Super Bowl 2025: Saquon Barkley ‘misses’ Philadelphia Eagles vs Kansas City Chiefs, says Ndamukong Suh | NFL news
The Kansas City Chiefs have been deemed ‘inevitable’ time and time again in their bid to win a third consecutive Super Bowl this season. The Philadelphia Eagles carry their own beacon of inevitability, named Saquon Barkley.
Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders played through 18 plays and seven minutes before settling for a 34-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez on the first play of Sunday’s NFC Championship Game.
Barkley needed just one answer as he turned Philadelphia’s first offensive snap of the day into a punt that broke the ball and dodged a 60-yard touchdown, adding to his already handsome showreel from last season.
By night’s end, he had another 118 rushing yards and three scores to lead the Eagles to a 55-23 victory and a berth in the Super Bowl, where they will face the defending champion Chiefs.
“I’ve never seen that done before, I was happy we were able to pull it off,” Eagles left tackle Jordan Mailata said of Barkley’s opening score.
“That guy is a special player. I have to buy him something to show my appreciation.”
It extended the first season with the Eagles for Barkley, after his offseason departure from the New York Giants, who now have to endure the sight of his dominance in the colors of a fierce NFC East rival for several years.
Barkley became the ninth player ever to pass for 2,000 yards in a regular season as he finished with 2,005 and 101 shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season record of 2,105. He now needs just 30 more rushing yards to break Terrell Davis’ all-time single-season rushing record of 2,476, including the playoffs.
But the former second overall pick, who will celebrate his 28th birthday on Super Bowl day, has team success at the forefront of his mind.
“I tried to play it down in my head, but it’s unbelievable,” he said in his on-field interview after the game. “The goal was not only to get here, but also to win. We will celebrate that we have arrived and then get back to work.
“We knew it was going to take a team effort. The team came out and made big plays and that’s how you get to the Super Bowl.
“I’ve always dreamed of it. But the dream wasn’t to get there, it was to beat everyone.”
Barkley was followed by the likes of Derrick Henry and Josh Jacobs in leading the touted recovery of veteran running backs who switched teams during the 2024 offseason.
This week he spoke about the goal of proving that a team can win a championship by shoving the ball down the throats of their opponents, contrary to narratives of a fleeting Premier League. Washington, like the Los Angeles Rams and Green Bay Packers, learned the hard way as their fairytale campaigns came to an end.
“If Saquon gets into the second level, the third level, now it’s, Hey, can you tackle this guy?” He’s hard to tackle,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
“They’re not giving me an MVP vote, but I know who I’d vote for — that’s probably why they’re not giving me a vote, because I’d vote for Saquon.”
His latest challenge is Chiefs defense Steve Spagnuolo, who just shut down Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills once again as Kansas City booked their return to a third straight Super Bowl with a 32-29 victory in the AFC Championship Game.
“The Eagles are ready to win the Super Bowl for that man over there, Saquon Barkley is a difference maker and he’s proven that this season and throughout the playoffs,” said Sky Sports NFL’s Ndamukong Suh.
“I remember being in Super Bowl 57 with the Eagles, he’s the missing piece, they can control the clock.
“He is a home striker, he does everything for them.
“If that defense is playing at the level it’s at, can take advantage and get pulls, that offense is very dangerous.”
Speaking after the game, Eagles forward Lane Johnson compared Barkley’s impact to Barry Sanders as something like a cheat code while playing the video game Madden. Give him the ball and something will happen.
Barkley has blossomed behind what remains one of the league’s most dominant offensive lines, and his three-year, $37.75 million offseason deal looks like a neater deal with Howie Roseman.
“He’s gotten better over the course of the season – so explosive, so elusive, challenging to bring down. Every time he gets the ball he can score,” Sky Sports NFL’s Jason Bell said.
“Saquon deserves all the praise he can get for the way he’s playing.”
What’s next?
The 2024 NFL season concludes on Sunday February 9 when the Chiefs face the Eagles in Super Bowl LIX at the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, live on Sky Sports NFL.
