Talk about a total collapse for the Philadelphia Eagles, who looked to be in an excellent position to get a massive win against their biggest rival, the Dallas Cowboys, in Week 12 on Sunday.
The Eagles only dropped to 8-3 on the season, and the Cowboys are 5-5-1, so there's still a decent lead in the NFC East, but this was really a blown opportunity for Philadelphia.
Holding a 21-0 lead against the Cowboys heading into the late stages of the second quarter, Dak Prescott threw a touchdown to make it 21-7. The Eagles didn't score from the 11:32 mark on in the second quarter, allowing the Cowboys to win on a field goal by Brandon Aubrey, which was good from 42 yards.
There were a lot of takeaways from this game, but running back Saquon Barkley continued to struggle, carrying the football just 10 times for 22 yards. With how poorly the Cowboys' defense has looked throughout the year, it was a bit surprising to see him struggle once again.
“We gotta get the run game going,” said Barkley, per Ed Kracz. "Just not gaining yards, and I’m tired of the excuse of people trying to stop the run game. I don’t subscribe to that. Just have to be better and make plays.”
If there's one positive for some of the bad play that Barkley has had throughout the year, it’s that he recognizes he needs to be better. Obviously, he’s said that a few times now and hasn't changed anything, but at least he isn't going around stating that things aren't wrong.
“I’m a big believer that the run game starts with me, ends with me,” he said to reporters in Dallas. “I’m in a little funk right now. I’ve had funks like this before. I just gotta break it, and the only way I know how is by flushing this, work my butt off, and get ready for my next opportunity.”
"I truly don’t feel I’m doing that," he said. "I’m doing my best to trust it, and the plays aren’t happening, and that’s hard on me. I have to make the plays."