• Saquon Barkley is a walking highlight reel: The Eagles running back leads the NFL in carries of 10 or more yards (29), 30 or more yards (9) and 50 or more yards (5). He’s averaging a staggering 28.4 yards per carry on his 10 rushing touchdowns.
**• The Steelers’ stingy defense:** Pittsburgh’s defense is allowing just a 74.9 passer rating on targets to slot receivers this season, which is the second-lowest mark in the league. The Steelers have also held opponents to a touchdown or first down on only 31.5% of targets to slot receivers, the second-best rate in the NFL.
Coordinators
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Estimated reading time:
**9
How does Saquon Barkley’s performance this season in explosive runs compare to historical trends for running backs?
Welcome back to the show! Today we’re taking a deep dive into two powerhouse forces this season. Joining us is NFL analyst, Jack Thompson. Jack, Saquon Barkley is putting on a show. He’s leading the league in explosive runs. What do you make of his performance so far this season?
And on the other side of the ball, the Steelers defense has been lights out against slot receivers. Their numbers are staggering, Jack. How do you think they will fare against a top tier receiver like [insert opposing team’s wide receiver name]?
Given the explosive nature of Barkley’s runs and the Steelers’ impressive defensive stats, what do you think the fans are expecting from this matchup? Do they think the Steelers’ defense can contain Barkley, or will Barkley’s explosiveness prove too much?
