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Loss to Broncos shows Eagles can't or won't run Saquon Barkley. That's a big problem
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- Loss to Broncos shows Eagles can't or won't run Saquon Barkley. That's a big problem
The Philadelphia Eagles either can't run the ball or won't run the ball. One of those things alone would be unideal. The combination of the two, however, is the most glaring aspect of their 21-17 loss to the Denver Broncos at home Sunday.
Saquon Barkley had the flashy explosive on a go route out of the backfield that resulted in a 47-yard touchdown. However, six carries for the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year reflects poorly upon first-year offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo. The Eagles ran it 11 times total.
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Philadelphia managed to generate plenty of positives in the downfield passing game, as quarterback Jalen Hurts passed 38 times; he only took off twice.
"We want to get them all the ball as much as we can," Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said of his star skill players, which obviously includes Barkley. "Obviously we want to run the ball more than what we did today. You always want to come out of that game with Saquon getting as many touches (as he can) because of the player he is."
It marked the Eagles' first loss of the 2025 season and left the Buffalo Bills as the lone undefeated team remaining in the NFL. Hurts – who didn't complete a pass in the second half of last week's 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – looked better and finished with 280 passing yards on 23-of-38 passing and two touchdowns.
Hurts threw that many passes in a game just once last season. Barkley entered this contest averaging 3.1 yards per carry and the Eagles' total offense ranked 30th. Their 3.47 yards per rushing play was 29th.
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But the Eagles led 17-3 in the second half, and with Barkley and that offensive line, the Eagles aired it out. Patullo called eight straight passes across two drives and Philadelphia punted twice while three minutes and six seconds came off the clock. Their next two possessions weren't much better, with two more punts accounting for a total of 4:39 of clock.
Doing that against the Broncos' defense known with reigning Defensive Player of the Year Patrick Surtain locking down a receiver on the outside and a stout front-seven – anchored by Nik Bonnito , who had 2.5 of the Broncos' six sacks (even more passing plays that didn't result in throws) – seems paradoxical.
Philadelphia's defense stayed on the field, Bo Nix went off in the fourth quarter, and the Eagles lost for the first time since Dec. 22, 2024, when Hurts exited in the first quarter against the Washington Commanders .
Barkley now has 267 rushing yards through five games – he had 255 on the ground Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams last season. His game-best for 2025 is 88 yards, which came in Week 2 against the Kansas City Chiefs .
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Playing from behind the sticks as often as the Eagles did, Sirianni said, didn't make it easier. Philadelphia was flagged nine times for 55 yards, half of the 121 yards on 12 penalties the Broncos surrendered.
"Those are some self-inflicted things that we did," Sirianni said. "When those happen, I put that on myself."
The offensive line's health has been an underlying issue. Left guard Landon Dickerson tore his meniscus in training camp and recovered for Week 1 but has remained banged up. He left with an ankle injury against Denver. Lane Johnson , the right tackle, left the Bucs game but started Week 5 despite a shoulder injury. Replacing Mekhi Becton has been more of a challenge than planned.
Wide receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith ended up in a heap on the final play of the day, but at least their stat lines didn't mirror that entirely. Smith caught eight balls (10 targets) for 114 yards. Brown was targeted eight times and had five catches for 43 yards.
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"We started off really good. We were throwing the ball around the yard," Brown said. "Just didn't finish in the second half, just the inconsistency showed up again.
"We got to put in four quarters. We have to stop putting a lot of pressure on our defense."
MORE: A.J. Brown has another quiet outing in Week 5 vs. Broncos
The Eagles can find coping mechanisms within the defeat. The overturned intentional grounding call on Nix and the lack of communication will be ridiculed. The late hit called on linebacker Zack Baun as the Broncos' ballcarrier fought for the first down in the fourth quarter.
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Last but not least, the game's penultimate play that featured a pass breakup that could have been called pass interference on Broncos safety JL Skinner.
But the loss was their own doing – from the play calling to the execution. Hurts missed Brown on a deep shot in the third quarter for what would have been a walk-in touchdown. Another perspective, when it comes to the Eagles' offensive woes, is that this is a no-win situation.
If Barkley goes out and pummels the Broncos and Brown posts cryptically again on social media when the passing game goes MIA, then it's another week of a "what's wrong with the air attack?" news cycle.
It's definitely not a capability issue, Hurts said.
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"We're just not doing those things yet," he said, "but we will."
The Eagles have a short turnaround to find balance, with a "Thursday Night Football" date with the New York Giants next up. There's no reason to think the NFC East, as of this writing, would not be safely in their hands. But the blueprint is out on how to beat the Eagles. Going back to their strength would go a long way to wrecking those best-laid plans.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Eagles' loss to Broncos shows glaring Saquon Barkley, rushing issue
