After a rough Monday night loss to the Chicago Bears, the Philadelphia Eagles’ offense is under the microscope, and you gotta wonder why star running back Saquon Barkley is only seeing three receptions for a measly six yards this season. Yeah, you heard that right, six yards. It’s an encouraging sign that Barkley flashed some of his old form against Chicago, but with the Los Angeles Rams rolling into Philly for a Week 4 showdown, the Eagles *have* to get more from their biggest offensive weapon if they want to get back on track.
Unleashing Barkley in the Air Attack
Look, the Rams defense is only giving up less than 3.8 yards per carry to opposing running backs this season, which is tough, but they’ve been consistently letting running backs do damage in the passing game through the first three weeks. Think about it: the San Francisco 49ers’ backs snagged six receptions against L.A. in Week 1. Cam Skattebo added four catches in Week 2. Denver’s running backs then piled on seven receptions in Week 3. These numbers practically scream “opportunity” for the Eagles. Barkley’s current production, with just three catches on six targets for six yards, just doesn’t show off what he can do as a receiver. When Barkley gets the ball in space, he’s one of the most dangerous backs in the league. Screens, swing passes, angle routes, and even some well-designed checkdowns could create mismatches and take a ton of pressure off Jalen Hurts. What are they waiting for?
Stay Ahead of the Chains and Keep It Close
One of the biggest reasons Barkley disappeared against the Bears was totally about game flow. The Eagles fell behind, got super one-dimensional, and just abandoned the running game, even though Barkley had rushed for 82 yards. After halftime, he gained a measly nine yards! Opportunities dried up as that deficit grew. That can’t happen again. If Philadelphia stays ahead of the chains, avoids those drive-killing penalties, and consistently sets up manageable third downs, this offense stays balanced. The Rams are giving up over 100 rushing yards per game overall, so the ground game can work. Barkley becomes an absolute nightmare when defenses can’t just assume the pass. The Eagles need to control the clock and keep this game tight if they want Barkley to make an impact.
Commit to the Trenches Early and Often
Despite the loss to Chicago, the Eagles actually found something good in their rushing attack. They were generating consistent movement with outside-zone and split-zone concepts. Barkley showed off his patience and burst, hitting those well-blocked runs perfectly. Drew Kendall, their center, is really stepping up and improving. The Eagles have to keep leaning into concepts that let their athletic offensive linemen move defenders laterally. Yeah, the Rams know Barkley is the main threat in their run game, and they’ve been good against opposing backs. But that doesn’t mean they can stop the run if the Eagles truly commit to it. The formula was right there for everyone to see in the first half against Chicago. There’s no reason it can’t be replicated against Los Angeles. Barkley doesn’t need 30 carries to take over a game; he just needs the opportunities. Start fast, mix him in smart, and use him to extend drives. That’s how you beat the Rams.
The Eagles have a chance to show the league they can fix their offensive woes this Sunday when the Rams come to town. It’s all about getting Barkley involved in every way possible. Will they finally unleash their star back, or will we be talking about another disappointing performance? We’ll find out what they’re made of.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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