Week 7 wraps up on Monday night in Philadelphia, as the Eagles host the rival Dallas Cowboys at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles are still without quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is expected to miss the remainder of the season after blood clots were discovered in his lungs, and wide receiver DeVonta Smith has already been ruled out with a hamstring injury. However, running back Saquon Barkley could make his return to the field this week.
Barkley is officially questionable with a hamstring injury, and there's reason to believe he's trending in the right direction. Barkley returned to practice this week, working as a limited participant during Thursday and Friday's sessions. He was even a full participant on Saturday. Barkley is trending towards playing, according to NFL Network.
Barkley has rushed for 182 yards and zero touchdowns in four games this season, but played under 16% of offensive snaps in half of his appearances. He suffered a stinger at the very beginning of Philly's Week 2 matchup against the Tennessee Titans, and then pulled his hamstring in the first quarter of the Eagles' Week 4 meeting with the Los Angeles Rams. It's been a rough season for the 2024 Offensive Player of the Year, but now that he's nearing a return, Barkley could be ready to take off.
Eagles with and without Saquon Barkley this season
| With Barkley | Without Barkley | |
|---|---|---|
W-L | 2-2 | 0-2 |
Rushing yards per game | 109.0 | 28.5 |
Yards per rush | 4.2 | 1.8 |
Barkley averaged 5.1 yards per rush on 36 rushes this season, while all other Eagles running backs averaged 2.8 yards per rush on 71 attempts. The Eagles ran the ball with Dameon Pierce just 12 times last week against the Carolina Panthers, netting 35 yards and a touchdown.
With all of the injuries, this Eagles offense has struggled this season. They have averaged fewer than 4.0 yards per play over three straight games within a season for the first time since 1999, and have been out-gained by 108.3 total yards per game this season, which ranks worst in the NFL. With that said, the Cowboys could be a get-right game for this squad if Barkley is back. The Eagles have won four straight home games vs. the Cowboys, which is tied for the second-longest streak in team history, and have won seven of their past eight primetime games at home.
