“I think the defense is really tied together, they don’t make a bunch of mistakes. He’s gonna stress you, giving you some challenges that maybe you haven’t seen, but yeah, we’re prepared for those things.” As Eagles offensive coordinator, Kellen Moore stated, we all know that the Chiefs’ defense in the 2024 season was great, indeed. This is even evident from the stats that the team allowed only 17.6 points per game on average. However, the Eagles are ready too for an LVII rematch, as the Super Bowl is just around. But their main hope lies with the key member of the team, i.e. Saquon Barkley—the real game-changer. So, with the strong defense, how come Patrick Mahomes and his Chiefs overshadow Philly and the RB?

Emmy-winning FOX Sports NFL analyst Greg Olsen has the answer to it! During an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, former NFLer Olsen pointed out a major situation. Praising both the teams, Olsen highlighted that both the Chiefs and the Eagles have become ‘better than they were‘ a year or two ago, respectively. According to him, Patrick Mahomes’s Chiefs have become better on both sides – offensive & defensive. However, the Eagles have become majorly better in terms of running game by Saquon Barkley. So, what could be the way for the Chiefs to stop the RB, who has shown his potential this year?

As per Olsen, Saquon Barkley is a special player. And teams usually have two options: stack the box with defenders to limit his running lanes or play it safe with more coverage in the secondary. But both choices have risks. So, instead of focusing just on defense, Olsen points out another key factor – the Chiefs’s offense. How? Well, Mahomes needs to show his magic for that!

Explaining his point, the sports commentator stated, “The best way to take Saquon Barkley out of the game is not the Chiefs’ defense. It’s the Chiefs’ offense getting out playing with a lead to take Philadelphia out of the play style that allows Saquan Barkley to run the b—.” So, that means, if Patrick Mahomes and his offense come out strong, build an early lead, and force the Eagles to play from behind, it would naturally take Barkley out of the game.

And so, when a team is trailing, they can’t rely on the run as much. Instead, they have to throw more to keep up. So, in Olsen’s view, the best way to slow Saquon Barkley down isn’t just stopping him on defense. It’s making sure he doesn’t get the chance to dominate in the first place. But the problem here could be Jalen Carter’s plan. He earlier revealed that to stop Mahomes, the team will try to sack him more often. This means the Chiefs will be dealing with a lot of pressure on the field.

Nevertheless, the Super Bowl is just 2 days away. And if Mahomes and the team successfully did what Olsen pointed out, arguably no one can stop them from achieving their 3-peat. After all, Barkley’s fear spreads everywhere, so the league honored him this time.

Saquon Barkley made history once again!

On the field, in a single season, Saquon Barkley surpassed 2,000 rushing yards. With this, he became the ninth player in NFL history to do so, and need not to be mentioned, the first player in the franchise’s history. Not only that! The running back also rushed for 2,005 yards, becoming the eighth player in the league to do so. His end number of achievements this year also included the franchise-record 2,283 yards from scrimmage. So, after all this, was there any doubt of him not becoming the Offensive Player of the Year?

On Thursday night in New Orleans, they declared Saquon Barkley the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year at the NFL Honors ceremony. As he lifted the award, he became the first player in the Eagles to win this title. This feeling added another layer of excitement for Barkley, who delivered a pre-recorded statement due to his absence from the event. He expressed his Offensive Player win by saying, “It’s an honor and privilege to be selected the (Offensive) Player of the Year. I’d like to give thanks to God first. Without Him, none of this would be possible.” Well-deserved pat on the back as the running back is preparing for his first SB appearance.

In addition, he also thanked his entire family and fans for their support. Along with this, he didn’t forget to acknowledge the coaches and his teammates, as he highlighted, “You can’t be great without the greatness of others….and you definitely can’t accomplish this without the big boys up front. So, thank you guys so much, again, like I said, it’s an honor and a privilege.” Barkley’s next stop will be the Super Bowl. Let’s see if he gets this one or not!