Unflattering Saquon Barkley stat emerges after his game-losing drop

Sep 5, 2024; Sao Paolo, Brazil; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley at press conference at the Neo Química Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley’s home debut at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pa. didn’t exactly go according to plan.

In a Week 2 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, Barkley led the Eagles with 95 rushing yards on 22 carries. The 2-time Pro Bowler also caught 4 passes for 21 yards.

But Barkley’s night was defined by the one pass he failed to catch.

The Eagles led 18-15 and had 3rd-and-3 at the Falcons’ 10 with just 1:46 left in the contest. With his team needing just three yards and Atlanta out of timeouts, Barkley dropped what would’ve virtually been the game-sealing pass.

Eagles fans gonna be thinking about this Saquon drop for the rest of the week
pic.twitter.com/Wu10MQFeH3

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 17, 2024

Kirk Cousins and the Falcons stormed the other way for a touchdown to steal a 22-21 win at the Linc.

While Barkley is widely regarded as one of the best running backs in the league, his drop Monday highlighted one of his biggest flaws. The drop was his 16th since 2021, which is the most among NFL running backs in that span.

That is one of the warts in Saquon Barkley's game. Tremendous player but that was his 16th drop since the start of the 2021 season, the most among running backs.

— Jordan Raanan (@JordanRaanan) September 17, 2024

But Barkley arguably doesn’t deserve all the blame for the muffed catch.

Some fans believed that the Eagles botched the game by calling for a pass in the first place.