There was always a danger that we’d bear witness to this beginning of Saquon Barkley’s season. Though it may not have seemed like it at times, the man wearing the Number 26 Philadelphia Eagles jersey is just that. He’s a man just like the rest of us.

We discussed last season’s workload and the subsequent short offseason. It was worth it. He and everyone else got another victory parade in the City of Brotherly Love, but there was that thing about the Madden NFL cover curse and whatnot. There was talk about a possible Super Bowl hangover. Birds fans scoffed. ‘Not on our watch,’ everyone yelled defiantly.

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Despite what we knew, we dismissed everything unless it was positive feedback. We saw a path to an explosive encore. That was the only reasonable path. ‘This would be the exception’ was what we reasoned.

No one seemed to care that no tailback had ever run for 2,000 yards and come close to doing anything nearly as eye-popping the following season. Fast forward to the present. The Eagles‘ offensive line is banged up. That and 482 touches a season ago have served as Superman’s kryptonite.

Barkley has tallied 325 yards rushing and three TDs on the ground to begin the Eagles’ 2025 regular season. He averages 3.4 yards per carry and 54.2 yards per game, but there’s good news. If there was ever a ‘get-right game’, it’s the next one on Philadelphia’s schedule.

The Eagles vs. Vikings matchup is a classic strength vs. weakness battle.

If Lane Johnson and Landon Dickerson are good to go, the starting Eagles offensive line will be on the field vs. the Minnesota Vikings this coming Sunday. That’s never bad news, but if you need more, think of this before you place your head on the pillow tonight. The Vikings allow 132.2 yards rushing per contest. They allow 4.5 yards per rush. Make no mistake. Saquon Barkley will have his opportunities.

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Something else must be mentioned here. Only eight teams surrender more rushing yards per contest than the Vikings. One of those teams is the Eagles. Philadelphia allows 134.3 yards per game.

Minnesota averages 4.5 yards per rush. That being said, although this theory may seem overused, the team that imposes its will on the other will ultimately find victory. The Eagles have long prided themselves on being a running team and winning in the trenches. If they do that in Week 7, they’ll find the result they seek, the fifth win of the season and the conclusion of their two-game skid.

This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Stats suggest Saquon Barkley’s breakout game could come vs. Vikings