In a crucial moment with the game on the line, the Eagles made a questionable play call that ultimately fell short when running back Saquon Barkley failed to catch the ball. Despite the missed opportunity, Barkley took full responsibility for the mistake after the game, acknowledging that he let his team down.
“I dropped the ball,” Barkley admitted to reporters. “Shouldn’t have put the defense in that position. If I make the catch, game’s over. Just gotta go back and get to work.”
When asked about the decision to throw the ball instead of running in that situation, Barkley defended the play call, stating, “I thought it was a great play call. I just gotta make that catch.”
While Barkley owned up to his error, the potential for a drop should have been considered in the analysis that led to the pass play. With third and three on the line, the Eagles could have opted to run the ball twice to secure the needed yardage. The suggestion of running the “tush push” play twice, as proposed by Scott Van Pelt, could have burned more time off the clock and put the Falcons in a difficult position.
Despite the Eagles’ confidence that victory was within reach, things took a surprising turn when they failed to close out the game as expected. Head coach Sirianni may have felt a sense of assurance that everything was going their way, only to be humbled by the outcome. In the end, the Eagles fell short and suffered an unexpected loss, marking a shocking turn of events in the 2024 regular season.
With the most unlikely reversal seen in 32 games, the Eagles learned a valuable lesson about the importance of executing plays effectively in critical moments. As they reflect on this disappointing loss, they will undoubtedly look to make adjustments and improve moving forward.
