Saquon Barkley Returns to the Meadowlands — Eagles at Giants Preview
TAMPA, FL - SEPTEMBER 29: Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles walks off the field prior to an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on September 29, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. Kevin Sabitus/Getty Images
For the first time since turning in his Giants blue for Eagles green Saquon Barkley will return to MetLife stadium. He is sure to be met with a lot of boo birds as he takes the field on Sunday, but I’m sure the Eagles fans that make the trip up the NJ Turnpike will make him feel right at home.
A lot was made during this past week about the antics of head coach Nick Sirianni. Sirianni was seen yelling at Eagles fans after the game and then followed it up by bringing his kids to the podium for his post-game press conference. Nick was criticized all week for these actions, and rightfully so, but the bigger storyline from this game was the injuries. The Eagles placed right tackle Jordan Mailata on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. Dallas Goedert will also be out for this game with a hamstring injury. Darius Slay is questionable with a knee injury. Meanwhile the Giants are getting healthy. They will have both Malik Nabers and Dexter Lawrence back for this game. These are massive additions to both sides of the ball for the Giants, and they could both be matched up against backups for the Eagles.
A lot has been made this season about the Eagles’ inability to start games hot offensively, as they are the only team in the NFL to not score a first-quarter point. Nick Sirianni does not see it as much of an issue, but the Eagles must get it figured out. A big reason they are in a lot of these games is because they can not do anything offensively to start the game. This week against the Giants the Eagles need to have a hot start. The Giants lead the NFL in sacks, and have a pretty good defense, so a good first drive or series of drives is super important. Whether it’s gameplan, the Quarterback, or a combination of both, if the Eagles want to get where they want to go this game, and this season, they need to score some points in the first quarter.
For the first time since joining the Eagles Saquon Barkley will play against his former team, and it’s safe to assume the Eagles will try and make his homecoming a memorable one. While the Giants do have a good defense, their run defense is their weakness. Barkley has seen a lot of touches through the Eagles’ first five games, but if they want to beat the Giants he needs to be heavily featured. While the Giant killer Boston Scott is no longer on the team, hopefully, Saquon can become the new Giant killer.
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Sam Heine
Sam has been with Philly Sports Reports since 2022. He is a contributor for both the Eagles and the 76ers. Sam is hoping to pursue a full-time job in sports in the future.
