NFL Week 8 Stock Watch: What happened to Saquon Barkley?

It sure feels like running backs are having a moment over the past two years, with teams placing a greater emphasis on the running game than they have for the better part of two decades. While plenty of backs have had standout showings to start the 2025 campaign, Saquon Barkley isn't one of them.

Barkley, who ran for over 2,000 yards so far this season, has regressed significantly from his peak performance a year ago. Let's take a look at what's gone wrong for Barkley, and what's gone right for other backs around the league, as part of the latest edition of FanSided's NFL Stock Watch.

Week 8 NFL Stock Watch - Risers

Running backs

We touched on Bijan Robinson's down-ballot MVP potential last week in this space, and NBC was right on trend, dubbing Sunday night's contest between Robinson's Falcons and Christian McCaffrey's 49ers as the birthplace of "National Running Back Day". McCaffrey had a star turn in San Francisco's 20-10 win, racking up 129 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns, but he is far from the only running back standing out so far this season.

The favorite for Offensive Player of the Year right now is Indianapolis' Jonathan Taylor, who has 697 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns in seven games, while seven other backs have exceeded 500 rushing yards thus far, including unexpected names like Carolina's Rico Dowdle and Dallas' Javonte Williams. While quarterbacks are still the kingmakers in the NFL, running backs have begun to get their groove back.

The Eagles' passing game

After some within the Eagles' locker room questioned whether offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo was too predictable as a play caller, there was heat on Jalen Hurts and the offense to deliver a strong performance. Hurts and his receivers stepped up in a huge 28-22 win over Minnesota, with Hurts throwing for 326 yards and three touchdowns, while both A.J. Brown (four catches for 121 yards and two touchdowns) and DeVonta Smith (9-183-1) feasted against a strong Vikings' defense.

This kind of performance offers some faith that Patullo is growing into his role as a first time playcaller and eases some of the tension around Brown, who had been vocally frustrated about his lack of production early on. While no one will mistake the Eagles' passing game for The Greatest Show On Turf, their explosive effort here could be a huge help in unlocking Barkley and the running game down the line.

Old quarterbacks

Week 7 kicked off with a Steelers-Bengals Thursday night contest dubbed the "Icy Hot Bowl" with a pair of 40+ quarterbacks starting in Aaron Rodgers and Joe Flacco. While Rodgers played well in the game and has Pittsburgh off to a 4-3 start, Flacco earned a win by doing what he does best, taking deep shots and feeding the football to Ja'Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, giving Cincinnati a shot to salvage their season at 3-4 and a head-to-head win over the Steelers in hand.

Another old hand who had a huge day was Matthew Stafford, who became the first quarterback to throw for five touchdowns in an international game in a blowout win over the Jaguars at Wembley Stadium. While everyone is eager to find the next big thing under center, there is plenty to be said about having an experienced passer who knows how to operate an NFL offense, as the old guys have demonstrated so far this year.

Chicago Bears

It took a bit longer than Bears' fans would have wanted, but it looks like Ben Johnson has Chicago poised to deliver their most entertaining season in years. The Bears dominated Sunday's 26-14 win over the New Orleans Saints to earn their fourth consecutive win, putting them in prime position to stay relevant in the playoff hunt all year long.

While there is undoubtedly some PTSD among Chicago fans, who saw last season's 4-2 start turn into an epic collapse after their Hail Mary loss in Washington, Johnson's team is built differently with a dynamic running game to help ease the burden on Caleb Williams to do it all. Sunday's game against a banged-up Ravens team should be a good test for Chicago's defense, especially since it appears that Lamar Jackson will be back under center for Baltimore.

Week 8 NFL Stock Watch - Fallers

Saquon Barkley

While the Eagles' improved passing game is a positive for the reigning champs, Saquon Barkley's continued struggles are still a big concern. Barkley has run into a brick wall so far this season, averaging only 3.3 yards per carry and failing to crack the 100-yard plateau on the ground in Philadelphia's first seven games.

Poor offensive line play has been an issue for Barkley, but no one could have seen this dramatic of a fall-off coming. Perhaps the Eagles' aerial explosion in Week 7 will create more running lanes for Barkley going forward, but it is fair to be concerned that the invoice for 2024's heavy workload is coming due.

Woody Johnson

While it can be redundant to pick on the 0-7 Jets, the league's lone winless team, they make it too easy to make fun of them. The latest evidence of dysfunction came from owner Woody Johnson, who showed up to the NFL's owner's meetings with some bizarre commentary on the state of his franchise.

So in the span of seven minutes, Johnson buried his quarterback, gave no insight into what the team's actual plan is and revealed that he hugs head coach Aaron Glenn daily. Jets' fans deserve far better than what they've gotten for the better part of 15 years.

Las Vegas Raiders

While the Jets often take up all the oxygen in the room for bad football teams, the Las Vegas Raiders have quietly been a massive flop in Pete Carroll's first year as head coach. Sunday's 31-0 loss at Kansas City feels like rock bottom for the Raiders, whose only win since a surprising victory in New England in Week 1 came against the Titans, who followed up that performance by firing head coach Brian Callahan.

A bad offensive line is crushing the Raiders, who can't unlock the talents of rookie running back Ashton Jeanty and seen Geno Smith running for his life, taking 19 sacks over the course of seven games. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly has also come up with some uninspired game plans, adding a stale feel that feels like a stark contrast to the enthusiasm Carroll usually imbues his teams with.

Fantasy football managers

Aside from more killer injuries, such as Mike Evans returning from a hamstring injury only to suffer a broken collarbone on Monday night, the NFL season is now entering the killer bye phase for fantasy players. Week 8 marks the dreaded six-team bye, with the Lions, Raiders, Cardinals, Rams, Seahawks and Jaguars all off on Sunday.

There are a lot of fantasy stars out of action this week, with the running back position taking a major hit as Jahmyr Gibbs, David Montgomery, Jeanty, Kyren Williams, Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet and Travis Etienne all unavailable. Given the short benches in most leagues, some managers who didn't plan properly for Week 8 will either be stuck with a suboptimal lineup filled with bench options or be forced to take a zero at a key position in order to protect their long-term interests, which is never a good spot to be in.