Saquon Barkley on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s record, and faces bad run defenses ahead

[RamUK]

Eagles message board did a poll, fans are split 60-40 in favor of letting Saquon play.

Saquon sounds down about the decision to rest.

My favorite take:

Eagles rest Saquon & loses in the 1st: “SEE!, Eagles should have just played him"

Eagles play Saquon & loses in the first: “SEE!, they shouldn’t have played him”

Eagles rest Saquon & win in the 1st: “SEE! , that’s why we didn’t play him”

Eagles play Saquon & win in the first: “SEE!, it didn’t even matter”

I think you missed the option of the Eagles playing Saquon; he gets injured, they then lose in the first round in a ground game, and their idiot fans all claim they didn't want him to play and vent their ire by burning the city to the ground.

 

[PhillyRam]

I will add, he plays, he doesn't get the record, he then plays poorly in the playoff game and they lose, and then the fans say he sucks and want him traded.

 

[PARAM]

I think you missed the option of the Eagles playing Saquon; he gets injured, they then lose in the first round in a ground game, and their idiot fans all claim they didn't want him to play and vent their ire by burning the city to the ground.

No. Those morons only try that when they win a Superbowl!!!

"Yo Adrian....the Birds won the Superbowl. I'm gonna go set a car on fire!"

I will add, he plays, he doesn't get the record, he then plays poorly in the playoff game and they lose, and then the fans say he sucks and want him traded.

I think they'd be more apt to say Siriani sucks and want him fired......which they may want after this year is over, anyway.

 

[Merlin]

A decision like this might come down from on high in an organization. Would not surprise me. So it might not be the coach making that call. Could be the owner or team prez telling the staff we can't take that risk.

For the coach you're going to want to see your player get that though. And while it's an individual record it isn't really when you're talking about an offense that is able to feed a RB that much to get to that level of yardage. Don't think for a moment that the OL that blocked for Dickerson aren't following this too. They know damn well no RB does shit without the boys in front opening holes.

Reason I'd make the call to let him take a shot at the record is because you could just as easily lose him on the first carry in your first playoff game. So giving the kid a chance at history feels right to me. I would care about that for my players as a coach. Problem is the owner would probably tell me thereafter "are you insane" and insist on benching the player. I think that's a shame though. Sometimes you need to put it all on red.

 

[PhillyRam]

I think they'd be more apt to say Siriani sucks and want him fired......which they may want after this year is over, anyway.

True

 

[Loyal]

A decision like this might come down from on high in an organization. Would not surprise me. So it might not be the coach making that call. Could be the owner or team prez telling the staff we can't take that risk.

For the coach you're going to want to see your player get that though. And while it's an individual record it isn't really when you're talking about an offense that is able to feed a RB that much to get to that level of yardage. Don't think for a moment that the OL that blocked for Dickerson aren't following this too. They know damn well no RB does shit without the boys in front opening holes.

Reason I'd make the call to let him take a shot at the record is because you could just as easily lose him on the first carry in your first playoff game. So giving the kid a chance at history feels right to me. I would care about that for my players as a coach. Problem is the owner would probably tell me thereafter "are you insane" and insist on benching the player. I think that's a shame though. Sometimes you need to put it all on red.

Chris Long & Co gives reasons why it makes no sense to go after the record. He explains, and I am paraphrasing, "You don't think they'll put a 1000 guys in the box to stop the guy? There is no way they want him to break the record on them and everyone will be hitting that big motherfucker low to bring him down."
Hitting low sounds like a dangerous thing on a RB with that much mileage this year.
On a sidenote, it's jarring to see those two Lombardi trophies behind Chris' right shoulder. I was such a big fan when we drafted him and he slogged through many years on the Rams Dline without sniffing the playoffs. Not many players who do that get a chance to win one Lombardi, let alone two of them. Stafford did that with us, too.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7rK1Y0fJ3E

 

[RamFan503]

Yeah I had on the shocked face emoji when it was announced. I would've tried to break it. But I can see Vulcan logic here.

Back in 1984 no starters sat for the 16th game after Dickerson broke it in the 15th. That whole "rest your starters the last game" stuff started when... 2017?

I remember Warner got hurt vs the Falcons in the final 2001 game and had to wear that ugly hybrid facemask in the playoffs after he got hit in the throat. Also in the final seconds they called an end around with him as the lead blocker. Times sure have changed.


View: https://youtu.be/aebBiZVU4-I

I swear Martz had a thing for getting Warner killed.

 

[RamFan503]

.

I have to say, it would be pretty selfish of Barkley if he made his oline play and put them in harms way just to break an individual record. Unless he wants to try it with the backup oline.

.

Yeah… The key factor may be how many starters would have to play against a highly stacked box to make it happen. I still have to wonder how the rest of the team feels about it.

It’s interesting to think about it in context of McVay. Sean elected to let Puca get his record and then immediately pulled him. You know the whole team wanted him to get those records.

I will add, he plays, he doesn't get the record, he then plays poorly in the playoff game and they lose, and then the fans say he sucks and want him traded.

“Dibs” - Sean McVay