To play or not to play.

That was the key question facing the Eagles on whether or not to play Saquon Barkley in his hunt for the league’s single-season rushing record this Sunday against the Giants in the regular-season finale at the Linc.

The Eagles decided against it.

Was it the right move?

In this week’s version of my Inside the Huddle column, I’ll look at the current state of the Eagles, as well as others in the league with the postseason on the horizon.

History vs. Logic ... The Barkley decision certainly had to be a difficult one.

Over the past 40 years, Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 for a single season stood without much competition. Minnesota’s Adrian Peterson came the closest when he gained 2,087 yards in 2012.

Besides Barkley, Baltimore’s’ Derrick Henry is the next active player with the highest total in a season (2,027 in 2020 with Tennessee). Others over 2,000 for a season were Baltimore’s Jamal Lewis (2,066 in 2003) and Detroit’s Barry Sanders (2,083 in 1997). Barkley is currently at 2,005.

O.J. Simpson set the initial mark with his 2,003 in 1973.

The Eagles have the No. 2 seed locked up in the NFC, and will rest a number of their regulars — primarily receivers DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. Look for Tanner McKee and former Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book to see action behind center.

It gnaws at most Eagles’ fans that Barkley won’t have the chance to break Dickerson’s record, as he would need 101 yards to break the mark.

Barkley had 127 yards rushing in the second half en route to 167-yard, 31-carry afternoon to help the Eagles rout the Cowboys 41-7 last week.

Getting 101 yards shouldn’t be a Herculean task, especially against the Giants.

However, most of Barkley’s impressive offensive line will be on the bench, as the Eagles haven’t had a week off in three months. Barkley truly would be running behind a makeshift line, and it may take him a while, specifically with the Giants keying on him.

Barkley assuredly would gain some personal satisfaction, setting the mark against a team that let him walk away without his desired contract.

Play him for the first half and see what happens? Yes, but there is a big risk here. The oft-injured, soon-to-be 28-year-old (Feb. 8) Barkley missed a few plays with a left foreman injury against Dallas in Week 10, but that was his only black mark this season.

His 345 carries and 378 overall touches this season are career highs. Barkley truly has been the engine that has made the Eagles run (literally) all season, and he’s run harder than in any of his previous six seasons.

An injury to him at this point of the season would be devastating, as the Eagles would need to turn to Kenneth Gainwell, who has 276 yards on 64 carries. To their credit, the Eagles have been working Gainwell more into the game plan as of late.

However, if you take out Jalen Hurts’ 630 yards rushing, the other rushers have a total of 362 yards.

With the bulk of his offensive line likely back next season, Barkley should have another shot at the record next year.

Still, when he is this close, you’d like to see Barkley get the record. You have to wonder what Barkley is thinking.

I still would like to see him play, but I get it.

In the big picture, this Eagles team appears to have all the pieces of a Super Bowl winner, and they will get Hurts back from concussion protocol for the opening round of the playoffs.

And by Sunday night, the Barkley drama will be over, and the focus will shift to the big picture.

The Record Books ... Before Barkley, the two Eagles to cross the 1,500-yard threshold for a season were LeSean McCoy (1,607 in 2013) and Wilbert Montgomery (1,512 in 1979).

More Records ... Dickerson needed 34 yards in his final game in 1984 to break Simpson’s record. He finished the day against Dallas with 138 yards on 21 carries.

Overall, Dickerson rushed for his 2,105 on 379 carries and scored 14 touchdowns in 16 games.

Simpson needed only 61 yards to break Jim Brown’s mark of 1,863 set in 1963, but kept running to achieve 200 yards against the Jets on Dec. 16, 1973 to break the 2,000-yard plateau.

What Simpson did in just 14 games is remarkable. He achieved the mark on 332 carries (6.0 per carry), and he only caught six passes all year.

Topping Off ... Here are my five top teams heading into Week 18:

1) Chiefs (15-1) - Patrick Mahomes was left off the Pro Bowl squad for the first time in his career, and it was no big deal. They continue to roll.

2) Lions (14-2) - They staged a nice comeback against the Packers. Their offensive line is huge and mobile. Top NFC seed on the line vs. Vikings this week.

3) Vikings (14-2) - I am one of a few Vikings’ believers outside of Minnesota. Sam Darnold had 63 career touchdowns before his 35 this year. See above.

4) Eagles (13-3) - Yea, you’ll see plenty of Barkley on the sidelines Sunday. See how the starters’ week off affects them.

5) Bills (13-3) - They demolished the Jets, and got back in sync. Looking like Bills-Chiefs AFC Championship Game showdown. Josh Allen still in MVP running.

Bottoming Out ... Here are my five worst teams for Week 18

1) Patriots (3-13) - Getting ugly with players revolting against head coach Jerad Mayo. Mike Vrabel wants to come back and be their head coach. Have lost six straight.

2) Titans (3-13) - They aren’t far behind the Patriots. Titans have lost five straight, and have given up a league-high 437 points. Looking for a quarterback and new coach.

3) Giants (3-13) - Giants came to life to rout the Colts to break 10-game losing streak and ruin their No. 2 pick last week. There is plenty to remake here, and it will be an interesting offseason. Plenty of drama whether head coach and/or GM will stay or go.

4) Browns (3-13) - Team is a mess and also looking for a quarterback. Yet, head coach Kevin Stefanski looks to be safe, but his staff will be restructured.

5) Raiders (4-12) - The Black and Silver won a game last week, but there are still plenty of holes to fill. Word has them moving up in the draft to get Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami’s Cam Ward.

Coal Region Cut ... Periodically, I’ll look back at a former standout from the Coal Region area.

Remember former Giants’ fullback Henry Hynoski? The former Southern Columbia High School product has returned to his alma mater to serve as the school’s principal.

Hynoski played four years with the Giants, and was part of their 2011 Super Bowl champion team. He formerly was the assistant principal, dean of students, and head football coach at Shamokin Area High School.

A Giant Chat ... There’s plenty of chatter in North Jersey that the Giants are considering trading up to the Patriots’ No. 1 spot in the draft to acquire either Sanders or Ward.

First, the Giants must decide the fate of head coach Brian Daboll and GM Joe Schoen, likely on Monday.

Since they began 6-2 in Daboll and Schoen’s first season in 2022, the Giants are 12-29-1.

Matriculating Down The Lane ... Each week, I’ll recount a former player, coach or game situation from our past.

Two possibly forgotten Eagles’ rushers who just missed 1,000 yards for the season were Tom Woodeshick in 1968, and Tom Sullivan in 1973.

Woodeshick rushed for 947 yards on 217 carries for a 4.4 average in 14 games. He also caught 36 passes for 328 yards.

Sullivan rambled for 968 yards on 217 carries for a 4.5 average in 13 games. He caught 50 passes for 322 yards.

How about Earnest Jackson? He accounted for 1,018 yards on 282 carries for a 3.6 average in 16 games during 1985. Jackson also grabbed 10 passes for 126 yards.

Finally, there’s Herschel Walker, who ran for 1,070 yards on 267 yards for a 4.0 average in 1992. Walker also had 38 receptions for 278 yards.

Your thoughts are always welcomed and will be published; email them to tnsports@tnonline.com