Star Running Back Explains Why He Chose Not to Score

The Philadelphia Eagles beat Green Bay 22-10 in a playoff game on Sunday, and ESPN reports that a late decision by Philly's star running back cost a lot of bettors money. Saquon Barkley, however, is unapologetic about his move. As USA Today recounts, Barkley took a handoff with about a minute left in the game, found a hole, and seemed to have a clear path to a long touchdown run. Instead, he deliberately slid to the turf after 17 yards to end the play. (Watch it here.) Philly then ran out the clock with the QB taking a knee.

So why didn't he take the easy TD? "No más," Barkley told reporters, per NFL.com. "It's situational football." He knew he had the first down, and "a first down ends the game." Broadcasters gave Barkley credit for not running up the score, but he mentioned another motivation: "You never know," he said. "I break that long one, I keep running and I pull a hammy (hamstring). Someone is chasing me, and they pull a hammy and we lose a guy for next week." As for the bettors, the third-most-popular leg of parlay wagers on Sunday was Barkley scoring a TD, notes ESPN. He did not, however, get one on the day. (More Saquon Barkley stories.)