Overreaction Monday: Saquon Barkley made Lamar Jackson's MVP case for him

Two of the most dominant teams this season met for a intraconference clash on Sunday, and the game provided plenty of fireworks. The Philadelphia Eagles ultimately pulled out a 24-19 victory over the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium.

The 2024 season has proven to be a renaissance for the running game, and both teams entered the matchup with the league’s leading rushers at the quarterback and running back positions.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley narrowly outperformed Ravens running back Derrick Henry. Barkley finished with 117 yards from scrimmage compared to Henry’s total of 111 yards. The difference in the game came down to the passing games.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson has only lost to two NFC teams as a starter: a 24-20 loss against the New York Giants in 2022, and Sunday’s game against Philadelphia. 

Saquon Barkley called Lamar Jackson the best player he’s seen

Barkley was on the winning end of both of those games, but he had nothing but praise for Jackson after the game, per Jonas Shaffer of The Baltimore Banner.

“I don’t think, I know, [Jackson’s] probably the best player I’ve seen with my own eyes,” Barkley said. “Whether it’s on film or seeing him live, just the things he’s able to do."

Despite Barkley’s kind words about the reigning MVP, Jackson’s performance against Philadelphia didn’t help his chances of capturing the award for the third time in his career. Barkley has surpassed Jackson in betting odds for the 2024 NFL Most Valuable Player, per DraftKings Sportsbook. 

The Ravens jumped out to an early 9-0 lead, but the team was ultimately unable to overcome their quarterback's mistakes. Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s scheme was a nightmare matchup for Jackson, who has struggled to pass against two-high safety shells throughout his career. It’s a difficult defense to deploy against Baltimore due to their potent rushing attack, but Philadelphia was able to contain the Ravens with excellent fundamentals and tackling. 

Jackson had a game to forget. He missed a potential deep touchdown to tight end Isaiah Likely and a routine quick pass to wide receiver Zay Flowers on a third-and-five play. Jackson took sacks on third down in the red zone, which only made things harder for struggling kicker Justin Tucker. Although Jackson finished with 316 total yards, 70 of them came on the team’s final drive when the game was effectively over.  

Barkley recorded his eighth game with 100-plus rushing yards this season, a new career-best. The performance lifted Philadelphia to their eighth consecutive victory, which trails only the Detroit Lions, whose lone loss of the season came back in Week 2.

Barkley and Henry have both had remarkably similar careers. Both were highly-touted rushers at the collegiate level, but spent the early parts of their careers toiling away on middling franchises. Both players entered free agency for the first time this offseason, and they’ve both thrived on their new teams. While Henry currently leads the league in rushing touchdowns (13), Barkley has a league-high 1,499 rushing yards, which puts him on pace to break the single-season rushing record.