive is happening, which makes him truly special.
Jackson wins MVP awards because he’s consistently saving the Ravens from bad situations.
However, you can also define MVP as a player who leads his team to higher ground despite having less to work with. According to The Sporting News, this concept works in favor of Allen and his supporters. They base their argument around the statistic of wide receiver separation.
As the chart below shows, WR separation metrics work strongly in favor of Josh Allen and severely against Lamar Jackson.
