Eagles running back Saquon Barkley scored two touchdowns in Sunday’s 28-23 win over the Jaguars, but neither of them marked his biggest highlight of the afternoon.
That came on a third down reception in the second quarter. Barkley caught the pass from Jalen Hurts and spun past one Jaguars defender before turning his back to cornerback Jarrian Jones. Barkley left his feet and hurdled Jones while moving backwards to pick up more yardage.
After the game, head coach Nick Sirianni called it “the best play I’ve ever seen.”
“Saquon’s play, what I think is so cool, is there are going to be kids all over the country and all over Philadelphia — I really think about that — trying to make that play and talking about that play and simulating that play as they play backyard football or Pee Wee Football,” Sirianni said, via a transcript from the team. “They aren’t going to be able to make it because I think he’s the only one in the world that can do that. I’m speechless. It was unbelievable, and the way the crowd — when I looked up, like I thought I saw what I saw. As a coach you’re looking at the line sometimes, looking at the secondary, looking at the defense. And so, I thought I saw it, but when I looked up at the big screen and the crowd reacted to it, it was unbelievable. I can’t say enough about how athletic he is.”
Barkley had 199 yards from scrimmage in the win and he’s been everything the Eagles hoped he’d be since joining the team. On one play Sunday, he was even more than they imagined.