Eagles' Saquon Barkley offers strong response to teammate's criticism after loss to Giants

Shortly after the Philadelphia Eagles fell to 4-2 on the season via a surprising 34-17 defeat at the New York Giants (2-4) on Thursday night, Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson said he felt the Philadelphia offense sometimes gets "very predictable." 

While speaking with reporters following the loss, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley indicated he strongly disagrees with Johnson's take. 

Saquon Barkley doesn't care if Philadelphia Eagles are predictable

"Last year, do you think we were predictable? Everybody knew we were going to run the ball," Barkley explained, per Johnny McGonigal of PennLive. "We still got it off. I think we also have got to get back to the attitude, the mindset of not really giving a (expletive) what people are trying to do."

ESPN stats show that Barkley accumulated 31 rushing yards on Philadelphia's first two plays from scrimmage on Thursday night. Thus, it's downright shocking that he finished the contest with just 58 yards on 12 total carries. 

While the Eagles held a 17-13 lead with 6:56 remaining in the second quarter, they were held scoreless from then through the game's final whistle. 

Earlier in the week, Barkley was part of a private meeting that may or may not have happened and that allegedly included wide receiver A.J. Brown and quarterback Jalen Hurts. That conversation seemingly didn't result in the Philadelphia offense enjoying a long-lasting turnaround. 

"To be honest, I’m tired of saying how close we are," Barkley acknowledged. "I know everyone’s tired of saying how close we are. We just gotta go do it." 

Saquon Barkley defends under-fire offensive coordinator

Understandably, first-year Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo has quickly become a target of fans who are worried the team is headed toward a 2023-esque collapse. Barkley instead put the spotlight on himself and on others in the Philadelphia locker room. 

"It’s all about executing the plays," Barkley added during his comments. "I don’t get into 'it’s predictable' or pointing fingers. I think KP’s doing a hell of a job. But we all gotta be better. That’s just the truth. And if anyone thinks anything different, they’ve got to wake up." 

The Eagles won't have a chance to truly "wake up" until they play at the Minnesota Vikings on Oct. 19. 3-2 Minnesota is currently enjoying its bye week.