Eagles RB Saquon Barkley's AP Offensive Player of the Year honor is a bad omen for his chances against Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was named the 2024 AP Offensive Player of the Year. It's a well-deserved honor for the seven-year veteran, who led the NFL in rushing with 2,005 yards. Some believed he deserved to win the MVP award, but that went to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen. Barkley now has his […]
Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley was named the 2024 AP Offensive Player of the Year.
It's a well-deserved honor for the seven-year veteran, who led the NFL in rushing with 2,005 yards. Some believed he deserved to win the MVP award, but that went to Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen.
Barkley now has his sights set on winning the first championship of his career as the Eagles take on the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LIX. However, there's a statistic that is a bad omen for Barkley's chances of winning the big game on Sunday. According to AP writer Josh Dubow, Offensive Player of the Year winners are 1-7 in the Super Bowl since 2000.
Just last year, the Chiefs defeated RB Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LVIII, with McCaffrey fresh off of winning OPOY. Here's how the others fared:
- WR Cooper Kupp: Won Super Bowl LVI vs. Cincinnati Bengals
- QB Matt Ryan: Lost Super Bowl LI vs. New England Patriots
- QB Cam Newton: Lost Super Bowl L vs. Denver Broncos
- QB Peyton Manning: Lost Super Bowl XLVIII vs. Seattle Seahawks
- QB Tom Brady: Lost Super Bowl XLII vs. New York Giants
- RB Shaun Alexander: Lost Super Bowl XL vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
- RB Marshall Faulk: Lost Super Bowl XXXVI vs. New England Patriots
Those are definitely not great odds for Barkley, but at the end of the day Philadelphia obviously isn't going to lose strictly because he won OPOY. It's more superstition than anything, but it is interesting nonetheless since it's so lopsided.
Perhaps it says more about the importance of having a good defense than a dominant offensive player when it comes to winning a championship. Barkley's matchup against the Chiefs' defense will be strength vs. strength as K.C. did not allow a single RB to reach the 100-yard rushing mark this season.
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