Tag: Philadelphia Eagles

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.

Saquon Barkley had an emotional conversation with his dad about his chance at breaking the NFL single-season rushing record.

The Philadelphia Eagles running back’s pursuit of Eric Dickerson’s record is now over, as Barkley will not play in the Eagles’ final regular-season game on Sunday. This decision prevents him from having a shot at breaking the record.

Barkley shared that his dad, Alibay, wanted him to play. “Selfishly for him, you’ve got to think about it … our last name would have been attached to that,” Barkley said. “But at the end of the day, the most important thing is winning football games.

He’s the one that raised me to kind of be all about the team, too. He can have his little selfish moment, but he’ll get over it.”

Barkley said he has come to terms with it too, understanding the bigger picture. His offensive line, who had hoped to help him break the record, and fans who wanted to witness history at the Linc against the New York Giants will also be disappointed.

Barkley finishes the season with 2,005 rushing yards, just 101 yards shy of Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards, which was set in 1984 with the Los Angeles Rams.

The Eagles (13-3) have already clinched the NFC East title and the No. 2 seed, leaving little at stake in the game against the Giants. As a result, coach Nick Sirianni decided, after talking to Barkley, players, coaches, and general manager Howie Roseman, to rest Barkley and avoid any potential injury to one of the team’s key players.

Barkley is only the ninth running back in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a season.

“May never get another opportunity like that again,” Barkley said. “So, I’m down. But at the end of the day, I don’t care for putting the team at risk. He’s the head coach for a reason. He makes those decisions.”

Barkley isn’t alone in being rested. Many starters, including quarterback Jalen Hurts (who sat out Sunday’s win over Dallas due to a concussion), will also be rested to ensure they are healthy for the upcoming NFC wild-card playoff game.

“I’m just happy I didn’t have to make that decision,” Barkley said. “Nick made it pretty easy on me and I’m truly at peace with it.”

The Eagles had a bye week in Week 5 and, after starting 2-2, won 10 straight games to take control of the division. However, after 12 consecutive games, including Barkley’s NFL-high 345 carries, Sirianni decided to give both Barkley and other starters some rest before the playoffs.

Inside the locker room, some players expressed disappointment that Barkley won’t get a chance at the record. “Everybody would like to have the record,” offensive tackle Lane Johnson said. “We’d also like to have the player for a playoff game, and win a playoff game with him.”

Barkley had hoped for the record, but after a night of thinking it over, he accepted that resting was the right decision. “On Sunday, I probably didn’t care too much for it,” Barkley said. “When I slept on it, it was like, it was an opportunity to implement my name in football history.”

While Barkley won’t break Dickerson’s record, he did set the Eagles’ record for most rushing yards in a season and set a franchise record for total scrimmage yards (2,283). He passed LeSean McCoy, Brian Westbrook, and Wilbert Montgomery for the best season by a running back in Eagles history. McCoy held the previous record with 2,146 yards in 2013.

Throughout the season, Barkley delivered outstanding performances, including 147 yards against New Orleans, 176 yards against the Giants, and a career-high 255 yards against the Los Angeles Rams in November.

“If I had to go out there and get the record, I felt really good enough to do it, too,” Barkley said. “I made a joke to one of my boys the other night, my body don’t feel like I ran for 2,000 yards. That’s a good thing.”

Hurts is still in concussion protocol and could not practice or play until cleared. Kenny Pickett started last week and ran and threw for a touchdown before leaving with an injury. Tanner McKee, the third-string quarterback, threw two touchdown passes to finish off a victory over Dallas.

The Eagles only held a walkthrough on Wednesday, and Pickett was listed as missing practice, meaning McKee is likely to start Sunday.

While Barkley may wonder “what if,” the decision also takes away any debate about whether he could have set the record in a 17th game, which was not available to Dickerson in 1984. Dickerson broke O.J. Simpson’s 1973 record of 2,003 yards rushing in 12 games, while Simpson’s record was set in a 14-game season before the NFL expanded to 16 games in 1978.

“I didn’t sign here to break Eric Dickerson’s record,” Barkley said. “I came here to win a Super Bowl.”

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts will not play in Sunday’s critical game against the Dallas Cowboys as he remains in concussion protocol. Head coach Nick Sirianni announced the decision, explaining that Hurts missed all practices this week and is not expected to clear protocol in time. This setback follows Hurts’ injury during last week’s narrow 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders. The Eagles are turning to backup quarterback Kenny Pickett to start in Hurts’ absence.

Kenny Pickett, who sustained a rib injury in the same game, has been practicing and appears ready to step into the starting role. While he was a full participant in Thursday’s session, he was limited on Friday, but the team remains confident in his ability to lead. Tanner McKee will serve as the emergency third quarterback, and the Eagles have also added Ian Book to their practice squad for additional depth. Pickett’s first start for the Eagles presents an opportunity for the team, sitting at 12-3, to clinch the NFC East title.

Pickett, a New Jersey native and lifelong Eagles fan, is eager to embrace the challenge. Reflecting on his preparation, he told reporters he’s excited and feels well-prepared to deliver a strong performance. Having replaced Hurts early in last week’s game, Pickett showed promise despite some mistakes, completing 14 of 24 passes for 143 yards with one touchdown and one interception. This time, with a full week of practice, he’s aiming to improve and lead the team to a crucial victory.

The Eagles have expressed their faith in Pickett’s ability to rise to the occasion. Wide receiver A.J. Brown praised the young quarterback’s composure and leadership, noting his confidence in commanding the huddle. Despite limited game experience, Pickett’s teammates are optimistic about his potential and have rallied around him as he steps into this important role for the team.

Pickett, 26, comes with notable experience from his time as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback. Traded to Philadelphia earlier this year, he has thrown for over 4,600 yards, 14 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions in 29 career games while adding 303 rushing yards and four scores. Meanwhile, Hurts has been having an exceptional season, contributing 18 passing touchdowns and an NFL-leading 14 rushing touchdowns. His absence will be felt, but the Eagles are hopeful Pickett can help them secure a critical win against their division rivals.