How a historic season from the ‘best running back to ever play this game’ led the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl

Saquon Barkley has enjoyed a historic season and has helped lead the Philadelphia Eagles to the Super Bowl.

Saquon Barkley leaps into the end zone and puts his hands to his face in a gesture of astonishment. But there’s nothing to be shocked about. He’s been doing this all year. Barkley’s celebration came after his third touchdown in the NFC Championship game, the penultimate score in a huge Philadelphia Eagles win over the Washington Commanders that saw them book their second Super Bowl spot in three years. The 27-year-old began the game with an electric 60-yard touchdown run on the Eagles’ first offensive play before adding two more TDs as the game went on; he finished with 118 rushing yards off 15 carries as the Eagles ran in a Super Bowl-era postseason record seven rushing touchdowns. In the three playoff games Barkley has played in this year, he has 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns on the ground. His stellar postseason comes off the back of a record-breaking regular season in which he became just the ninth player to eclipse the 2,000 rushing mark, doing so without playing in Philadelphia’s season finale.