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It Only Took Saquon Barkley One Play to Make His Mark on NFC Championship

The electric running back continues to amaze.

Kyle Koster

; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) warms up before the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field.
; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) warms up before the NFC Championship game at Lincoln Financial Field. / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
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The Washington Commanders took the opening kick in the NFC championship game and embarked on an 18-play drive that ultimately resulted in a Zane Gonzalez field goal.

The Philadelphia Eagles were far more efficient the first time they got their mitts on the ball, choosing wisely to hand the ball off to Saquon Barkley and watch him break off a breathtaking 60-yard touchdown run.

The play was a beauty from every angle.

Barkley was already the only player in NFL history to have six rushing touchdowns of 60 yards or longer, and it's no surprise that he added a seventh. It's a testament to his greatness that the Commanders have been keyed in on stopping him for eight days now and the first time he was handed the ball he carved through their defense for a score.

Coming off a 205-yard, two-touchdown effort against the Los Angeles Rams, Barkley has a tall task to put something even more impressive. He quite literally could not have gotten off to a better start.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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