EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Coming into MetLife Stadium to face the New York Giants for the first time as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, Saquon Barkley said he saw fans burning his old Giants jersey.
Barkley said he found that “crazy,” and then he did what he normally would have done in a big game for the Giants. No. 26 played big. He ran around and through his former teammates and torched them for 176 yards and a touchdown in leading the Eagles to a 28-3 victory over the inept Giants on Sunday.
His exploits turned the jeers he received on his first series into cheers at the end.
Barkley said nothing bothered him during the game — the boos, the trash-talking with former teammates or even a slow start in the first quarter. He even felt the booing was complimentary at the end of the day. He just hopes not to see his jersey burned again.
“There’s a reason why when I go out there and I’m getting booed, I didn’t remove myself from the moment,” said Barkley, who in five seasons with the Giants rushed for 5,211 yards — the fourth most in franchise history — and scored 47 touchdowns. “I stayed locked in the whole time.”
Jalen Hurts scored on two tush-push quarterback sneaks and threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to A.J. Brown as the Eagles (4-2) beat the Giants (2-5) for the sixth time in seven games and 14th in 17. Philadelphia’s defense was just as good, recording eight sacks and limiting New York to 119 yards.
What was different this time was Barkley was wearing an Eagles uniform. The second pick overall by New York in 2018, he signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with Philadelphia in March.
Barkley was worth every penny on Sunday, waking up the Eagles with a 55-yard run around left end to set up his 3-yard TD that put Philadelphia ahead 7-0 in the second quarter. Hurts then connected with Brown on a go route on fourth-and-3 to increase the margin to 14-0.
Barkley’s 38-yard scamper up the middle set up Hurts’ first tush push in the third quarter and his 41-yarder in the fourth quarter led to the second. Barkley’s 176 yards rushing on 17 carries — 10.4 yards per — was the second-highest total of his career, and he didn’t play much late. His career best was 189 yards against Washington on Dec. 22, 2019.
“I said to him, ‘Just be yourself,’” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “He’s been one of the best players on his football teams since probably he was 8 years old. Just go be yourself. I was happy for him that he was able to have that experience.”
After the game, Giants coach Brian Daboll hung around to hug Barkley.
“He played well,” Daboll said. “Like we said, if he gets in space, he’s going to make some yards and he played well, particularly there in the second half.”
Hurts finished 10 of 14 for 114 yards and his day was over after his second TD run. He was sacked four times, including twice by Dexter Lawrence, who now has nine.
“I played with him for years,” Lawrence said of Barkley. “I know his attitude towards the game and, you know, that’s the way he approached it today.”
Greg Joseph kicked a 38-yard field goal for the Giants in the final seconds of the first half. Daboll drew some sarcastic cheers early in the fourth quarter when he pulled quarterback Daniel Jones for Drew Lock. A battered Jones finished 14 of 21 for 99 yards, with rookie receiver Malik Nabers catching four for 41 yards.
The Giants are winless in four games at home and have scored one touchdown.
Injuries
Eagles: RG Mekhi Becton sustained a concussion in the first half and was replaced by Tyler Steen.
Giants: CB Cor’Dale Flott left late in the first half with a groin injury. Backup LB Ty Summers injured an ankle in punt coverage and did not return in the second half.
Up next
Eagles: At Cincinnati next Sunday.
Giants: At Pittsburgh on Monday, Oct. 28.
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