“I let my team down!” Saquon Barkley takes blame for Eagles’ last-moment MNF loss to Falcons
Eagles' star Saquon Barkley took the blame for the close 22-21 loss against the Falcons upon his shoulder after he dropped a crucial pass.
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Saquon Barkley (Via Imago)
The Philadelphia Eagles could have had an unbeatable record again this season if only they had won week 2’s match against the Atlanta Falcons. They would have won if the newly acquired Saquon Barkley hadn’t dropped the ball late in the fourth quarter, serving the victory on a silver platter.
However, when it came time to take responsibility, the star running back didn’t back down and took the blame for the close 22-21 loss upon his shoulder. With his words, Barkley won the hearts of all those who were criticizing him for dropping the crucial pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts just moments ago in the game.
I dropped the ball. I let my team down today. I shouldn't have put the defense in that position. If I make the catch, the game is over.Saquon Barkley said to the reporters after his remorseful defeat
With two minutes remaining in the game, the Eagles were in the lead at 18-15 at the home stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. Facing the third-and-3 from the Falcons’ 10-yard line, head coach Nick Sirianni called for a pass play which was indeed a good call that could have sealed the victory for Philly.
However, the two-time Pro Bowler dropped the ball from Hurts despite being wide-open and they had to settle in for a field goal. As the ball got in the hands of Atlanta’s Kirk Cousins, he led a 70-yard drive for a touchdown pass by connecting with Drake London and scoring the close 22-21 feat.
Jalen Hurts stands by Saquon Barkley after costly drop
Even though the star RB Barkley dropped such a crucial pass that could have sealed the back-to-back wins in the 2024 season, his team didn’t lose confidence in him. If Hurts was to throw the ball again, he would trust Barkley. While addressing the drop in the post-game press conference, the Eagles quarterback didn’t blame anything while admitting they fell short in the moment.
I trust [Saquon Barkley] every day of the week to make a play, just like everybody else. We'll be better from it. It's not a matter of expectations, it's a matter of just executing what's called. And we came up short in that moment.Jalen Hurts said about Saquon Barkley
Meanwhile, head coach Sirianni claimed that he called for the third-and-3 play because he wanted to beat the Falcons with a touchdown, especially when they didn’t have timeouts. He also appreciated the opponents Cousins, and the offense for executing the drive and succeeding with a touchdown.
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Pratyusha Srivastava
(2130 Articles Published)