Super Bowl XVIII hero Marcus Allen recognizes something super in Eagles' Saquon Barkley
Early in Super Bowl XVIII in 1984, the Los Angeles Raiders running back fumbled against the Washington Redskins. Allen watched as the ball rolled away from him, seemingly in slow motion, until a teammate recovered it.
Allen returned to the huddle unfazed.
'Most guys would be in a full panic,' Allen said in a phone interview. 'I didn't even blink. ... It's almost metaphysical to describe. I was so locked in. I was so fifth-dimension.'
Allen went on to rush for 191 yards and two touchdowns in a 38-9 victory at Tampa Stadium. His 74-yard scoring run ranks among the most spectacular plays in Super Bowl history, and his rushing total was a record at the time.
Allen, a Hall of Famer, expects Saquon Barkley will be in a similarly locked-in state of mind Sunday when the Philadelphia Eagles running back goes up against the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX at the Superdome.
Barkley, the No. 2 pick in the 2018 draft, played six seasons for the New York Giants before the Eagles signed him last March to a three-year contract that included $26 million in guarantees.
Barkley rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns this season and did not slow down during the playoffs as the Eagles advanced to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.
Barkley rushed for 119 yards in an NFC wild-card victory over the Green Bay Packers. He ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns in a divisional-round win over the Rams, and 118 yards and three touchdowns in the NFC championship game against the Washington Commanders.
The 6-foot, 233-pound Barkey has been especially unstoppable after clearing the line of scrimmage. After scoring on runs of 70 and 72 yards against the Rams during the season, he scored on runs of 62 and 78 yards against them in the playoffs. His first carry against the Commanders resulted in a 60-yard touchdown.
'You give him a little bit of space,' Eagles guard Mekhi Becton said, 'he's going to make you [pay] no matter what.'
The NFL record for yards rushing in a season, postseason included, is held by Terrell Davis, who amassed 2,476 yards to help the Denver Broncos win Super Bowl XXXII in 1998. Barkley is 30 yards shy of eclipsing Davis' record.
The top five rushing performances in Super Bowl history were achieved in victories.
In 1975, Pittsburgh's Franco Harris ran for 158 yards in Super Bowl IX. Washington's John Riggins broke the record in 1983 by gaining 166 yards in Super Bowl XVII. Allen eclipsed the mark a year later.
In 1988, with running back George Rogers slowed by injuries, Washington coach Joe Gibbs made the surprise decision to start rookie Timmy Smith in Super Bowl XXII. Smith set a record that still stands by running for 204 yards and two touchdowns in a 42-10 victory over the Broncos. Washington quarterback Doug Williams, however, was voted the most valuable player.
Ten years later, Davis capped his historic season by rushing for 157 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 victory over the Packers in Super Bowl XXXII. Davis was voted Super Bowl MVP, the last time a running back achieved the award.
Barkley might end the drought if the Eagles defeat the two-time defending champion Chiefs.
'The MVP and all that, it's cool and all, but it's the added bonus,' said Barkley, who will turn 28 on Sunday. 'The most important thing is lifting up that Lombardi Trophy.'
The Chiefs have not had an opposing player rush for more than 100 yards since Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson did it in the opener. During Steve Spagnuolo's six seasons as defensive coordinator, the Chiefs never have had a player eclipse 100 yards rushing in a playoff game.
Now they must contain Barkley.
'There's just so many elements to his game,' Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill said. 'He's elusive. He's powerful. He's got great, great vision.'
Along with an outstanding offensive line, receivers and tight ends who block for him and a quarterback in Jalen Hurts who can run and pass.
'So you have all those ingredients,' Tranquill said. 'They've got a recipe for success over there.'
Allen sees parallels between his run-up to the Super Bowl and Barkley's. Allen gained 121 yards in the divisional round and 154 in the AFC championship game. Then came his Super Bowl performance.
'We peaked at the right time,' he said, 'and, actually, so did I.'
Allen met Barkley last offseason and came away impressed by his humility and confidence. Those qualities also are evident on the field, Allen said.
'He's born to do what he's doing,' Allen said. 'There's a naturalness. There's nothing contrived.'
Whether he's jumping backward over defensive players — as he did against the Jacksonville Jaguars — spinning out of tackles or jetting away from pursuers, Barkley has displayed uncommon talent.
'The body responds in ways that only the gifted have,' Allen said. 'Most of the time, he is not thinking about, 'Hey, let me set this guy up.'
'He just does what he does, and there's no ifs, ands or buts about it.'
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