Eagles Saquon Barkley Looking For "Cool" Feeling, Something Zack Baun Knows About

The Philadelphia Eagles can win the NFC East title with a win over the Commanders in Week 16.

Dec 15, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs with the ball against the Pittsburgh Steelers during the fourth quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images / Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA – Six years in New York with the Giants and Saquon Barkley never experienced winning an NFC East title. The Eagles running back did get a little taste of the playoffs as a wildcard in 2022, but the Giants merely served as a speed bump for the Eagles on their way to Super Bowl LVII.

The Eagles need to beat the Washington Commanders in Landover, Md., on Sunday (1 p.m.) to give Barley his first division title feeling. So, how’s he feeling about it?

“It would be cool, I guess,” he said. “I never accomplished it. I never get too caught up in a division title. My mindset is you get yourself in the playoffs, you give yourself a chance to ego win a Super Bowl.

“The beauty of winning the division? You guarantee yourself a home playoff game. I say that’s a big difference. We do what we gotta do, that will take care of itself.”

On the other side of the ball, is the Eagles big defensive free-agent signing, linebacker Zack Baun. As a rookie with the Saints in 2020, Baun was mostly a special team player, but the Saints won the NFC South with a 12-4 record that year.

“It's awesome obviously,” he said. “It's a reward for the work you put in along the way. It's just a milestone along the way ... but obviously very special, and you get a hat and a t-shirt and then you move on from there.”

Eagles LB Zack Baun / John McMullen/Eagles on SI

The Saints, like Barkley’s Giants in 2022, went 1-1 in the postseason.

The Giants’ lost to Philly in the divisional round, 38-7. Barkey’s recollection of that game was a 39-yard run he ripped off in the third quarter to the Eagles’ 41, a drive New York finished with a touchdown, which was their lone score in the blowout loss.

Barkley remembered that it was then-Eagles safety Marcus Epps who tripped him to prevent an 80-yard touchdown run.

“I didn’t score (and) I got a lot of crap for it,” said Barkley. “I vowed when that moment comes again - how can I get ready for that? How can I finish the season off strong? Definitely, how can I get stronger for that moment?”

Barkley has, but he had to come to Philly to do it.

Winning the division guarantees a home game in the opening round of the playoffs, and the Eagles just need to beat Washington for a second time this season to make that happen. It won’t be easy.

“There’s a reason why it’s not a myth about home-field advantage and it’s not a myth about the energy and the vibe you have playing at home,” Barkley said. “That’s why you wanna secure that.”

Added Baun on the importance of at least one home playoff game: “It's huge obviously. First our fans are tremendous, cheering us on. They're passionate and want us to win and it's imposing on another team.

“And then cold weather, the cold weather is our advantage, being able to practice outside, be outside, catch balls outside. I think there are a lot of advantages to being home.”

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