The Philadelphia Eagles have a chance to make history on Saturday. If the Eagles defeat the Washington Commanders, they will clinch the NFC East in back-to-back years. They would be the first team to do so in over 20 years.
“That’s the goal, because that’s the opportunity that we have,” Barkley said.
“You win the division, you guarantee yourself a playoff position, and when you get to the playoffs, you guarantee yourself a chance to compete for the Super Bowl, and that’s what you want. And it’s something that hasn’t been done in 20 years, to go back-to-back.”
“So, obviously, we’re aware of that, but none of that really matters if we don’t go out there and take care of what we need to take care of, and focus on things we need to focus on, and always go back to the simple things, and the basics, and the details,” he added.
The Eagles were the last team to win consecutive division titles. Behind head coach Andy Reid, quarterback Donovan McNabb, running backs Duce Staley and Brian Westbrook, and a stifling defense led by linebacker Jeremiah Trotter and safety Brian Dawkins, the NFC East ran through Philly from 2001–2004.
But after the Eagles lost Super Bowl XXXIX to the New England Patriots, they collapsed, going 6-10 in 2005; the New York Giants won the division that year, and it has swapped hands year to year ever since.
Barkley, who was drafted by the Giants in 2018, said he was not shocked by a division with as much prestige as the NFC East.
“Being in this division for the last seven, eight years, [I] know how tough it is. So to do something that hasn’t been done in 20 years is pretty cool. But again, that can’t be the focus. Obviously, that’s the goal, but the focus [has] to be on the little things. We put ourselves in a position to do it, and now we’ve just got to go take advantage of it,” he said.
The NFC East is the only division in the NFL in which all four teams have won a Super Bowl. The Eagles have two, Super Bowl LII in 2017 and Super Bowl LIX in 2024; the Giants have four, Super Bowl XXI in 1986, XXV in 1990, XLII in 2007, and XLVI in 2011; the Washington Commanders have three, Super Bowl XVII in 1982, XXII in 1987, and XXVI in 1991.
The Dallas Cowboys have the most with five: Super Bowl VI in 1971; XII in 1977; back-to-back championships in XXVII and XXVIII in 1992-93; and XXX in 1995.
Before the season, it looked like the division was up for grabs. The Eagles started fast, going 4-0 before losing two games, then going on another 4-game win streak. They currently sit at 9-5 on the season.
The Cowboys were sluggish out of the gate, going 1-2 in the first three games, then tying the Green Bay Packers in Week 4. They have gone 5-5 since and currently sit at 6-7-1, on the cusp of elimination from the playoffs.
The Commanders went 3-2 in their first 5 games, then went on an eight-game losing streak before finally beating the Giants last week; they sit at 4-10. The Giants have won just two games all season and sit at 2-12.
Barkley is also chasing a streak of his own. If he gains 60 yards, he will have back-to-back seasons with 1,000 rushing yards for the first time since his first two seasons in the league.
“I put a lot of time in my body and a lot of work on my body, spend a lot of money [on] my body,” Barkley said when a reporter asked him about the wear and tear that comes with long seasons, especially in cold temperatures late in the year, and how he stays healthy enough to chase success.
“Hopefully it pays back, but sometimes that’s not the case, too. I’ve had off-seasons where I felt great. I’ve had seasons [where] I felt great and I step on someone’s foot and roll an ankle, or I make a routine stiff arm and I blew my knee out.”
“It’s part of the game ... every time you come off that field healthy, it’s a blessing, because the game can be taken away from you at any single moment. So, yes, I do put a lot of hard work in, but once you realize that all that’s out of your control, you sleep a lot better at night,” he added.
