EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Saquon Barkley sat on the Eagles bus as it pulled into the parking lot on his first trip as an opposing player to MetLife Stadium. He was wearing headphones and doing his best to block out the noise—literally and figuratively—before facing the New York Giants.

But the running back couldn’t block what he saw as the shuttle passed the D-10 lot amid a sea of ​​gray, red and deep blue: replicas of his No. 26 Giants jersey hanging from a flame-engulfed fence.

“It was crazy,” Barkley said. “I’ve already seen my shirt get burned on social media, but it was timely. I’m locked up, I’m listening to my music and all I see are fans just pointing and I look and think, “What are they pointing at?” I see smoke and ask, “Where is my T-shirt?”

“It was definitely different. I don’t know if I’ve ever experienced anything like this in my life, and I hope I never experience it again, but at that moment I was ready for third and first.”

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Barkley didn’t need Giants fans to light his match, but he was ready to light up more than just opposing defenders at short range after seeing his old uniform go up in flames. He set the tone by hitting cornerback Dane Belton on the first drive, but it wasn’t until he broke off a 55-yard run that the Eagles offense finally got going.

And Barkley would be relentless the rest of the way, as he rushed for 176 yards on 17 carries and scored his first touchdown in three games after his long run in the Eagles’ 28-3 rout of the Giants on Sunday. He added runs of 41 and 38 yards as the offense relied on the ground attack to compensate for early passing problems.

It helped that the defense harassed Giants quarterback Daniel Jones in the first half and that the Eagles played up front. But Barkley’s performance – and the complementary performance of reserve guard Kenneth Gainwell – showed that getting the run game going a little early could give a boost to an offense that had yet to score a point in the first quarter.

“That’s what we had to do this week to win,” coach Nick Sirianni said.

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That this happened after Barkley returned to the Meadowlands was more than just a fuse at the top. He did his best to downplay the issue last week, answering question after question about meeting with the team that drafted him No. 2 overall at Penn State in 2018 and allowed him to become a free agent in March.

But his actions said otherwise, and his performance was an exclamation point.

“Honestly, I’m so glad this game is over,” Barkley said. “I don’t think I should get any more questions about the Giants than today.”

Barkley may not have seen the number 26 jersey, which was not set on fire, his name blacked out or replaced with “Singlety” for Devin, who was signed to help make up for his loss. (By the way, the single and fellow tailback Tyrone Tracy rushed for a combined 41 yards on 11 carries—135 fewer yards than their predecessor for the Eagles.)

But Barkley heard the whistles every time he touched the ball – at least until they stopped when the game got out of hand.

“It’s hard not to hear it,” Barkley said. “I think I didn’t help myself when I said earlier this week that I didn’t think I’d get booed. But they boo for a reason. After all, it’s a compliment. That’s how I took it.”

Barkley said he was talking more nonsense than usual. He went into it with several former teammates as well as several new giants, including rookie safety Tyler Nubin. When Giants tight end Theo Johnson was called for pass interference before the half, negating a touchdown, Barkley was one of the most animated on the Eagles’ sideline.

“He’s been holding it in all week,” said Eagles receiver AJ Brown, who said Barkley will “unleash the beast inside him” on Thursday. “He tried his best. If he said otherwise, he was lying.”

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Barkley said he had conversations with Brown and others about how to mentally approach the game. Two years ago, Brown scored two touchdowns against his former team, the Titans, after saying before the game that the game was no different than any other game.

Even quarterback Jalen Hurts, who typically struggles to pay more attention to the moment, said Barkley’s comeback game was especially meaningful for the Eagles.

“I definitely felt it,” he said.

But Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore didn’t force the issue. Gainwell was involved throughout and gave Barkley a few breaks, especially after his long runs. He clocked 21.93 mph in the 55-yard dash, the fastest recorded speed of his career and the second-fastest in the NFL this season.

Gainwell finished with 56 yards on 13 carries as the Eagles totaled 269 yards on the ground. Hurts didn’t play a big role in the game, but he’s still a threat. Meanwhile, the Eagles only forced him down to throw 21 times, while they ran him 35 times before starters were shut down.

Barkley needed just 14 yards to surpass his career-best 189 yards. Sirianni said he knew the target was within striking distance and approached his runner to see if he wanted a chance to clear it.

“And he looked at me and said, ‘Let the other guys eat,'” Sirianni said.

The Eagles can’t get hung up on force-feeding Barkley, even in light of Hurts’ early-game struggles. The quarterback needed a quarter to get into a rhythm and see the field better. He’s also been more confident on the ball and hasn’t had any turnovers in his last two games.

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But a formula that would take some of the burden off Hurts’ shoulders (even with Brown and DeVonta Smith as top-tier receiving threats) could make sense as the Eagles head into a game that many expected. The offensive line will always vote for more blocks.

“It’s very simple. If you’re in a fight, do you want to punch someone in the face or do you want to get punched in the face?” Eagles defensive end Landon Dickerson said. “And it’s not necessarily that easy, but again, it’s an opportunity, especially in the run game, to get into the swing of things. Sometimes it takes a little time to figure out what the defensive line is doing.”

Barkley also has the ability to create explosive plays even as a receiver. That’s why Eagles general manager Howie Roseman was willing to abandon his philosophy of not giving running backs big contracts. But he saw an opportunity when Barkley picked up three downs.

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The Giants could have extended Barkley years ago or re-signed him before he became a free agent. Surprisingly, some of their fans directed their anger at the player. However, he decided not to fan the flames. There will be a rematch with a division rival, this year and in the future.

“That’s why I have no hatred in my heart for the Giants organization,” Barkley said. “They called me, brought me, helped the child fulfill his dream. Same thing with the Eagles: I became a free agent not knowing how things would turn out. I managed to find a home in a place I love and I’m very happy to be here.

“So it’s not about proving someone right or proving someone wrong. I go out and be myself. And when I tend to go out and be myself, a lot of things line up.”