After a grueling game, stadium traffic was the only thing separating Saquon Barkley and a much-needed cold tub.

The star running back admitted he was “struggling with a little something” in the Eagles’ 27-13 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, which explains why he missed a long stretch in the second quarter and cautiously in the final minutes of the game game went off the pitch. Barkley finished the game with 19 carries for 65 yards, while Kenneth Gainwell had seven rushing attempts and three catches in Barkley’s place.

“I was dealing with a little something,” Barkley said. “I won’t go into it too much. But the guys made a lot of progress, Kenny made some great plays for us and at the end of the day I was able to push through and try to go out and make plays. I didn’t have the splash plays that I normally have, but I tried to go out there and make it for my team.”

“I feel good,” Barkley added. “I’ll probably go home, get my little cold tub and probably get my little routine. The children should be asleep by now. I’ll probably watch the game on Sunday night, go to sleep, wake up and get back to my routine.”

” READ MORE: Eagles grades: Nick Sirianni kept the team focused and the passing game thriving despite the drama against the Steelers

Sunday’s win was a challenge for Barkley and the rest of the offense against a Steelers team that also prides itself on the type of physicality the Eagles have been known for this season. The team managed 131 rushing yards, 65 of which came from Barkley. It is both the team’s lowest rushing total and Barkley’s lowest since Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns and the second-lowest he has managed all season.

Leading up to the game, Barkley mentioned that the only time in his career he played against Mike Tomlin’s Steelers was “Long Night.”

His numbers were better on Sunday, but the second game against a Tomlin-led team struggled with a usual physical defensive front.

“It’s as advertised every time,” Barkley said. “They’re really good at hitting the ball, they’re really good at physicality and tackling, they tackle well. They’re a good team, they’re a really good team.”

Late in the first quarter, Barkley fell awkwardly near the goal line after being tripped by Steelers safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, gesturing that he should be subbed out. He stayed in the game for one more game because the Eagles were in a hurry to stop the Steelers from making a personnel change, but went to the medical tent after the series.

The 27-year-old returned to the field for a few games in the Eagles’ following series, but spent the final 11 or so minutes on the sideline with the offensive substitutes while Gainwell took most of the snaps and at times did warmups with his helmet on.

Barkley said Fitzpatrick’s tackle at the goal line was not the reason for his injury and reiterated that he did not consider it a serious matter.

“It wasn’t the hit,” Barkley said. “Nothing crazy, just a little something – we’re getting ready for next week.”

Barkley returned in the third quarter and played a role in a dominant 22-play final drive that covered 88 yards and won the final 10 minutes, 29 seconds left in the fourth quarter. After making a 7-yard run with the Eagles on a third-and-2 in their own territory, Barkley was sacked twice and only lasted a few more plays before limping away, allowing Gainwell to score. to finish the game.

After nine weeks in which Barkley served primarily as a stabilizing force for the Eagles’ offense, sometimes at the expense of the passing game, the script was flipped against Pittsburgh. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts finished the game 25-for-32 for 290 yards and two touchdowns, taking advantage of the Steelers loading the box with just one deep safety to counter the Eagles’ running game.

” READ MORE: How close is Saquon Barkley to Eric Dickerson’s rushing record after Week 15?

However, a side effect of the more balanced approach against the Steelers is that Barkley is falling off the pace for the NFL’s single-season rushing record. Barkley is now 417 yards shy of the 2,105 yard mark set by Eric Dickerson in 1984 and will need to average 139 rushing yards in the Eagles’ final three games to break the record. After the game, however, Barkley was more enthusiastic about the offense as he silenced questions about their approach than his final numbers.

“We won a game where we didn’t run for 200, 300 yards,” Barkley said. “So everyone, the media in Philly, can take a deep breath and we can prepare for Washington.”

If the Eagles had a choice, they would probably prefer Barkley to get some rest before the postseason – or maybe even while the postseason with the No. 1 seed in the NFC and the associated bye still in play. The Detroit Lions, who currently hold the tiebreaker, lost to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, meaning the Eagles will need to lose one of their last three games while also winning to overtake them in the standings.

When asked if the Lions would open the door even further for the Eagles in the seeding race, Barkley said they would start next Sunday with a win against the Washington Commanders.

“It doesn’t matter if we don’t do what we need to do,” Barkley said. “We still have three games left, three division opponents, and we have a really good division opponent coming up that is playing well. We’re watching a movie and the focus is on Washington, that’s really it.”