By Rory Carroll
NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) – No one player can stop the Eagles’ Saquon Barkley and the Chiefs’ defense said they will need to be locked in as a unit if they hope to contain the explosive running back.
Barkley produced an MVP-caliber season in his first year in Philadelphia, surpassing 2,000 rushing yards and giving defenses fits with his gravity-defying leaps and highlight-reel touchdowns.
His dominance has continued in the postseason, where he has 442 rushing yards and five touchdowns.
“It’s going to take everything we have,” Chiefs defensive end George Karlaftis told reporters on Tuesday.
“He’s a hell of a back. We’ve got a lot of respect for him and I think for us, we’re going to have to be very disciplined in what we do.”
Keeping Barkley from getting free in the open field and tackling him cleanly will be critical, Karlaftis said.
“We need 11 guys playing really good on each play because at any point he can break a big one,” said Chiefs linebacker Drue Tranquill.
Focusing solely on Barkley is not an option, however, given the versatility of quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is as lethal on the ground as he is through the air.
“That’s an extra guy to defend,” Karlaftis said.
“You’ve got to try to be disciplined, trust your coaching and come prepared.”
While the Chiefs are one win away from an unprecedented third consecutive Super Bowl championship, Barkley is looking to make some history of his own on Sunday, which happens to be his 28th birthday.
He is 30 rushing yards short of eclipsing Terrell Davis’ 2,476-yard, single-season rushing record for both the regular season and playoffs, which the former Broncos’ running back set in 1998.
Barkley said he too needs his team, including the vaunted Eagles offensive line, to be connected if he is to achieve the ultimate goal of a Super Bowl title.
“You can’t be great without the greatness of others,” Barkley said.
“We all want to do it together and that’s the reason why we’ve been successful. And it’s going to take everyone again on Sunday.”
(Additional reporting by Maria Cardona in New Orleans; Editing by Toby Davis)
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