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There wasn’t any player that was looking forward to Sunday more than Saquon Barkley.

Barkley already had to answer questions over his critical drop the previous week that started the Philadelphia Eagles’ late-game collapse against the Atlanta Falcons, owning up to it at every turn. The best way for Barkley to flush it out was to play another game.

“We just kept trusting the process. Kept working,” Barkley said, via a transcript provided by the Saints. “We understand that when things like last weekend happens, everyone thinks the world is ending.”

Needless to say, Barkley just needed to get back on the football field to show the world how good he was. He was flat out dominant.

When the Eagles needed a play, there was Barkley to make one. Barkley scored both Eagles touchdowns in the fourth quarter in Sunday’s 15-12 victory over the New Orleans Saints, accumulating all 15 points for Philadelphia.

At the end of the day, Barkley finished with 17 carries for 147 yards and two touchdowns (8.6 yards per carry). He finished with 156 yards from scrimmage and averaged 7.4 yards per touch. In the fourth quarter, Barkley had three carries for 69 yards and two touchdowns — including a 65-yard score that got the Eagles on the board.

“Saquon, specifically, responded to that drop,” The NFL Today on CBS Sports analyst Matt Ryan said Monday. “Going out there the way that he did with the two touchdowns was impressive. It’s not an easy place to go in and get the job done. It was just what they needed.”

This is the difference maker the Eagles paid for. Barkley took responsibility for the loss, but certainly didn’t dwell on it.

“It really doesn’t matter what the outside world thinks,” Barkley said. “It matters what happens in our locker room. Today, we just kept trusting each other. Kept having each other’s back. That’s what team football is about.”

What Barkley is doing through three games for the Eagles is special. Barkley leads the NFL in rushing yards with 351, the second most for any player through the first three games of a season in team history (LeSean McCoy had 385 in 2011). Amongst players with 30+ carries, Barkley is third in the NFL in yards per carry (5.6), fifth in yards before contact per rush (2.13), and seventh in yards after contact per rush (3.51).

Barkley is second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage (404) and third in yards per touch (5.5) amongst players with 30+ touches. He is tied for the NFL lead with five touchdowns.

The 65-yard touchdown run showcased the special plays Barkley brings to the offense. Jordan Mailata couldn’t hold his emotions, especially after Barkley scored immediately after DeVonta Smith went down with a concussion.

“I was pretty f—–ng fired up,” Mailata said. “I gotta stop swearing…Man, that touchdown was crazy, I mean, Saquon MFin’ Barkley. I’m sorry, pardon my language. Special player.

“It was like, ‘I got your back, Saquon made a statement with that play. It was like, ‘I got your back Smitty. I’m going to make a play.’ He made a play. That was f—-ng awesome.”

Barkley is ignited his teammates — and this Eagles offense — since he arrived. The best may be yet to come.

Two Heisman Trophy-winning quarterbacks will take the field when Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals host Jayden Daniels and the Washington Commanders in the second of two Monday Night Football games. Burrow and the Bengals are still searching for their first win of the season after suffering a 26-25 defeat to the Kansas City Chiefs last week. The Commanders, meanwhile, will try to make it two wins in a row after knocking off the New York Giants, 21-18, last week.

Kickoff from Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati is set for 8:15 p.m. ET. Cincinnati is a 7.5-point favorite in the latest Commanders vs. Bengals odds via the SportsLine Consensus, while the over/under for total points scored is 46.5. Before locking in any Bengals vs. Commanders picks, make sure to check out the NFL predictions and betting advice from the SportsLine Projection Model.

The model, which simulates every NFL game 10,000 times, is up well over $7,000 for $100 players on top-rated NFL picks since its inception. The model enters Week 3 of the 2024 NFL season on an incredible 187-130 run on top-rated NFL picks that dates back to the 2017 season. It is also on a 41-22 roll on top-rated NFL picks since Week 7 of 2022.

