The Eagles offense was finally able to move the ball early on Monday night against the Cowboys, and even managed to score a touchdown on their first offensive drive. A big reason for this success was thanks to Saquon Barkley being back on the field after missing several games due to a hamstring injury.
Barkley admitted before the game that he would have to see how he feels early on, and explained that he wanted to be smart about his return. The RB was tested quickly, during his second carry, when
a Cowboys defender missed the tackle, but was able to pull Barkley’s leg during the attempted takedown. He was noticeably hesitant following the play, limping a little, but was able to stay on the field and finish the drive — which ended with the running back carrying the ball into the endzone for the first TD of the game.
He went straight for the stationary bike when he left the field, and was seen talking to trainers, stretching, and sitting on the bench. At one point, as Barkley peddled on the bike, he pointed to his head in what looked like a message to someone that he was being smart about things.
His impact was immediate, and the decimation of the running back room certainly affected Barkley returning for this Monday night game. While he lined up for several snaps after that first offensive drive, Dameon Pierce started taking more of the workload through the rest of the first half.
Barkley was in for the first offensive play coming out of halftime and had a nice 12-yard run, but after the play, he once again made his way back to the sideline. The broadcast captured his grimace up close as he unclipped his chinstrap, and the RB was clearly playing through some discomfort. Through three quarters, he was on the field for 10 snaps and carried the ball each of those times.
Based on his pre-game comments, and how soon his hot hand was passed on, the Eagles were actively managing Barkley’s pitch count against the Cowboys. Hopefully he didn’t re-aggravate his hamstring injury during his limited time on the field, and is able to continue to build strength back on his way toward a full workload.
