Eagles' Saquon Barkley takes responsibility for pivotal drop in the game.

PHILADELPHIA — Following the Eagles' narrow 22-21 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, running back Saquon Barkley took full accountability for a critical drop late in the game that could have secured a victory.

"I let my team down today," Barkley expressed after the game. "I shouldn't have put the defense in that position. If I make that catch, the game is over."

With just under two minutes remaining and the Eagles leading by three, they faced a crucial third-and-3 from the Falcons' 10-yard line. Quarterback Jalen Hurts sprinted to his right and threw a pass to Barkley, who was in a position to secure the first down. However, the ball slipped through his fingers and out of bounds, forcing Philadelphia to settle for a field goal that extended their lead to 21-15.

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins then orchestrated a swift six-play, 70-yard drive in just over a minute, culminating in a touchdown pass to Drake London that turned the tide in favor of Atlanta.

“They were running a certain defense and junking it up in the middle, so we aimed to go outside and it didn’t work,” explained coach Nick Sirianni, justifying the decision to pass on third down rather than run. “On fourth-and-3, I wanted them down a touchdown and to see if they could drive the field, and they did. Hats off to them.”

According to ESPN Analytics, the Eagles had a 96% chance of winning if they had opted to run on third down for no gain, regardless of their subsequent decision to kick a field goal or attempt to convert on fourth down. If they had gone for it after Barkley’s drop, their chances would have been 95% compared to 90% with the field goal.

Hurts did not question the decision-making process. "I trust [Barkley] every day of the week to make a play, just like everybody else," he said. "We’ll learn from this. It’s not about expectations; it’s about executing what’s called. We just came up short in that moment."

Since the start of the 2021 season, Barkley has now recorded 16 drops, the most among running backs. The 26-year-old, who signed a three-year, $37.75 million contract with the Eagles this offseason, was named NFC Player of the Week after an impressive three-touchdown performance in the season opener against the Green Bay Packers. However, his home debut fell short of expectations, and now he and the Eagles (1-1) must regroup for a tough matchup against the rejuvenated New Orleans Saints later this week.

"I could sit here and complain about it, but I need to act like a professional athlete, go back to the drawing board, and take the hit to improve," Barkley said.