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Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) leaves the field against the Los Angeles Rams after the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Eagles Turn Boos To Cheers Despite Another Lackluster Rushing Attack

Originally posted on Philadelphia Eagles on SI
By Ed Kracz | Last updated Sep 21, 2025 8:42 PM ET

Saquon Barkley heard the boos. You’d have to be deaf not to as they poured down from every section of Lincoln Financial Field. The fans started early, and the boos got louder until they came pouring down on the players heading into the tunnel at halftime.

By the end of the game, the corridors rang out with E-A-G-L-E-S chants by the same fans who booed their team unmercifully through the first two quarters. Hey, those seats they’re sitting aren’t cheap and quite frankly, the Eagles gave them nothing to cheer about with just 33 yards of offense, with kickoff returns unable to field kickoffs cleanly leading to horrid field position, and a defense that allowed 19 points.

Saquon Barkley heard the boos for the home team as a rookie when he came to town with the New York Giants and they took a halftime lead into the locker room. Boos cascaded down from the upper reaches of the stadium then, too, until the Eagles came back to win.

“The beauty of it is it’s Philly,” said Barkley. “You expect that, we know that, but just as loud as they were booing us, when we needed them the most on those third downs and those fourth downs and those field goal attempts, they were just as loud, and that helps.

“That matters. Their energy matters. You can’t get too upset about it and obviously at the end of the day we have to look at ourselves and we have to improve, but they damn sure do help when they’re loud as hell and helping us make stops.”

Barkley Knows Eagles Must Improve Run Game

Many of the boos were directed at the running game, which went nowhere in the first half and showed only marginal improvement in the second half. Barkley still has yet to produce a run of more than 16 yards, and he is still in search of his first 100-yard rushing game, a total he surpassed 11 times a year ago.

“We have to be better in the run game and it starts with me,” he said. “I have to go back to the drawing board and figure it out. I’m not putting the O line in a good spot. I’ll go back and fix that.”

Barkley had just 46 yards rushing and a 2.6 yards per carry average. Jalen Hurts had 40 yards. And that was hit, the extent of their rushing attack. That’s 86 yards. Not good at all.

The Eagles are 3-0 despite a rushing attack that has yet to materialize, which is good, until you remember the last time they came off a Super Bowl season.

Granted, they lost that Super Bowl in 2023, but they started 10-1 and then it all fell apart. Not saying that will happen this time around, but the running game has been where they have excelled in recent years.

“I think we did what we needed to do to win the game,” said Nick Sirianni. “We learned a little bit about ourselves today and what we need to be able to do every game, and every game plan finds different things that you have to do.

“…We found a way to win, but we all have to find ways to get better, to put points on the board to make sure stall outs don't happen. This is football, though. There are ups, there are downs, and you just have to find ways to keep moving forward.”

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Eagles on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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