Saquon Barkley takes blame after meltdown-inducing fall originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Saquon Barkley didn’t want to get involved in the play 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 have been in that position. The game is over.”

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

The situation: Up 3 with 1:46 left in the 4th quarter — 3rd-and-3 from the Falcons’ 10-yard line. The Eagles let Jalen Hurts roll to his right to hit Barkley with a pass in the flat. The play worked, but it was fair to question the decision to throw the ball up in the air.

Was Barkley surprised that the Eagles passed in that situation?

“Once I knew it, I thought it was a great play call,” he said. “All I have to do is make the catch.”

Hurts’ pass was perfect and the ball hit Barkley in the hands, but when he turned to go downfield for the first down, he just couldn’t make the catch.

On a night when Barkley was one of the best players on the court, he couldn’t make a single move to secure the win.

“It’s obviously a tough loss. We learn from it,” Hurts said. “I trust him to make a play every day of the week, just like everybody else, and so we’ll be better for it.”

After Barkley dropped the ball on third down, head coach Nick Sirianni called a field goal on fourth down, giving the Eagles a 21-15 lead. This led to a quick, game-winning 70-yard touchdown drive by Kirk Cousins, giving the Falcons a victory away from the Linc.

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 would never question 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, that’s not a conversation we have when I make that catch.”

Before the drop, Barkley was having a very 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 very well again.

“I trust him in every moment,” Hurts said. “He’s a great player. He gave us a great spark in those moments. It just wasn’t for us tonight.”

Barkley played a good game on Monday night.

But… the last straw.

“It definitely sucks,” Barkley said. “Any loss sucks. But when the game comes down to a couple plays, it hurts a little bit more when you’re the one making a mistake on that play.”

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