The Philadelphia Eagles are in a bit of a funk - and Saquon Barkley isn’t sugarcoating it.
Speaking candidly ahead of Monday night’s matchup at SoFi Stadium, the Eagles’ veteran running back didn’t hold back when asked about the team’s sideline energy during games this season.
“Honestly, I think it’s been awful,” Barkley said. “I think if you ask anybody and they’re being honest, we’d all agree on that.”
It’s a rare bit of raw honesty from one of the league’s most respected voices, and it speaks volumes about where the Eagles are mentally right now. Despite sitting at 8-4 and still leading their division, the vibes haven’t matched the record. The Eagles have dropped back-to-back games, and while the standings still look favorable, the on-field product has raised more than a few red flags - especially on offense.
Since the bye week, the Eagles have averaged just 15.5 points per game. That’s not going to cut it, especially for a team with postseason aspirations. They currently rank 19th in scoring and 24th in total yards - a steep drop-off from the high-powered attack fans have come to expect.
But Barkley isn’t just pointing fingers. He’s also pointing to solutions - and it starts with energy, something he says has been strong during the week but hasn’t translated to Sundays.
“The energy throughout the week in practice and in walkthroughs, meetings has been great,” Barkley said. “Now, we gotta carry that to game day.
All the stuff has been great. Now, we gotta make sure that on game day, the energy is high, we execute and we make plays.
The rest should take care of itself.”
That last part - execution fuels emotion - is a phrase Barkley credits to offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland. And it’s more than just a catchy mantra.
It’s a mindset. When the offense is clicking, the sideline feeds off it.
But when drives stall and points are hard to come by, it’s tough to keep the energy up - even for a locker room full of veterans.
“We haven’t been playing well,” Barkley admitted. “It’s easy to come out on the sideline and have great energy when you rip off a 60-yard touchdown.
It’s the truth. We know that.
Execution fuels emotion… I think that’s in everything, not just in football, but in life.”
That’s the kind of insight you get from a player who’s been through the highs and lows. Last season, Barkley was a 2,000-yard workhorse, helping carry the offense even when the passing game sputtered.
This year, that same ground game hasn’t had the same bite. But Barkley still sees a path forward - and it starts with bringing that weekday energy into game day execution.
The Eagles have been preaching positivity this week. No panic.
No finger-pointing. Just a focus on getting back to what they do best.
“I am excited for the opportunity,” Barkley said. “I feel like we’re trending in the right direction from this week of practice.
But the crazy thing about the NFL, the vibes, the energy can be amazing, practice can be great, game plan can be great. You gotta go out there on Monday and do it.”
And that’s the bottom line. The Eagles can talk about energy, preparation, and execution all they want - but until it shows up between the lines, the questions will keep coming.
They’ve got one more walkthrough, one long flight, and one more chance to reset the tone of their season. If they want to stay in control of the division and re-establish themselves as contenders, it starts with energy - and ends with execution.