See Saquon run.

That’s what Eagles’ fans have been waiting to see all season until Barkley broke through with his 150-yard effort that was highlighted by a 65-ayrd touchdown run against the Giants in the Birds’ 38-20 victory Sunday.

Now the question that lingers is whether Barkley will turn it loose for the remainder of the season. However, Barkley surely will benefit from the team’s bye week ahead.

When he returns in Green Bay for a high-profile Monday night game Nov. 10, Barkley will need to average 101 yards over the final nine games to push him over the 1,500-yard plateau for the season.

In this version of the Inside the Huddle column, I’ll look at the offensive state of the Eagles, check in on the Fighting Irish, review the league’s best and worst, and turn back the pages on a former Northern Lehigh standout.

Barking Up the Right Tree ... With his previous pedestrian efforts — a once-high 88 yards against the Chiefs in the second game of the season — Barkley could surpass the 1,500-yard-plus mark for the season after being on pace for roughly 900.

Barkley did leave the game in the fourth quarter with an apparent groin injury that he downplayed after the game. Yes, it was good to see Barkley’s burst again, primarily his 65-yard scamper for a score.

Fellow running back Tank Bigsby, who was quietly acquired from Jacksonville a few weeks ago, emerged as a secondary outlet with his 104-yard effort on nine carries. He certainly can provide a relief for Barkley, and it will be interesting to see both in the backfield at the same time.

The Eagles also benefited with Landon Dickerson back at guard, and Brett Toth did a steady job at center for the injured Cam Jurgens. Overall, the Birds ran 30 times for 278 yards.

The effective running game also took some heat off new offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo, who was under the gun for not getting the Eagles running game in gear through the first seven games.

Are You Still Worried? ... In a recent Times Lehighton Sports Facebook poll, the question was posed on whether you were concerned with the Eagles’ running game and Saquon Barkley.

An overwhelming 63 percent voted yes and 37 percent voted no. After Barkley’s 150-yard effort, maybe your fears are alleviated.

We’ll wait and see.

Pass It Along ... Along with the Eagles running game hitting a high-water mark, Jalen Hurts had another strong effort.

Hurts entered the game with his last three efforts being 280, 283 and 326 yards (season-high against the Vikings last week), and he appeared on track to keep a consistent 250-plus yards for the rest of the season.

Against the Giants, Hurts was sharp completing 15-of-20 passes for only 179 yards, but he threw for four touchdowns. His 75 percent completion rate was his second best to his 82.6 against the Vikings.

If the Eagles keep their running game going, Hurts won’t need any herculean passing efforts, only ones like he has had the past two weeks. He really hasn’t used his legs either this year, rushing for 207 yards.

This was a game without the much-maligned A.J. Brown, but Barkley (four catches, one touchdown), Dallas Goedert (three catches, two touchdowns), Jahan Dotson (one catch, one touchdown) filled the role.

Hurts continues to quietly put together a banner-type year, completing 151-of-215 attempts for 1,677 yards with 15 touchdowns and just one interception.

Tougher Than You Think ... The Eagles’ 5-2 start has been viewed by many as a questionable one, but their schedule may alleviate some fears. They have 11 playoff teams from last year on their schedule.

Philly opened with Dallas before they had a Super Bowl rematch with the Chiefs in Kansas City before match-ups with the upstart Rams, Bucs and Broncos.

They seemed to have a breather with the Giants but were victims of a blowout.

Left on the schedule are games in Green Bay on a Monday night, home against the Bears, a trip to Dallas, a home Sunday night against Detroit, a Black Friday home game against Chicago, and a Monday night game in Los Angeles (Chargers).

Left on the docket are home games against Las Vegas and Washington, along with away games in Buffalo and Washington.

As you can see, the Birds’ 5-2 record isn’t as far off track as many believe.

Is He a Free-man? ... Notre Dame head coach Marcus Freeman continues to be near the top of the list to take over the reins at Penn State. Nebraska boss Matt Rhule has recently surfaced as a top candidate.

Freeman recently inked a four-year extension with the Irish, and his current deal will take him through 2030 making reportedly $9 million per year. Initially, Freeman had a $4 million buyout, but that has supposedly risen with his extension to possibly as much as $40 million.

