Can Barkley break the NFL’s single-season rushing record?

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley totaled 107 rushing yards in the team’s Week 13 win against the Ravens, putting him at 1,499 yards through 12 games. That means he is on pace to break the single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set by Eric Dickerson in 1984.

Dickerson’s record has stood for four decades, and only eight players have even hit 2,000 yards in rushing. Could Barkley surpass the 2,105-yard mark? After averaging 124.9 yards per game over the first 12 contests, he needs to average 121.4 the rest of the way to do it. And remember, Barkley has the benefit of an extra game; Dickerson set his record in a 16-game season.

The Eagles have relied heavily on his rushing ability this season after signing him in free agency. Offensive linemen Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson and Jordan Mailata helped spark a more run-oriented offense with a visit to coach Nick Sirianni’s office during the Week 5 bye. Philadelphia leads the NFL with 442 rush attempts, which has helped Barkley put up huge numbers.

Will the rushing record finally fall? With Barkley currently on pace for 2,123 yards, we’re tracking his momentous season as he runs and hurdles his way toward Dickerson’s long-standing mark. Eagles reporter Tim McManus is sizing up where things stand and NFL analyst Ben Solak looks at what lies ahead over the final five games.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley continues to play the role of closer. He had 44 rush yards through the first three quarters, then erupted for 63 yards — including a 25-yard touchdown scamper — in the fourth to help ice the game. He has the second-most rushing yards in the fourth quarter through 12 games in the play-by-play era (since 1978), trailing only Edgerrin James in 2000.

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 25 times for 132 yards in his 12th game of the 1984 season, putting him at 1,452 on the season. Barkley is at 1,499 after 12 games, 47 yards ahead of Dickerson. That means Barkley is still on pace to break Dickerson’s record, factoring in the extra game from the 17-game season.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley set both personal and franchise highs with 255 rushing yards and 302 yards from scrimmage. Both of his rushing touchdowns went for 70-plus yards. “You’re already the best running back in the world,” receiver A.J. Brown told him on the sideline. “I think you’re the best player in the world.” — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 28 times for 149 yards in his 11th game of the 1984 season, putting him at 1,320 on the season. Barkley was at 1,392 after 11 games, 72 yards ahead of Dickerson. And for the first time all season, Barkley was on pace to break Dickerson’s record, factoring in the extra game from the 17-game season.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley went for 198 all-purpose yards and a pair of touchdowns in a battle for first place in the division. His 26-carry, 146-yard effort on the ground was the sixth time he hit the 100-yard rushing mark this season. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 21 times for 208 yards in his 10th game of the 1984 season, putting him at 1,171 on the season. Barkley was at 1,137 after 10 games, 34 yards behind Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley posted 66 yards on 14 carries. Though not his most active game, he provided one of the top highlights of the year in the first quarter when he turned on the jets following a short reception along the left side, blowing past a pair of Cowboys defenders who collided with one another. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 13 times for 38 yards in his ninth game of the 1984 season, putting him at 963 on the season. Barkley was at 991 after nine games, 28 yards ahead of Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: The reverse hurdle game! Barkley left his teammates astonished in the second quarter when he leaped backwards over cornerback Jarrian Jones for one of the most impressive 14-yard gains in league history. “It was the best play I’ve ever seen,” said Sirianni. Barkley had 159 yards and a TD on 27 carries, and he added 40 yards and a score through the air. He had six runs of 10 or more yards. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 24 times for 145 yards in his eighth game of the 1984 season, putting him at 925 on the season. Barkley was also at 925 after eight games — tied with Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley’s best work came in the closing frame, as he rushed for 57 yards on seven carries in the game-sealing 12-play drive, highlighted by a 17-yard run in which he tip-toed down the sideline and leapt over a photographer near the goal line. He finished with 22 carries for 108 yards. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 20 times for 175 yards in his seventh game of the 1984 season, putting him at 780 on the season. Barkley was at 766 after seven games, 14 yards behind Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley went off for 176 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries in his return to MetLife Stadium. He was in position to break his single-game rushing record (189 yards at the time) but turned down the opportunity so the rest of the running backs could get work late in a lopsided game, telling Sirianni he’d rather “let the young guys eat.” — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 19 times for 107 yards in his sixth game of the 1984 season, putting him at 605 on the season. Barkley was at 658 after six games, 53 yards ahead of Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: This was one of Barkley’s worst statistical performances of the season (18 carries, 47 yards). He averaged just 2.6 yards per carry, but the offense’s new-found dedication to the rushing attack held firm throughout the contest. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 22 times for 120 yards in his fifth game of the 1984 season, putting him at 498 on the season. Barkley was at 482 after five games, 16 yards behind Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: This was a turning point in the season. Barkley hardly touched the ball early as the Bucs climbed out to a 24-0 lead and finished with just 10 carries, which he still turned into 84 yards. Thanks to a nudge from the offensive line, Sirianni committed to the ground game from this point forward, sparking a long winning streak. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 22 times for 89 yards in his fourth game of the 1984 season, putting him at 378 on the season. Barkley was at 435 after four games, 57 yards ahead of Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley ended with 147 yards and two touchdowns on the ground despite getting just 17 carries (8.6 average). His 65-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter finally put Philadelphia on the board and served as the catalyst for its narrow win. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 23 times for 49 yards in his third game of the 1984 season, putting him at 289 on the season. Barkley was at 351 after three games, 62 yards ahead of Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley carried the ball 22 times for 95 yards. His drop near the goal line on third down late in the game forced the Eagles to settle for a field goal, helping Atlanta to sneak out the win. — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 27 times for 102 yards in his second game of the 1984 season, putting him at 240 on the season. Barkley was at 204 after two games, 36 yards behind Dickerson.

