PHILADELPHIA – After the Eagles’ 26-18 win over the Commanders Thursday, wide receiver Britain Covey walked past reporters in the hallways of the tunnel and conveyed a feeling many players shared in the locker room.

“Good thing we got Saquon,” Covey said.

In his first season with the Eagles, running back Saquon Barkley ignited Philadelphia’s offense when it needed a spark and helped his teammates stay positive in tough times.

And that’s what he did against Washington.

With about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Eagles led just 12-10 against the Commanders and needed their struggling offense to score a touchdown.

In the first 53 minutes, the Eagles scored one touchdown, fumbled three times, missed two field goals and settled for two field goals in the red zone.

Throughout the night, Barkley inspired his teammates. After each possession, Barkley told them he was going to make a big play soon.

Barkley made good on his promise when he rushed for a game-winning 23-yard touchdown with four minutes and 58 seconds left. On 3rd-and-3, he jumped out and ran past every Commandant defender in the end zone, giving the Eagles a 19-10 lead.

On the Eagles’ next possession, Barkley ran behind the guard Mekhi Becton and brought it back for a 39-yard touchdown to give Philadelphia a 16-point lead.

He amassed 146 yards rushing and scored two touchdowns on 26 attempts against the Commanders.

“I’ll tell you what I told (Saquon) early in the third quarter,” Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said. “I said, ‘I’ll be damned if we lose this game in my comeback game.’ He said, “I got you.” It appeared in the fourth quarter. He says, “I told you. I said, “Oh, thank you very much. I appreciate you.”

Barkley, who played the first six years of his career with New York Giantssigned a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Eagles in March. While playing in New York, he became one of the NFL’s best running backs.

But Barkley hasn’t consistently dominated because he’s dealt with injuries and played in bad offenses. This season, he has flourished behind Philadelphia’s elite offensive line and is on pace to break his 2022 single-season rushing record of 1,312.

Last night, Barkley became the sixth running back since 1970 to rush for 1,000 yards in 10 games with a new team. He currently leads the NFL with 1,137 rushing yards.

“He can make your O-line look a little better than what it is,” Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “I saw his ability in training camp pretty early and I was like, ‘Oh, (expletive). He’s obviously having a great year. But he really is a gel in this locker room, a glue. People love him. He brings people together. That goes a long way.”

Johnson and other Eagles players admire Barkley’s selfless attitude.

Barkley, one of the NFL’s biggest superstars, wants his teammates to get more credit than he does.

During his postgame interview, Barkley skipped over a question about his performance to mention that backup running back Kenneth Gainwell and the offensive line wore down Washington’s defense early in the fourth quarter, making it easier for them to score the two touchdowns.

“It’s amazing and it’s humbling at the same time,” Becton said. “You don’t see people who are really, really good and yet humble at the same time. I can say that about him. He takes the leadership role. He wants it on his back. He is a leader. It’s so humbling.”

The Chiefs held Barkley to 56 rushing yards in the first half. But after halftime, the Eagles made adjustments to the running game to be more explosive.

Barkley’s 43-yard catch-and-run in the third quarter set up a field goal, and his two fourth-quarter touchdowns put the Commanders away.

“When you have those guys up front, it’s easy to get stronger because they lean on those guys,” Barkley said.

Barkley also helps his offensive linemen.

“How much he runs and how much he wants things to work,” Center Like Jurgens said. “He’s always talking to us and making sure he’s doing things right. And just the constant communication with what we can do and what he can do. And how we do this work together. It helps in a game like this when things don’t work and then eventually you click and things work.”

The 8-2 Eagles are a Super Bowl contender this season. Only the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions have a better record.

Over the next seven weeks, the Eagles have some issues to work on, including their slow starts offensively.

But Philadelphia doesn’t have to be perfect to beat the NFL’s top teams. Barkley helps them win by making absurd plays that only so few can make.

“You keep nurturing a guy with that kind of skill and determination, sometimes the willpower takes over,” Johnson said.