Philadelphia Eagles We entered Week 9 with a solid 5-2 record, and since getting a healthy performance at receiver with the return of AJ Brown and DeVonta Smith, the offense looks to be as dominant as most expected.

But even with all the star power, it’s easy to see who’s running the offense.

star running back Saquon Barkley He became a driving force for the Eagles. He ranks second in the league with 766 yards, or 109.4 yards per game.

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Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley warms up before his game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. (Vincent Carchietta/Imagn Images)

The Eagles are a team floundering in the second half of the 2023 season en route to a shocking wild-card upset. Tampa Bay Pirates They returned to dominating offense in the playoffs. And the running game is a clear advantage to open things up for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

So was Barkley the missing piece this team needed to get back to the Super Bowl? An Eagles legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer thinks he could be the one.

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“I’m not going to say it is,” Brian Dawkins told Fox News Digital via Zoom on Wednesday. “They still have some growing to do. New offensive coordinator, new defensive coordinator. They still have some growth issues to go through.”

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore is in his first year on head coach Nick Sirianni’s staff. Even though the Eagles don’t dismantle teams, the offense gets better as it gets healthier.

But it’s hard not to think Barkley’s presence has taken things to the next level in Philly, and Dawkins is among the critics who can’t understand why the New York Giants released Barkley.

“It amazes me how you allowed (No.) 26 to leave the building,” Dawkins said, describing his experience of a march in San Antonio, Texas, through USAA, Wounded Warrior Project, and Face the Fight. .

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs during the first half against the Green Bay Packers at Neo Quimica Arena. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)

“To have that talent in the backfield that you can rely on, his versatility to go 60 yards for a touchdown is incredible,” Dawkins said. “So now you not only have home run hitters when it comes to receivers, but you also have a home run hitter in the backfield.”

In Dawkins’ words, Barkley is literally a “franchise back.”

Dawkins said that when you have to face a talent like him, it completely changes the scheme of the defensive game.

In the end, you get to pick your poison with who you want to block on match day.

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“As far as Saquon, I equate it to baseball in terms of the work he does,” Dawkins said. “This is how I see it: If you have a fastball that can go by you at any time, then my changeup is always going to happen.

“Saquon is a fastball. They can line up at any time and throw off that heat, and more often than not, they’ll gain a few yards off of that. The first quarter is usually hard on offenses to move defenses because they’re going to get that two yards (gain) over time, but as the game progresses that two yards (gain) turns into eight yards.”

“That’s your fastball, and now we have to honor that as a defense. Once you honor that, now we have AJ, we have ‘Swole Batman’ and ‘Slim Batman.’ I don’t know if they still get those titles, now we have those cats that can cover the defense because we have to make sure we’re down there to take on that monster in the backfield.”

NFL Hall of Famer Brian Dawkins discussed whether Saquon Barkley is the Philadelphia Eagles’ missing piece. (IMAGN/Getty Images)

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The monster in the backfield looked comfortable from the start in Brazil, where the Eagles took down the Green Bay Packers to open the season. Barkley scored three goals. He also wanted them to win against the New Orleans Saints despite their poor offensive performance.

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