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Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Saquon Barkley's elite vision and footwork haunted the Los Angeles Rams, as the running back gutted their defense for a career-high 302-yards from scrimmage in a 30-27 Philadelphia Eagles victory. Barkley ran for an Eagles franchise-record 255 yards in the 37-20 win Sunday at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. He also found the end zone twice, with 72- and 70-yard runs in the second half.
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His 255 rushing yards against the Rams were the ninth-most in a single game in NFL history.
"These guys here are amazing," Barkley told reporters, when asked about the Eagles' offensive line. "They make my job a lot easier. I'm probably gonna get a lot of credit, but in reality, the beauty of this game is that it's a team game."
Barkley already had set a new mark for his highest rushing yardage total in a season, with a league-high 1,392 through 11 starts this season. He also leads the NFL with 250 touches for 1,649 yards from scrimmage. His 126.5 rushing yards per game are nearly 45 more than his previous career high.
"Saquon's a special player," Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. "The offensive line played special against a very good defensive line. It's a very good defensive line.
"We came into this game knowing that we had our hands full with them. So, hats off to our players, and that's a good scheme. ... We were able to hit a couple home runs. Saquon has that ability to hit home runs, and so sometimes that's how it goes."
The Eagles outgained the Rams 481-290 in total yards. They converted 9 of 15 third-down attempts, compared to 0 for 8 for their foes. The Eagles, who totaled 314 rushing yards, punted just once.
Eagles kicker Jake Elliott put the first points on the scoreboard with a 21-yard field goal with 5:13 remaining in the first quarter. The Rams responded with a 9-play, 70-yard touchdown drive, which ended with a 1-yard Kyren Williams run.
Elliott made a 31-yard kick midway through the second quarter. The Eagles took the lead back when quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a 6-yard touchdown toss to wide receiver A.J. Brown with less than two minutes remaining in the first half and carried a 13-7 edge into halftime.
Barkley then broke the game open on the first snap of the second half.
Hurts caught a shotgun snap from the 30-yard line to start that sequence. He then turned to his right, handing the ball to Barkley. The star running back went to his right, did a stutter step left and hit a gap in the offensive line.
He then slammed his left foot on the ground and broke outside to the right flank, sprinting to the end zone for a 70-yard score.
The Rams responded with quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with wide receiver Demarcus Robinson on a 2-yard passing score, but the Eagles bounced back quickly. Backup running back Kenneth Gainwell was responsible for that score, ending an eight-play, 70-yard drive with a 13-yard rushing touchdown with 6:17 remaining in the third quarter.
Elliott added a 26-yard field goal 4:30 into the fourth quarter. Barkley sealed the victory when he broke loose on a 72-yard run less than two minutes later. Hurts again turned to his right on that handoff. Barkley snatched the ball and did a jump cut to his left. He then saw a hole and erupted through it, breaking past a group of Rams defenders for another long touchdown gallop.
Stafford threw a 27-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Cooper Kupp with about a minute remaining for the final points of the night. The Rams quarterback completed 24 of 36 passes for 243 yards and two scores.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua hauled in nine catches for 117 yards. Kupp logged 60 yards on eight catches. Hurts completed 15 of 22 passes for 179 yards and a score for the Eagles.
The Eagles (9-2) will face the Baltimore Ravens (7-4) at 4:25 p.m. EST Sunday in Baltimore. The Rams (5-6) will take on the New Orleans Saints (4-7) at 4:05 p.m. Sunday in New Orleans.
