Browns coach compares Saquon Barkley to an all-time great as they prepare for a still-dangerous Eagles offense

The Eagles return to action in Week 6 as they take on the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field, just their second home game of the season. Both struggling teams head into Sunday’s matchup looking to bounce back after suffering devastating losses in their most recent games.

Coming off a bye week, the 2-2 Eagles had time to heal and reset after a shaky performance in their 33-16 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the 1-4 Browns are fresh off a disastrous 33-14 loss to the Washington Commanders, a game that saw quarterback Deshaun Watson get sacked seven times.

After their worst loss of the season, the Browns are hoping to pick up a second win despite questions surrounding Watson remaining the starter. Here’s what the Browns are saying about the Eagles.

The bright light in the Eagles' up-and-down season so far is running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley had an immediate impact on the team’s offense — debuting in Brazil with three touchdowns. Since then, Barkley is third in rushing yardage with 435 despite playing one fewer game than the other top 11 rushers.

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Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, a Philly native, recognizes Barkley’s greatness and compared the former Penn Stater to another running back he’s familiar with from his time with the Minnesota Vikings.

“He’s outstanding, actually,” Stefanski told reporters on Wednesday. “He’s a player that we have a ton of respect for. You know how dangerous he is with the ball in his hand. He has a unique running style with how he jump cuts, but he also has the speed to hit that gear.

“I was with Adrian Peterson for a bunch of years, it reminds me of that type of style of running. But he’s a great player.”

The bye week came at the perfect time for the Eagles, giving the team time to recover after an ugly loss. The bye also gave injured receivers A.J. Brown (hamstring) and DeVonta Smith (concussion) more time to heal. Brown and Smith were full participants in Wednesday’s practice and are on track to play Sunday.

Browns receiver Jerry Jeudy is excited to see the two Eagles return.

When asked about what makes Brown and Smith a super duo, Jeudy said it’s “their ability to get open, their route running and what they do with the ball after they catch it. They’re two great receivers that can do anything on offense. It’s always great to watch them play.”

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This would be Brown’s first game back since he was hurt in Week 1 and Smith’s first game back since Week 3. Cleveland linebacker Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah is aware of the challenge that comes with their return.

“Big challenge,” Owusu-Koramoah told reporters. “You have a versatile quarterback, versatile running back. Use him in the pass, use him in the run. I think those other guys are coming back as well, 11 [Brown] and 6 [Smith]. Obviously 88 [Dallas Goedert] has been a good target for them right now. It’s going to be a great challenge for us as a defense, but again when we face a challenge, we love to meet those expectations that we have for ourselves.”

Watson had just 125 passing yards in the loss to the Commanders. Cleveland’s offense never took off against the Washington defense — the team punted six times in the first half, digging itself a 21-point hole.

Watson understands that the Eagles defense, which has struggled this season, could still be a threat.

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“It’s a big, physical front,” Watson told the media. “Fast, athletic and they just try to create as much destruction as they possibly can to get to the quarterback. Definitely another challenge for us to be able to go out there.”

Stefanski has his eyes set on former Georgia Bulldogs defensive tackles Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.

“I would tell you they’re very, very powerful,” Stefanski said of Carter and Davis during his Wednesday press conference. “Powerful and disruptive. Right in the middle of the pocket in the pass game. Right in the middle of what you’re doing in the run game. They do a very good job schematically of just having those guys attack. And they’re just big, physical football players. They’re good.”