After the team’s 0-2 start, Freeman’s future may have been in doubt, but the Irish have won five straight, and they travel to Boston College Saturday for a version of college’s “Holy War.”

The Irish have won nine straight over the Eagles, and they posted a 44-0 shutout in their last meeting in 2022. Notre Dame leads the series 17-9, and Boston College’s last win was 17-0 in 2008.

Oh, Baby, It’s A Wild World ... It certainly has been a wild first eight weeks in the NFL.

The rising Bears had a four-game winning streak snapped by the Lamar Jackson-less Ravens, the Jets rallied for their first win in a defensive-less game, the Dolphins shocked the Falcons, and the Bills ended their two-game losing streak with a 40-9 rout of the Panthers, who had won three straight.

It’s difficult to pinpoint one dominant team, but here’s one-man’s opinion on a top five:

1) Colts (7-1) - Yes, they dominated the hapless Titans, but Daniel Jones is for real. Jonathan Taylor arguably is the best back in the league.

2) Broncos (6-2) - Denver’s defense showed its superiority by shutting down Dallas’ offense. Bo Nix can do some things on offense.

3) Bucs (6-2) - They keep on winning and are finally being noticed. Baker Mayfield is having an MVP year.

4) Eagles (6-2) - The Birds played a complete game against the Giants. They look ready for an impressive run.

5) Patriots (6-2) - For the first time since 2021, the Pats are 6-2. There will be a race in the AFC East.

Bottom five: How this man sees the worst five teams (worst being No. 1).

1) Saints (1-7) - Tyler Shough took over for starter Spencer Rattler. If you know who he is, you get a gold star.

2) Titans (1-7) - The Titans have a new coach, but the problems remain the same. Cam Wear deserves better.

3) Raiders (2-5) - They had a bye, but there isn’t any promise with veteran coach Pete Carroll.

4) Browns (2-6) - A quarterback change didn’t improve their offensive woes. Will we see Shedeur Sanders?

5) Jets (1-7) - Jets’ fans can celebrate the revival of their offense, but the Jets’ defense is still awful. Will they draft another Joe Namath?

Scrapbook ... Each week, I’ll briefly reflect on the career of a former standout from over coverage area.

Ty Tkach had an outstanding career at Northern Lehigh, and he continued his playing days at the University of Pittsburgh. His football roots run deep with his legendary father and Bulldogs’ head coach Jim Tkach, and his late brother Travis “Bo” Tkach, who also was a standout for Northern Lehigh.

As a senior, Tkach was named to the Pennsylvania Class 2A All-State First Team. A three-year varsity starter as a tight end and defensive end, Tkach recorded 221 tackles and 22 sacks with 63 stops and seven sacks in his senior season. On the other side of the ball, Tkach was primary a blocking tight end, but he did have 13 receptions for 144 yards with a pair of touchdowns his final season. He scored 12 touchdowns in his career.

Tkach redshirted as a freshman defensive end at Pitt, and he played in 12 games as a sophomore. He endured three foot surgeries his junior season, and was limited to two games.

During his final season, Tkach played under former Cowboys’ coach Dave Wannstedt, and he ended his career in the BBVA Compass Bowl in which the Panthers posted a 27-10 victory.

Matriculating Down the Lane ... Through the years, there have been many classic Eagles-Giants’ match-ups.

On Dec. 19, 2010 at Met Life Stadium, both teams entered the game with 9-4 records with the NFC East title in both of their sights.

The Eagles trailed 31-10 with 7:30 left in the game before they mounted one of the greatest comebacks in their history.

Michael Vick engineered the Birds to three scores to tie the game. He tossed a 65-yard touchdown to tight end Brent Celek, he scored on a 4-yard run, and tossed a 13-yard touchdown to Jeremy Macklin.

The Eagles’ defense forced the Giants into a three-and-out on their final possession and Giants’ punter Matt Dodge punted with 14 seconds left.

DeSean Jackson bobbled the ball on the 35-yard line, picked it up and darted back five yards before he weaved his way up the field. Jackson benefited from a block from Celek and found the end zone as the clock ran out. He enjoyed the moment dancing around the end zone, as the Eagles swept the season series.

The Eagles won the NFC East with a 10-6 record, but were eliminated by the Packers 21-16 in a WildCard playoff game.

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