Saquon Barkley ran for 167 yards, bringing his total to 2,005 yards for the season. He needs 101 more yards in next week’s regular-season finale to surpass Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.
Backup quarterback Kenny Pickett, who filled in for the injured Jalen Hurts, threw and ran for touchdowns before leaving the game with rib injuries. The Philadelphia Eagles dominated the Dallas Cowboys 41-7, securing the NFC East title.
The Eagles (13-3) were ahead 24-7 in the third quarter when Pickett was hit hard by defensive end Micah Parsons, ending his first start for the Eagles.
Tanner McKee, a third-string quarterback, came in and helped the team finish the drive with a field goal. McKee later threw two touchdown passes: one for 20 yards to A.J. Brown and another for 25 yards to DeVonta Smith. The Eagles fans cheered loudly as their team took control of the game to win the division title and at least secure the No. 2 seed in the NFC.
Hurts got injured in the previous week’s loss to Washington and remains in the NFL’s concussion protocol, so he didn’t practice this week. This gave Pickett a chance to start. Pickett, who was traded to the Eagles from Pittsburgh in the offseason, played with extra protection on his ribs after he was hurt against the Commanders.
Despite his sore ribs, Pickett was excited about this start, having grown up as an Eagles fan in central New Jersey, not far from the stadium. He recalled many happy memories of attending games with his dad and grandfather.
Pickett, 26, said he had plenty of family at the game, along with over 60,000 Eagles fans. However, his day ended early as he finished 10 of 15 for 143 yards.
Since the Eagles have already secured the division title, it’s likely Hurts will rest for another week before the playoffs. Pickett may be sidelined as well, which could leave McKee to start.
Barkley had 31 carries, with his final one going for 23 yards to pass the 2,000-yard mark. He may also sit out next week instead of risking injury while trying to break Dickerson’s record. Barkley, who left the Giants to sign a three-year, $26 million deal with the Eagles, set the record for the most rushing yards in a player’s first season with a new team.
Pickett’s family had to wait a bit for the Eagles to get things going. On Dallas’ first drive, Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned an interception 69 yards for a touchdown. Cooper Rush, the Cowboys’ quarterback, threw for 147 yards and two interceptions, and on the next drive, he tossed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Tolbert.
Pickett connected with Grant Calcaterra for a 34-yard gain, then threw a 22-yard touchdown pass to Smith, who caught six passes for 120 yards, giving the Eagles a 14-7 lead.
The Eagles’ defense played a big role in breaking open the game for Pickett, recovering a fumble that led to Jake Elliott’s 31-yard field goal. Gardner-Johnson then made another interception, setting up Pickett’s rushing touchdown on a “tush push,” just like Hurts does.
Pickett, who had 143 yards passing, took two big hits on the same drive. Odighizuwa was flagged for roughing the passer, and Parsons delivered the hit that ended his day.
The Eagles were happy to have a capable backup quarterback like Pickett, who had a 14-10 record as a starter with the Steelers. His performance led Pittsburgh legend and Fox broadcaster Terry Bradshaw to say the Steelers shouldn’t have let him go.
