PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley had little choice after a nasty spin left him slightly sideways, forcing him to leapfrog — do it, leapfrog backward.
Barkley’s rear end sailed over the bowed head of Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones in an extraordinary hurdle for the Eagles running back that stunned the NFL Sunday — and even left Lakers star LeBron James in awe.
“Sequin, you are CRAZY!!” James wrote on an Instagram Story.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni stammered after Philadelphia’s 28-23 win over Jacksonville as he tried to find the words to describe the most acrobatic 14-yard reception of the NFL season.
“It was the best play I’ve ever seen,” Syriana said.
Simple enough. Unlike the play.
The call seemed simple enough. Jalen Hurts looked to his left and threw a short third-and-6 pass from the Jacksonville 44-yard line to Barkley in the flat.
Barkley faked out and used a spin move that knocked another Jaguars defender to the ground before making a split-leg, backward jump over Jones to complete the first-down catch.
“Crazy,” wide receiver DeVonta Smith said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Smith nearly matched Barkley with a play straight out of a video game on a one-handed 25-yard TD grab — reminiscent of New York Jets receiver Garrett Wilson’s catch last week — late in the fourth period, extending the Eagles’ lead to 28-16.
In any other game, Smith would have claimed the top spot on the social media highlight video.
Barkley made a huge leap — possibly the second-coolest move of the week by the running back after playing golf with former President Barack Obama — that showed why the Eagles drafted him away from New York, making him the highest-paid running back in franchise history with a three-year, $26 million guaranteed contract.
“I think God gave me the ability to play this position. He gave me some instincts,” Barkley said. “Sometimes you just have to let go and let your God-given instincts take over.”
Sirianni laughed as he said he had to double-check the giant video board to make sure he really saw Barkley make the unthinkable happen.
“What I think is so cool is that there are kids all over the country and all over Philadelphia who are going to try to make that play and talk about that play and simulate that play while they’re playing backyard football or Pee Wee football,” Sirianni said.
“They’re not going to make it, because I think he’s the only one in the world who can do it.”
From grassroots ball to the Linc, there’s only one running back who can make that play.
And he wears No. 26 for the Eagles.
Barkley — who also lost a fumble that sparked a Jacksonville comeback — otherwise finished with a great game. Barkley had 27 carries for 159 yards and a touchdown. He also had three receptions for 40 yards and a TD.