Saquon Barkley had two options: meet with a large group of reporters at his locker after Monday night’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons, or skip the session and meet another time. It’s always a difficult decision for an athlete in a difficult situation, in an emotional environment, just minutes – literally – after losing a game he could have won.

Football is a game that is primarily driven by intensity, concentration, competition and the will to succeed. Sometimes things just don’t go the way you expect them to and it’s certainly not easy to deal with that disappointment.

For Barkley, however, it was a simple decision: He showed responsibility. He answered all the questions about the third-and-3 play late in the fourth quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field, when quarterback Jalen Hurts put a pass on Barkley’s fingertips and Barkley – who had been playing brilliantly up until that point – couldn’t hold on.

And instead of a first down and the chance to run out the clock and maintain a three-point lead on the way to victory, the Eagles relied on kicker Jake Elliott, who kicked a 28-yard field goal for a six-point lead that, as we know, did not last.

Atlanta managed 70 yards in six plays and scored the decisive points, and what looked like a hard-fought victory turned into a defeat.

And a crowd of reporters who would otherwise have asked questions about Barkley’s dominating performance instead crowded around Barkley’s locker, demanding to know what happened during the missed opportunity.

“I dropped the ball. I let my team down today, that shouldn’t happen,” Barkley said. “I was in position to catch the ball and the game was over.”

“I thought it was a great play. I just have to catch the ball.”

The disappointment was clearly noticeable.

“It definitely sucks. Any loss sucks, but the game comes down to a few plays and it hurts even more when you’re the one who makes a mistake on that play,” Barkley added.

That’s called accountability, and it’s one of head coach Nick Sirianni’s core values, and ultimately one of the hardest to incorporate into a daily mindset. But for leaders, it’s a critical one, and Barkley is certainly one of the leaders in this Eagles’ locker room.