In the Eagles’ NFC wild-card game at home against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday, Barkley could rush for a ton of yards and score touchdowns, but the way he motivates teammates in the most challenging part of the game could be just as important.

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, in the midst of perhaps a top-five season for a running back in NFL history, has 17 carries of at least 20 yards.

Now is not the time, Saquon Barkley says. Reflection comes at the end of this season, no matter the meaningfulness of its milestones. He’s resisting the sound of them toppling like towers. He won’t peek at the panorama of his production.