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Tim McManus, ESPN Staff Writer
PHILADELPHIA — Running back Saquon Barkley set a new franchise record for rushing yards in a postseason game with 205 to propel the Philadelphia Eagles past the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in the NFC divisional round on Sunday.
Barkley now has the third-most rushing yards in a season, including playoffs, in NFL history with 2,329. He trails only Terrell Davis‘ marks of 2,331 yards in 1997 and 2,476 yards in 1998.
Scampering through the snow at Lincoln Financial Field, Barkley broke off two rushing touchdowns of 60-plus yards, reminiscent of his 255-yard, two-touchdown performance against these same Rams in Week 12. Thanks in large part to Barkley’s efforts, the Eagles advance to the NFC Championship Game, where they’ll host the Washington Commanders.
Fans rejoiced by breaking out in “MVP” chants and throwing snowballs after Barkley’s 78-yard TD run with under five minutes to play that helped seal the deal.
“The atmosphere was crazy. It was insane,” Barkley said. “I’ve got a smile on my face thinking about it. This is what you dream about. This is why I came to Philly. I wanted to part of games like this, and I’m just happy to be a part of it.”
The win did come at a price, as Jalen Hurts appeared to injure his left knee after a third-quarter sack in which his leg was pinned under him as safety Jaylen McCollough wrestled him to the ground. Hurts said he expects to play Sunday against Washington.
“It was a tough game, a challenging game. I was able to finish the game,” said Hurts, whose mobility was clearly affected after the play. “We’ll see how the week goes.”
Eagles standout rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell exited the game in the first quarter due to a shoulder injury and was later ruled out.
Barkley passed a franchise mark for most rushing yards in a playoff game set by Steve Van Buren (196) in 1949, also against the Rams.
Beforehand, Barkley called on a couple of distinguished former running backs for help.
He told ESPN he spoke with LeSean McCoy, who famously rushed for 200-plus yards against the Detroit Lions in the Eagles’ 2013 Snow Bowl victory, and asked him for advice for running in the elements.
McCoy told him to “run on your toes.”
He also said to consult the team’s equipment manager, Greg Delimitros, so he had the right length cleats to be able to cut in the snow.
Barkley also texted with former Rams great Marshall Faulk, wanting to know how to best approach a game versus a team that is gearing up to stop you, after having previous success against them.
“He told me, ‘Don’t predetermine plays. Trust your reads and allow your eyes and your feet to be connected. Be patient’,” Barkley said.
Afterwards, Faulk texted him: “Patience and trust. Great job.”
Barkley’s 205 rushing yards are the fifth most in postseason history. He joins Eric Dickerson as the only players to have a 200-yard rushing game in the regular season and one in the playoffs in their career. Barkley said he looked up the Eagles record for most rushing yards in a postseason game this week in the name of “chasing greatness.”
“I felt like I had a good game last week [against the Green Bay Packers]…but you want to create a legacy and I wanted to have one of those types of games. Just visualizing stuff and wondering what the number is,” he said. “It’s funny how that happened.”