The challenge of keeping Saquon Barkley fresh at the end of a long season

Twelve games and 246 carries into the season, Saquon Barkley looks just as fast, just as fresh, just as explosive as he did back in Week 1.

More, actually.

And that’s huge because if the Eagles are going to make a deep run in the playoffs, they need their MVP to be a force 18, 19, 20 or even 21 games into the season.

One of the big challenges for the Eagles’ coaches and training staff is keeping Barkley in peak form through a long season, a huge number of touches and countless tackles.

So far, so good.

“I feel pretty good,” Barkley said after practice Wednesday. “They did a really good job here of listening to the signs, listening to the data, and I've been doing a really good job just buying in everything that they wanted me to do. 

“At this point I feel my body is really good. I feel as fresh as you could probably feel for week 14 or 13, whatever we’re in.”

Barkley’s 246 carries are most in the NFL and 5^th-most in Eagles history after 12 games, most since Ricky Watters had 248 after 12 games in 1995. His 275 touches are also most in the NFL and also 5^th-most by an Eagle 12 games in, the most since Brian Westbrook had 285 in 2007.

He’s having a historic season and is on pace for the most rushing yards ever in a season, but none of that will mean anything if he’s not just as good in the playoffs.

“I think we do a really good job here,” he said. “To be honest, I kind of don't really remember how we used to do (with the Giants), because the schedule here is a little bit different. 

“But I think they do a really good job of going out there and practicing hard but practicing smart at the same time. There's a fine balance of it and I think Nick (Sirianni) does a really good job. Big up to him and also to the guys here buying into it and it's working for us.”

Sirianni’s philosophy is that as long as the Eagles are smart with Barkley Monday through Saturday they can use him on game day as much as needed.

And Barkley never practices on Wednesday and at this point of every season Wednesday practices become walkthroughs anyway, so the whole team is getting a rest.

Kenny Gainwell will get a series or two along the way in most games if Barkley’s touches get too high. 

Barkley had three games with at least 31 carries with the Giants but as brilliant as he’s been this year, he’s never had more than 27 carries or 30 touches in a game.

The signs that you look for that a running back is being overused are diminished production late in the year and diminished production late in games.

And clearly none of those things apply to Barkley. 

He has 200 more yards than any other back since Week 8 – the almost-halfway point of the season – and he’s averaged 4.7 yards or more in seven straight games, the 3^rd-longest streak in NFL history (minimum 10 carries) behind Larry Csonka in 1972 and Adrian Peterson in 2012. And he’s averaging a preposterous 7.4 rushing average and six touchdowns in the fourth quarter.

That is not a running back who's wearing down.

All of this has led to Barkley shooting up the MVP candidate list, and with five weeks to go, it’s really probably down to Barkley and Josh Allen. No running back has been MVP since Adrian Peterson in 2012.

Barkley's reaction to the MVP talk?

“It's not real, it's not real," he said. "So it's kind of like, it's cool, it's beautiful to hear it, but at the same time you can't get caught up into it because when it's good they're going to say positive things about you, you can't get caught up into it, and when it's bad they're going to say negative things about you, you can't get caught up into it. 

“How my career went in New York, coming off hot, rookie of the year, the next great running back and this, and then tear my ACL, and, ‘Oh, I'm never going to be this again,’ and then coming back and playing a high level, and then going back down again. 

“I think all that is a blessing in disguise and kind of prepared me for the type of season I'm having right now. I'm blessed and surrounded by tremendous people, whether it's in this locker room, my family or mentors or people that I can pick up the phone and talk to. 

“Not keeping me humble but staying grounded, staying locked in and knowing the thing that matters most is winning football games.”

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