CBS Sports: Eagles running back Saquon Barkley adds another NFL award to his MVP case.
Saquon Barkley was awarded the November NFC Offensive Player of the Month on Thursday, aiming to become the first running back to win the NFL MVP honor since Adrian Peterson in 2012.
In November, Barkley, then 27 years old, put NFL opponents on notice by amassing 777 scrimmage yards and six touchdowns in four games. In November, he scored five running touchdowns and ran for 626 yards at an average of 194.3 yards. In addition, he scored a touchdown and 151 receiving yards.
Barkley established a team record with 255 running yards and 302 total yards in Week 12’s 37–20 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. He recorded two 70-yard touchdown runs in a single game, making him the first NFL player to accomplish it since Maurice Jones-Drew in 2009.
Barkley ran for over 145 yards in three of his four games in November.
This season, Barkley has also won four NFC Offensive Player of the Week awards.
Barkley left the New York Giants to accept a free agent contract with the Eagles. Barkley, who grew up in Coplay, Pennsylvania, was able to negotiate a contract closer to home when the Giants declined to offer the running back a long-term agreement.
By signing Barkley, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman deviated from his usual roster-building approach, and the investment is already paying off.
The Eagles defeated the Baltimore Ravens 24-19 last Sunday, extending their winning streak to eight games. Barkley was able to gallop for 107 yards and a touchdown despite facing one of the NFL’s most formidable run defenses.
Barkley is second only to Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs in yards per carry (6.2; Gibbs has 6.3) and leads the NFL in rushing yards (1,064) during Philadelphia’s current winning streak.
With 654 running yards in the second half of games this season, Barkley leads the NFL and surpasses 29 other teams in that category. Additionally, he has excelled in crucial situations, leading the league in running yards (361 in the fourth quarter and overtime) at an average of 8.2 yards per carry.
This week, the Birds can defeat the Carolina Panthers and secure a postseason berth.
