-
Tim McManus, ESPN Staff Writer
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley silenced his full-throated critics at MetLife Stadium with a dominant performance against his former team, the New York Giants, on Sunday.
Barkley rushed for 176 yards on 17 carries (10.4 average) with a touchdown and added two catches for 11 yards before sitting out most of the fourth quarter as the Eagles cruised to a 28-3 victory.
Boos rained down as Barkley and the Eagles’ offense took the field for the first time. The fans continued to voice their displeasure toward Barkley, who left the Giants after six seasons and signed with the rival Eagles this offseason, every time he touched the ball.
But the boos got quieter and quieter with every Barkley big play, and soon the fan frustration started turning toward the anemic Giants offense.
He ripped off a 55-yard run down the left side early in the second quarter, reaching a career-best top speed of 21.93 mph on the play — the second-fastest speed by a ball carrier this season (Brian Thomas, 22.15 mph).
Three plays later, Barkley’s teammates helped push him into the end zone from three yards out for the score.
Barkley tried to stay even-keeled this week — saying he didn’t want to make the game any more than it was — but his performance told the story of what this meant to him. The 176 rushing yards was his most in a game at MetLife Stadium, and his 187 total yards was more than the entire Giants’ team combined Sunday.