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Inside the Huddle: Can Barkley lead Eagles?

Will Saquon Barkley make it to football’s Promised Land with the Eagles? Or will he be snakebitten in the end?

It’s way too early to tell for the 27-year-old running back, but the Eagles’ latest catastrophe against the Buccaneers — coupled with the whispers about head coach Nick Sirianni’s job security — can make you wonder if Barkley can take the Eagles deep into the postseason.

Barkley has found a second coming with the Eagles from his frustrated Giants days. It will be a matter of whether he can sustain his opening rabid pace and avoid the injury snags that deflated his New York career. The Eagles took the chance by signing him to a three-year deal hoping he will reach his prime over the period.

In this week’s version of my Inside the Huddle column, I’ll look at Barkley and some of the Eagles running backs — and some others over the years that didn’t quite reach their potential.

Barkley’s Bustin’ ... Through four games, Barkley is fourth in the league in rushing with 435 yards with a 6.0 yards per carry average, and has caught 12 passes for 85 yards. At this rate, Barkley could hit more than 1,800 yards rushing this season, basically being the team’s lone and primary running back.

His 73 carries would put him on pace to pass his prior season-high 295 in 2022 when he rushed for a career high 1,312 yards.

Barkley is coming off a season-low 84 yards on 10 carries in the Tampa loss, and the bye week may be perfect timing for a break and to regenerate himself.

The real question with the Eagles is whether they can straighten out their defensive problems, as well as quarterback Jalen Hurts’ inconsistent play and his adjustments to the blitz.

If the Eagles’ passing game gets back on track — mainly due to injuries — Barkley’s workload will lessen. He may also feast over the next month with the Browns, Giants, Bengals and Jaguars on the schedule after the bye week.

Let’s hope Barkley won’t be snakebitten in Eagles green. Considering their current state of affairs, the bye week this weekend couldn’t have come at a better time.

Flying On One Wing ... Over the years, there have been a good share of Eagles running backs who never reached their expected potential. Some of them include:

Leroy Keyes — He will forever be remembered as the draft pick selection instead of O. J. Simpson in 1969. In two years, Keyes ran for a total of 369 yards before he was converted to a defensive back. Keyes spent his last season in Kansas City in 1973.

Harry Jones — Two years earlier in 1967, the Eagles thought they found their running back in Jones. However, he ran for just 85 yards in four years and was done after 1970.

Michael Haddix — He was the eighth pick overall in the 1983 draft, and his potential never materialized. Haddix rushed for 1,635 yards and had 1,130 yards receiving in six Eagles seasons. He spent his final two years in Green Bay. Haddix’s 3.0 yards per carry is still the lowest all-time for 500 or more carries.

Ricky Watters — He certainly wasn’t a bust, but Watters didn’t run deep in Eagles’ green. Watters likely will be immediately remembered for his “for who, for what?” line after he failed to extend his arms to catch a pivotal pass. Many believed Watters was burned out by the Eagles in his three years when he rushed for a total of 3,794 yards and had 1,318 yards receiving with a combined 32 touchdowns. Watters never reached his potential, and the team was an overall 26-21-2 during his tenure.

DeMarco Murray — He could easily be forgotten, but Murray was viewed as another savior when he signed a five-year deal with the Birds in 2015 after a solid run with the Cowboys — including the league’s rushing title a year earlier. The multi-year contract proved to be a snake bite because Murray ran for just 702 yards (3.6 average) and six touchdowns in his lone season before he was traded to Tennessee for a sixth-round pick. Murray never regained his touch.

What Could Have Been ... When it comes to non-Eagles running backs who had their career cut short or didn’t reach their potential, former Bear Gayle Sayers is among the most memorable.

As a kid, I barely remember Sayers, but have seen plenty of highlight films that showed his field brilliance before his career was cut short due to a knee injury.

As a rookie, Sayers scored a combined 22 touchdowns and rushed for 867 yards. The following season, he won the NFL rushing title with 1,231 yards with a 5.4 yards per carry. In seven seasons, Sayers rushed for 4,956 yards with 39 touchdowns and 5.0 yards per carry.

Former Penn State Nittany Lions’ star Ki-Jana Carter was the No. 1 pick in 1995 by the Bengals, but his career never materialized. Carter suffered a season-ending knee injury in the first preseason game, and he played in only 35 games in five years before he was traded to Washington.

Topping Off ... After Week Four, here are my top five teams:

1. Chiefs (4-0) — Until they are beaten, they have proved to be the league’s elite.

2. Vikings (4-0) — Sam Darnold looks like the next Fran Tarkenton, and may be better.

3. Bills (3-1) — After they saw “The Derrick Henry Show” last week, they will be back.

4. Steelers (3-1) — Those Joe Flacco memories just won’t go away.

5. Commanders (3-1)/Ravens (2-2) — Politics aside, I’m starting to believe something is good in Washington, and in Baltimore.

Bottoming Out ... After Week Four, here are my bottom five teams (starting from the worst):

1. Patriots (1-3) — Bill Belichick knew when to leave, and hopefully Drake Maye survives.

2. Jaguars (0-4) — Despite a near win in Houston, the Jags don’t have the intensity and focus. Former Eagle boss Doug Pederson will likely be the first coach to go.

3. Dolphins (1-3) — Without Tua, the Dolphins have been futile, and there appears to be little hope.

4. Cleveland (1-3) — Deshaun Watson looks like he will be one of the biggest busts in Browns’ history.

5. Titans (1-3) — They picked up a win over Miami, but there is plenty more work to be done.

Place Your Bets ... Last week, I had a bad one, losing with the Eagles and Jets and getting a push with the Giants. Overall, I have a 4-5-1 record.

This week, I like the Vikings (-2.5) over the Jets in London, and the Seahawks (-6.5) over the Giants.

Two best bets of the week ... Washington (-3.5) over Cleveland; Baltimore (-2.5) over Cincinnati; and Jacksonville (-2.5) over Indianapolis.

Matriculating Down the Field ... Each week, I’ll recall a former player, game or situation from the game.

Remember the “Snake?”

Kenny “The Snake” Stabler was one of the game’s more colorful characters, primarily remembered for his 10 years with the Raiders. Stabler, who was a backup to Darryl Lamonica, took over the reins three games into the 1973 season.

One of the Snake’s more memorable plays was his winning touchdown flip to Clarence Davis in a victory over the Dolphins in the 1974 AFC Championship.

Stabler won the league’s MVP Award in 1974, and led the Raiders to a 32-14 Super Bowl victory over the Minnesota Vikings in 1977. He was a four-time Pro Bowler who also spent two years with Houston and three with New Orleans.

He passed away from cancer at the age of 69 in 2015.

Your thoughts are always welcomed at tnsports@tnonline.com