Saquon Barkley stats tonight: How did the Eagles RB fare against Commanders in Week 11?

Saquon Barkley entered the game for the Philadelphia Eagles as their offensive mainstay as they hosted the Washington Commanders for a battle for the NFC East lead. Since moving from the New York Giants, the running back has found a new lease of life and has been a major contributor to Philadelphia's successes this year. The home team came into this matchup with Thursday leading their division with a 7-2 record.

Standing against them was a Washington team that has surprised all comers this year and is 7-3 for 2024. This was a straight shootout for the top spot in the NFC East. While Jayden Daniels has been the talk of town there, the Commanders knew coming into Week 11 that much of their success tonight depended on them stopping Saquon Barkley.

Washington head coach Dan Quinn knows how Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore calls plays and would have been confident of foiling Philadelphia's plans. Here is how the night went for the star running back.

Saquon Barkley's stats tonight vs Commanders

A summary of Saquon Barkley's stats for the Eagles against the Commanders in Week 11 of the 2024 NFL season is given below.

• Carries: 26
• Yards: 146
• Average: 5.6
• TD: 2
• Long: 39

The Eagles' opening drive began with Jalen Hurts handing the ball to Saquon Barkley and he picked up eight yards. After a missed pass, the running back was at it again and picked up the first down. The plan was clear for all to see.

But it is one thing to know what is coming and quite another thing to stop it. The Commanders did a fair job in trying to limit their opposition's running game but they could not stop Saquon Barkley from reaching 1,000 yards in less than 10 games.

As the stats showed, the running back was averaging more than five yards per carry. That is what Washington was up against and they managed to slow him down in the first three quarters. Going into the fourth quarter, the Eagles running back was averaging 3.5 yards per attempt.

Toward the end of the first half, the Commanders managed to stop two runs from Saquon Barkley on first and second downs with the home team parked near the goalline.

One was left wondering if the running back had been figured out. However, the mark of the best players is that they perform when it matters. As it turns out, all Saquon Barkley needed was a bit of help.

With the score 10-6 to the visiting team, the Eagles needed a score to take the lead for the first time in the final quarter. Kenneth Gainwell came and picked up some big yards, which allowed the starting running back time to catch his breath on the sidelines.

When Philadelphia finally reached near Washington's goalline, they brought Barkley back and he took the ball all the way to the one-yard line. Everyone knew what was coming next as a brotherly shove gave the Eagles a 12-10 lead over the Commanders.

That was not even the running back at his best as there was more to come. After Dan Quinn became aggressive with his play-calling and chose to forgo a go-ahead field goal on fourth down, the Eagles got the ball back.

With a lead to preserve in the fourth quarter, they handed Saquon Barkley the ball a couple of times and tried passes that remained in the field of play to eat up the clock. With a shaky kicker who had missed two field goals and a conversion, it seemed imperative that the home team take as much time as possible and score a touchdown.

The running back did just that as he went on a 23-yard run and into the endzone. It also brought his average above four yards per attempt and made it another 100-yard game for him.

That's what makes some players stars because they turn up when the game is on the line. When Jayden Daniels next turned it over on an interception, Saquon Barkley balled out again to put the game out of Washington's range. He first picked up seven yards on a first down before going on a 39-yard run for his second touchdown of the match. It also brought his average over 5.5 yards per carry, which was in line with what he has this year.

The Commanders thought they had the running back in the first three quarters. But the energy they expended to keep him in check came back to bite them in the final quarter as he kept rushing and scoring at will. The cherry on top was that by the end of the night, he had overtaken Derrick Henry for the most yards in the league.