Philly Leader

There were two choices for Saquon Barkley – meet a large group of reporters around his locker after Monday night's loss to the Atlanta Falcons or skip the session and meet another time. It is always a tough choice for an athlete in a difficult time, in an emotional environment just minutes – literally – after dropping a game that was there for the taking.

Football is fueled by intensity, focus, competition, and desire to succeed. Sometimes, it just doesn't go your way, and facing that disappointment is certainly not easy.

For Barkley, though, it was a simple decision: He showed accountability. He answered every question about the third-and-3 play late in the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field when quarterback Jalen Hurts put a pass on Barkley's fingertips and Barkley – who had been brilliant to that point – couldn't hang on.

Instead of securing a first down and preserving a three-point lead on the way to victory, the Eagles turned to placekicker Jake Elliott for a 28-yard field goal and a six-point lead that didn't hold. Atlanta drove 70 yards in six plays and scored the winning points; what appeared to be a hard-fought win turned into a loss.

A throng of reporters crowded in front of Barkley's locker wanting to know what happened on the missed opportunity.

"I dropped the ball. I let my team down today; shouldn't happen," Barkley said. "I was in position to make that catch; game over."

He added: "I thought it was a great play call. I just gotta make that catch."

The disappointment was evident.

"It definitely sucks. Any loss sucks, but the game comes down to a few plays, and it hurts more when you're the one who makes a mistake on that play," Barkley stated.

This is called accountability, one of Head Coach Nick Sirianni's core values. It is critical for leaders, and Barkley is certainly one of them in this Eagles' locker room.

Making mistakes happens to everyone. Owning up to them is another matter entirely, and Barkley stepped right up and showed his character. One game earlier, he praised his teammates after scoring three touchdowns against Green Bay Packers as the Eagles opened their season with a win in Brazil.

"This is how the game works: You stay humble. You work hard. You accept coaching and understand you are only as good as your next play," said safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Barkley's teammates took notice too.

"It's football; you can't fault a guy for making one mistake," Gardner-Johnson said. "It's other things that led to the loss."

Across the solemn locker room were players bearing responsibility for their part in the result—from veterans like Bryce Huff and Darius Slay to rookie Quinyon Mitchell.

Barkley will have many great moments in his Eagles career. What he did after Monday night's game serves as an example that no matter the outcome, accountability and maturity are important.

"I can sit here and complain or be upset about it or be professional about it," Barkley remarked. "I've made that play multiple times; I've missed it before too."

He continued: "I gotta man up to it... I promise those guys in that locker room I'll be better from it."

There is always something to learn from each game: When things don't go your way, step up and take responsibility. The respect gained by how Barkley handled this situation serves as guidance for his team as they regroup on short notice before heading to New Orleans to face off against Saints on Sunday.

Philadelphia had victory within reach on Monday night but lost painfully at last moment—transforming such negatives into positives means standing tall like Barkley did post-game—looking ahead towards improvement next time out.