WATCH: Saquon Barkley is taking the blame like a leader but the real problem with the Eagles is the offensive line

Saquon Barkley stood in front of reporters this week and did what real leaders do. He took every ounce of responsibility for the Eagles run game and placed it directly on himself.

Saquon Barkley said he believes the run game starts with him and ends with him and that he’s in a funk but acknowledges that he’s been here before and will work his way out of this one. Obviously, that is the kind of accountability you want from a star player but the truth is far more complicated than that.

Saquon Barkley: “I’ve been kind of nonexistent this year. I’ve gotta figure it out for the team.”

Philadelphia Eagles RB Saquon Barkley:

“I’ve been kind of nonexistent this year. I’ve gotta figure it out for the team.” pic.twitter.com/MPCAHJIuEg

— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) November 24, 2025

Saquon Barkley is not the problem.

He might be part of it, but overall I think we are all in agreement that there are plenty of issues with this offense right now.

Kevin Patullo is at the top of that list. His game plans are flat, predictable, and a complete waste of the talent he has at his disposal. Jalen Hurts is frustrated and out of rhythm. AJ Brown is hot in the first quarter and invisible by the fourth.

Say whatever you want and at least part of it is contributing to the problem, right? I just can’t look anywhere else outside of the Eagles’ offensive line. It’s the piece that drives it all and through 11 games this season, it’s undoubtedly been the weakest part of this football team.

For years, the offensive line has been the backbone of everything the Eagles do. They were the identity. They controlled games, protected quarterbacks and powered the run game, making everything easier for everyone else.

This year they have been the exact opposite.

Jason Kelce said it himself earlier this week. He believes the offensive line has been the main point of struggle for the Eagles. He is right. They are banged up, inconsistent, and getting bullied far too often. They are no longer dictating the pace of the game and it allows opposing defenses are dictate everything.

The struggles for the Eagles O-Line has stuck out for Jason Kelce

The struggles for the Eagles O-Line has stuck out for Jason Kelce 👀

"This year is the first year they have really struggled to run the football. … It is crippling this offense." pic.twitter.com/DU88ZiOPmG

— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) November 24, 2025

Lane Johnson going down with a Lisfranc sprain took the entire offense down with him. With Lane on the field the Eagles are 120-62-1. Without him they are 15-24. That is not a coincidence. That is a franchise-defining split.

When you lose your anchor, the problems ripple through everything else.

Mix in the fact that Landon Dickerson and Cam Jurgens, have been battling through multiple injuries and haven’t been operating at 100 percent all year and you’re going to have serious issues in the trenches.

The run game stalls. The pass protection collapses. Jalen Hurts is rushed. Saquon Barkley is hit behind the line. Receivers stop getting time to work. The offense turns into the slowest, most frustrating version of itself.

Saquon Barkley’s numbers are down for a reason. He is getting contacted at the line of scrimmage or behind it almost every single carry.

There is no room or rhythm. That is not a Barkley issue. That is a trench issue.

It’s gotten so bad that Eagles fans want Tank Bigsby to split carries…

Don’t get me wrong, Tank Bigsby has been impressive in limited work. He had a breakout game against the Giants and ripped off chunk plays against the Lions. That should earn him more snaps.

We have to stop running with the narrative that Tank doing well means the run game needs to see him split carries with Saquon Barkley. It means he caught a few clean looks while the line struggled the rest of the day.

It does not change the fact that the offensive line has been the worst performing group on the roster. It does not change the fact that the Eagles have dipped from a top ten rushing team to one of the least threatening ground attacks in football.

The Eagles have always been built from the inside out. This season they are collapsing from the inside out.

Good News: Friday against the Bears is the chance to flip the script

If there is a game that could help Saquon Barkley get rolling again, it is Friday.

The Bears allow 138 rushing yards a game. They give up more than five yards a carry. They struggle with gap integrity. They miss tackles. They do everything that should make a running back feast.

The problem is simple. Even the worst run defense cannot save you if your offensive line plays like it has all season.

Saquon Barkley is doing everything right from a leadership standpoint. He is taking blame he does not deserve. He is refusing to point fingers. He is trying to lift the unit around him.

The Eagles will not fix a single thing until the offensive line starts playing like the unit that once defined this franchise. Until that happens, nothing else matters.

Friday is more than another game. It is a test to see whether this line still has the toughness and chemistry that made them special. If they fail it, it’s hard to see the offense turning the corner anytime soon.

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