Barkley’s performance: Barkley made the kind of instant impact the organization was hoping for when signing him to a three-year, $38 million free agent contract, rushing for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns and adding another score through the air. He has since called those TDs in Sao Paulo, Brazil, some of the favorite of his career. “I’m the first person to ever score in South America,” Barkley said. “That’s cool.” — McManus

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 21 times for 138 yards in Week 1 of the 1984 season, meaning Barkley trailed Dickerson by 29 yards (before factoring in Barkley’s extra game in the current 17-game season).

Remaining games

How the matchup projects for Barkley: This could be a big one. The Panthers are certainly playing better in recent weeks, but the Eagles still outclass them considerably, so plenty of garbage-time touches could be in Barkley’s future. The Panthers are the sixth-worst defensive in EPA per run allowed, though they don’t give up many explosives. Then again, a lot of teams don’t give up explosives on the ground until they play the Eagles. — Solak

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 28 times for 191 yards in his 13th game of the 1984 season, putting him at 1,643 on the season. To break the record, Barkley needs to average 121.4 yards over the final five games.

How the matchup projects for Barkley: The Steelers have allowed just one back to clear 100 yards against them all season (Tyrone Tracy Jr. of the Giants), and as a general rule of thumb, the Steelers are great at taking away opponents’ greatest strengths. For the Eagles, that’s handing the ball off to Barkley. The Eagles are also often at a huge advantage in the trenches, but against the Steelers’ defensive line, it’s more of a slight edge. We should still expect Barkley to get his, but this might not be the game for a new scrimmage record. — Solak

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 33 times for 149 yards in his 14th game of the 1984 season, putting him at 1,792 on the season.

How the matchup projects for Barkley: Barkley already put 146 yards on the Commanders’ defense in November, capping off a critical divisional win for the Eagles with touchdown runs of 23 and 39 yards. From Week 7 — when defensive tackle Jonathan Allen went down with an injury — through Week 12, the Commanders’ run defense was the third-worst by success rate. This should be a Barkley game for sure. — Solak

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 27 times for 215 yards (season high) in his 15th game of the 1984 season, putting him at 2,007 on the season.

How the matchup projects for Barkley: One of Barkley’s worst games of the season came against the Cowboys in Week 10, as he rushed for just 66 yards against one of the league’s worst run defenses. The Eagles just didn’t need him at all; they were getting short fields from the defense and were effortlessly successful through the air. In a game with some longer fields and not as big of a second-half deficit, Barkley should shine. And as this is the Week 17 game, it might be Barkley’s last appearance of the regular season, depending on the Eagles’ incentives to play in Week 18. — Solak

The Dickerson comparison: Dickerson rushed 26 times for 98 yards in his 16th and final game of the 1984 regular season, putting him at 2,105.

How the matchup projects for Barkley: If Barkley does play in Week 18, he’ll get a team potentially still quasi-tanking for the first overall pick and potentially absent star nose tackle Dexter Lawrence II (elbow). But Barkley will need to have a big first half; even if the Eagles have something to play for, they’d likely have a quick hook on Barkley, who is integral to their postseason plans. On the season, with Lawrence on the field, the Giants give up more explosive runs than any other defense in the NFL. With Lawrence off the field, the possibilities are endless. — Solak

Source: www.espn.com