Eagles' Saquon Barkley makes Philly history only Terrell Owens has done before
09/07/2024 12:42 AM
Outside of an ugly first snap as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, slipping on the Brazilian turf on a brutal opening drive, Saquon Barkley turned in a Midnight Green debut fit for a king, so much so that LeBron James himself gave him a mid-game shoutout.
Donning black helmets and pants in the first-ever game in the Southern Hemisphere, Barkley dazzled in his Eagles debut, running the ball 24 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns on the ground to go with two more catches for 23 yards and a fantastic receiving touchdown to help lead Philadelphia to a 34-29 win.
While those stats are clearly impressive no matter how you slice them, when you place them in a historical context, they become all the more impressive, as there has only been one other skill position player in Eagles history to score three touchdowns in their debut: TO.
“Saquon Barkley joins Terrell Owens as the only players in Eagles franchise history to record 3 touchdowns in their debut with the team,” Clutchpoints shared on social media. “Owens posted 8 catches for 68 yards & 3 TD’s. Barkley has 16 rushes for 94 yards & 2 TD’s as well as 2 catches for 23 yards & another TD with a whole quarter left to play.”
Unfortunately for fans hoping to see even more history in the Eagles’ win in Brazil, they weren’t treated to a fourth touchdown that would place Barkley in sole ownership of the record, even if he came darn close with a run at the goal line that was stuffed late in the fourth. Still, considering Barkley closed out the game with 109 yards on the ground on only 24 carries, plus 23 more yards as a receiver, it’s safe to say fans will be incredibly happy with what they saw from Philadelphia’s new weapon, as when the Eagles needed someone to step up and control the clock late, they called on their top rushers to close things out. Needless to say, Barkley and Hurts are going to be fun to watch this fall.
Saquon Barkley actually had more yards than TO in Eagles’ debut
So, if TO also has three touchdowns in his Eagles debut, how many yards did he have in addition to three trips to the endzone?
Well, if you can’t remember back to September of 2004, you’re in luck as, according to Pro Football Reference, Owens recorded eight catches on 11 targets against the New York Giants but only picked up 68 total yards, good for 8.5 yards per reception.
Fortunately, it didn’t take Owens long to join Barkley in the Century Club, as he recorded his first 100-yard game in Week 3 and hit that mark seven more times that season, including in the Super Bowl, where he recorded 122 yards on a bum leg on the way to a crushing 21-24 loss. If Barkley can put up similar production moving forward, it’s safe to say the Eagles may end up back in the Super Bowl once more.
Saquon Barkley joins Terrell Owens as the only players in Eagles franchise history to record 3 touchdowns in their debut with the team.
Owens posted 8 catches for 68 yards & 3 TD's.
Barkley has 16 rushes for 94 yards & 2 TD's as well as 2 catches for 23 yards & another TD with… pic.twitter.com/fSBrs5p91G
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 7, 2024
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