Saquon Barkley takes the blame after his fall that led to a collapse

Saquon Barkley takes blame for his fall that led to a nervous breakdown Originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Saquon Barkley didn’t want to think about the move or the strategy behind it.

He had the game in his hands.

And he dropped it.

“I dropped the ball,” Barkley said. “I let my team down today. The defense shouldn’t be in that position. The game is over.”

While the rest of us can certainly question the coaching decisions that led to the Eagles’ devastating 22-21 loss to the Falcons on Monday Night Football, Barkley’s focus was on the play he didn’t make.

The situation: 3 points up with just 1:46 left in the 4th quarter – 3rd and 3 from the Falcons’ 10-yard line. The Eagles had Jalen Hurts roll to the right to hit Barkley with a pass on the flat. The play worked, but the decision to throw the ball in the air was questionable.

Was Barkley surprised that the Eagles called a pass in this situation?

“When I knew it, I thought it was a great play,” he said. “I just have to catch the ball.”

Hurts’ pass was perfect and the ball hit Barkley’s hands, but when he turned to run forward and make the first attempt, he just couldn’t catch the ball.

On a night when Barkley was one of the best players on the court, he failed to make the game-winning play.

“Obviously, it’s a tough loss. We’re learning from it,” Hurts said. “I trust him every day of the week to play just like anybody else, and that’s why we’re going to come out of this better.”

After Barkley dropped the ball on third down, head coach Nick Sirianni settled for a field goal on fourth down, putting the Eagles ahead 21-15. This enabled a quick, game-winning 70-yard touchdown drive by Kirk Cousins ​​and the Falcons escaped the Linc with a win.

The decision to kick a field goal was questionable.

—> ATL (15) @ PHI (18) <—
PHI has 4th & 3 at the ATL 10, Q4 01:39

Recommendation (STRONG): 👉 Go for it (+3.1 WP)
Actual play: 👟🏈 J.Elliott 28 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-R.Lovato, Holder-B.Mann. pic.twitter.com/GmDXxC4WGL

— 4th down decision bot (@ben_bot_baldwin) September 17, 2024

“I’m never going to question the coach. I trust him,” Barkley said. “We have one of the best, if not the best, kickers in the game. He made a field goal. At the end of the day, if I catch the ball, it’s not an issue.”

Before the drop, Barkley had a really strong performance. He had 22 carries for 95 yards and caught 4 passes for 21 yards. Another 26-touch day for Barkley, but he played really well again.

“I trust him every moment,” Hurts said. “He’s a damn good player. He gave us a big kick in those moments. Tonight, it just wasn’t our thing.”

Barkley had a good game on Monday night.

But … the drop.

“It definitely sucks,” Barkley said. “Any loss sucks, but when the game comes down to a few plays, it hurts even more when you’re the one who makes a mistake on that play.”

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