The model also ranked in the top 10 on NFLPickWatch four of the past six years on straight-up NFL picks and beat more than 94% of CBS Sports Football Pick’em players four times during that span. Anyone who has followed it is way up!

Now, the model has simulated Commanders vs. Bengals 10,000 times and just revealed its coveted NFL picks. Head to SportsLine now to see them. Here are several NFL odds and NFL betting lines on the spread, money line and over/under for Bengals vs. Commanders:

Bengals vs. Commanders spread: Cincinnati -7.5
Bengals vs. Commanders over/under: 46.5 points
Bengals vs. Commanders money line: Cincinnati -357, Washington +283
WASH: Commanders have hit the 1H Game Total Over in 12 of their last 20 games
CIN: Bengals have scored first in five of their last six games at home
Bengals vs. Commanders picks: See picks at SportsLine
Why the Bengals can cover
Despite being 0-2, the Bengals are still talented on both sides of the ball. Thus far, Cincinnati is 10th in the NFL in total defense (288) and second in pass defense (128.5). Cincinnati is also giving up 21 points per game. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson is an effective pass-rusher who finds a way to put opposing quarterbacks in difficult situations. The 29-year-old has 12 total pressures, seven hurries, and two sacks.

Cornerback Cam Taylor-Britt is a physical defender who has a strong straight-line speed to pick up ground. In two games, the Nebraska product has nine total tackles, two pass breakups, and one interception. Linebacker Logan Wilson is an additional force that finds his way to the ball. He leads the team in total tackles (24) with 12 stops in back-to-back outings. See who to back at SportsLine.

Why the Commanders can cover
Despite having a rookie signal-caller, Washington features one of the NFL’s most explosive offenses. The Commanders are averaging 362.0 yards per game this season, which ranks sixth in the league. They’ve been particularly effective on the ground, averaging 176.5 rushing yards per game, the third-most in the NFL.

Washington rushed for 215 yards in last week’s win over New York. Running back Brian Robinson Jr. led the way in Washington’s win, recording 17 carries for 133 yards. For the season, Robinson Jr. has racked up 173 rushing yards and a touchdown on 29 carries. He is averaging 6.0 yards per carry and now he’ll look to dissect a Cincinnati defense that is giving up 159.5 rushing yards per game this season. See who to back at SportsLine.

How to make Commanders vs. Bengals picks
SportsLine’s model is leaning Over the total, projecting the teams to combine for 56 points. The model also says one side of the spread cashes in well over 50% of simulations. Head to SportsLine to see its picks.

New York Giants sixth overall pick wide receiver Malik Nabers has more than lived up to his lofty draft spot through the first three weeks of the 2024 NFL season.

After hauling in eight catches for 78 yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Giants’ 21-15 win against the Cleveland Browns in Week 3, Nabers became the youngest wide receiver in NFL history with two receiving touchdowns in a game. His three receiving touchdowns this season are tied for the most in Giants player’s first three career games since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger along with Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and Bobby Johnson (1984).

Naturally, the NFL world is taking notice. Whether Giants like it or not, the former hub of their offense — now-Eagles running back Saquon Barkley — went out of his way to praise Nabers after his big day.

Ya gonna hate on it… but idc!!! He’s LIKE THAT!! 😤😤😤 https://t.co/EnbiUjF8zu

— Saquon Barkley (@saquon) September 23, 2024
The opportunity will keep coming for the rookie to produce big numbers. He leads the NFL with 37 targets this season as does his team target percentage of 37.8%. Nabers’ targets total is the second-most in a player’s first three games in the 21st Century, trailing only Puka Nacua’s 42 through his first three games last season. He will have a chance to boost his totals against a struggling Dallas Cowboys defense on “Thursday Night Football” in Week 4. Dallas defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence described the Cowboys defense as playing “little league football” after their 28-25 Week 3 loss against the Baltimore Ravens.