The Philadelphia Eagles enters Week 9 with a solid 5-2 record, and since getting healthy at receiver with the return of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, the offense looks as dominant as many expected it to be.

But with all his star power, it’s easy to see who the offense is passing on.

Star running back Saquon Barkley was a driving force for the Eagles. He is second in the league with 766 rushing yards, or 109.4 yards per game.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley warms up before a game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagini Imag)

The Eagles, a team that fizzled in the second half of the 2023 season en route to a shocking wild-card loss. Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the playoffs, they returned to dominate offense. And the running game is a clear advantage to open things up for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

So, was Barkley the missing piece this team needed to get back to the Super Bowl? An Eagles legend and member of the pro football team thinks it could be.

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“I’m not going to say it is,” Brian Dawkins said on Fox News Digital on Zoom on Wednesday. “They still have some growing to do. A new offensive coordinator, a new defensive coordinator. They still have some growing pains to go through.”

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in his first year on head coach Nick Sirianni’s staff. And while the Eagles haven’t blown teams out, the offense only gets better as it gets healthy.

But it’s hard not to believe Barkley’s presence takes things to the next level in Philly, and Dawkins is among the critics who can’t understand why the New York Giants let Barkley walk.

“It baffles the hell out of me how you let (No.) 26 out of the building,” Dawkins said as he discussed his experience with a ruck march in San Antonio, Texas through USAA, the Wounded Warrior Project and Face the Fight. .

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs in the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Neo Quimica Arena. (Kirby Lee/Images Image)

“To have that talent in the back that you can rely on, his versatility to be able to do what he does to be able to go 60 yards for a touchdown is unbelievable,” Dawkins said. “So now not only do you have the ability to have home runs in terms of receivers, but you also have a home run hitter in the backfield.”

As Dawkins said, Barkley is a “franchise back” in every sense of the word.

When you have to face a talent like him, it completely changes the way a defense plans a game, Dawkins said.

Finally, pick your poison with who you want to jam with on game day.

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“When it comes to Saquon, as far as what he does, the way I equate him is baseball,” Dawkins said. “I see it that way. When you have a fastball that can get past you at any time, then my changeup is always going to happen.

“Saquon is the fastball. They can line up on any snap and throw that heat and, for the most part, they’ll gain a few yards from it. fresh But as the game goes on, that two (gain) becomes eight yards in time.

“So that’s your fastball, and now we have to honor that as a defense. As soon as you honor that, we now have AJ, we have “Swole Batman” and “Slim Batman.” I don’t know if I still go by those titles. We have those cats on the outside to be able to throw the top of the defense. “

NFL Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins discussed whether Saquon Barkley is the missing piece for the Philadelphia Eagles. (Image/Getty Images)

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The beast in the backfield was seemingly comfortable from the start in Brazil as the Eagles knocked off the Green Bay Packers to open the season. Barkley had three touchdowns. He also willed them to a win over the New Orleans Saints despite their poor offensive results.

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