PHILADELPHIA— After the Eagles’ 26-18 victory over the Commanders on Thursday, wide receiver Britain Covey walked past reporters in the tunnel halls and conveyed a sentiment shared by many players in the locker room.

“Good thing we have Saquon,” Covey said.

In his first season with the Eagles, running back Saquon Barkley has ignited Philadelphia’s offense when it needed a spark and helped his teammates be positive during tough moments.

And he did that against Washington too.

With about seven minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Eagles led only 12-10 against the Commanders and needed their struggling offense to score a touchdown.

Through the first 53 minutes, the Eagles scored one touchdown, punted three times, missed two field goals and settled for two field goals in the red zone.

All night long, Barkley inspired his teammates.

Barkley told them he would make a big play to win the game. He made good on his promise when he rushed for a game-winning 23-yard touchdown with four minutes, 58 seconds remaining. On third-and-3, he bounced out and ran past every Commanders defender into the end zone, giving the Eagles a 19-10 lead.

On the Eagles’ next possession, Barkley ran behind guard Mekhi Becton and cut it back for a 39-yard touchdown, giving Philadelphia a 16-point lead (26–10).

He collected 146 rushing yards and scored two touchdowns on 26 attempts against the Commanders.

“I’ll tell you what I told (Saquon) at the beginning of the third quarter,” Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata said. “I said, ‘I’ll be damned if we lose this match in my comeback match.’ He said, ‘I got you.’ In the fourth quarter he showed up. He says: ‘I told you.’ I was like, ‘Oh, thank you so much.’

Barkley, who played the first six years of his career with the New York Giants, signed a three-year, $37.5 million contract with the Eagles in March. While playing in New York, he became one of the NFL’s best running backs.

But Barkley didn’t dominate consistently as he dealt with injuries and played poor fouls. This season, he has thrived behind Philadelphia’s elite offensive line and is on pace to break the single-season rushing record of 1,312 yards he set in 2022.

Last night, Barkley became the sixth running back since 1970 to rush for 1,000 yards in 10 games with a new team. He currently leads the NFL with 1,137 rushing yards.

“He can make your O-line look a little better than it is,” Eagles offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “I saw his ability pretty early in training camp and I was like, ‘Oh, (expletive).’ He’s clearly having a great year. But he really is a gel in this dressing room, a glue. People love him. He brings people together. That goes a long way.”

Johnson and other Eagles players admire Barkley’s selfless attitude.

Barkley, one of the NFL’s biggest superstars, wants his teammates to get more credit than he does.

During his post-game interview, Barkley skipped a question about his performance to mention that backup Kenneth Gainwell and the offensive line wore down Washington’s defense early in the fourth quarter, making it easier for him to score his two touchdowns .

“He’s amazing and humble at the same time,” Becton said. “You don’t see people who are really good and modest at the same time. I can say that about him. He takes on the leadership role. He wants it on his back. He is a leader. He is so humble.”

The Commanders held Barkley to 56 rushing yards in the first half. But after halftime, the Eagles made adjustments in the run game to be more explosive.

Barkley’s 43-yard catch-and-run during the third quarter set up a field goal, and his two fourth-quarter touchdowns put the Commanders away.

“When you have those guys up front, it’s easy to get stronger because they lean on these guys,” Barkley said.

Barkley also helps his offensive linemen.

“How fast he runs and how much he wants everything to work,” center Cam Jurgens said. “He always talks to us and makes sure he’s doing the right things. And just the constant communication with what we can do and what he can do. And how we get this started together. In a game like this it helps when things don’t work and then finally a clique forms and things work.”

The 8-2 Eagles are a Super Bowl contender this season. Only the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions have a better record.

Over the next seven weeks, the Eagles need to work on a number of issues, including their slow offensive start.

But Philadelphia doesn’t have to be perfect to beat the best NFL teams. Barkley helps them win by making absurd plays that few can make.

“You keep feeding a man that kind of skill and determination, sometimes willpower takes over,” Johnson said.