The Philadelphia Eagles (13-3) made a statement today while in the process of blowing out the Dallas Cowboys 41-7 in an unusually warm afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field.
The statement was they believe they have the best roster in the NFL…they can dominate teams even when the third string quarterback is called into duty for meaningful minutes in a NFL game with a championship on the line.
With the win, the Eagles won the NFC East and locked up the No. 2 seed in the upcoming playoffs using both backup quarterbacks, who both played well throwing three touchdown passes between them with no interceptions.
Kenny Pickett completed 10-of-15 attempts for 143 yards, one touchdown, 0 INTs and a 119.6 passer rating while adding 1 rushing TD.
Pickett reinjured his ribs in the third quarter. He was replaced by Tanner McKee who was even better. Playing in his first real NFL game, McKee was 3-of-4 for 54 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs and a 156.2 passer rating.
Altogether, the two QBs combined to go 13-of-19 for 197 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs and a 141.9 passer rating, in addition to the 1 rushing TD, in the division-clinching effort for the Eagles.
Lane Johnson was asked if he surprised when he saw McKee throw touchdown dimes to A.J. Brown for 20 yards and DeVonta Smith for 25 yards.
“No, I've seen him dice up our defense,” Johnson said. “I've felt he's always played well in preseason. He always knows what the defense is doing.
“He's pretty quick with what he does and makes good decisions. He's very competitive. He's always grinding and I'm glad we kept him around.
Johnson was asked if McKee’s stock will rise with other teams after this performance.
“Exactly,” Johnson said. “The cat's out of bag.”
BARKLEY’S SEASON ONE OF THE RECORD BOOKS
Saquon Barkley rushed for 167 yards on 31 carries, topping the 2,000 yard mark. He is the first Eagle to top 2.000 yards during a regular season in franchise history.
Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson talked about the accomplishment not only for Barkley but for all those who block for him.
“It's a huge achievement,” Dickerson said at his locker after the game. “I'm super happy for Saquon. He deserves it the way he works. He comes in every day working hard plus the way he is on and off the field as a person.
“He does everything right. I don't there is anybody more deserving of that than him.”
Johnson said when they were in the huddle in the third quarter, they knew Barkley was getting close to two thousand yards. Johnson said he pushed to get the milestone.
“Once we knew it was a possibility, we knew wanted to get,” Johnson said. “I gave him a hug after the game. I'm proud of how he responded, going to a new team...he had an injury...bounced back from that. It shows what type of guy he is.”
After the game Barkley was asked what the 2,000-yard mark means to him.
“I’m not going to lie, but just being a fan of the game and the running back position, to reach a milestone and put myself up there with eight other backs that I respect, and some of them I grew up watching, definitely means a lot,” the 27-year-old said. “But at the same time, I wouldn’t be able to do that without this team. Like I said, you can’t be great without the greatness of others, and I’m just happy I was able to be a part of the team and be able to reach a milestone like that.”
The obligatory question was whether he wants a shot at the single-season record.
“The way I look at it, if it’s in God’s plan, then it is,” Barkley said. “I’m not overly trying to go get it. I’m not scared of it. I would love to, but at the end of the day, also, we’ve got bigger things that we’re focusing on, and we’re able to clinch the division right here, whether we play next week or not.
“Rest, I’m fine with that too, because I didn’t come here and sign here just to rush for 2,000 or break a record. I want to do something special, meaning special with the team.”
“I mean, it’s up to Nick, to be honest,” said Barkley, when asked of Sirianni tells he want him to break the record. “And you know, whatever his decision is, I’m all for it. If his mindset is, we’ll go out there and try it, I’ll go out there and try it. But his mindset is, let’s rest and get ready for this run, then I’m all for that too. I’m not just saying that because a camera’s in my face or mics in my face.
“I really mean that. I came here to do something special, and obviously breaking the record is special. But I want a banner up there. I think we all do. But we gave ourselves a chance with that and clinched the playoffs before and now with the division. And as I said, now it’s up to Nick, and we’ll see where his mindset is.”
Sirianni kept his thought close to the vest when asked about it.
“We’ll see,” he said. “A lot of things need to play out. We'll see where we are in a couple of days.”
COWBOYS QUARTERBACK SAYS HE’S NOT A FAN OF THE COLOR GREEN
The Cowboys, despite being without quarterback, Dak Prescott, CB, Trevon Diggs, DeMarcus Lawrence, WR CeeDee Lamb and G Zack Martin for part or all of the last five weeks had won four of five games coming into the Linc.
Quarterback Cooper Rush had played well over that span. Sunday he was a disaster. The seven-year veteran was 15 of 28 for 147 yards, one TD pass, two interceptions including a pick-six to C.J. Gardner-Johnson. When he was replaced in the fourth quarter by Trey Lance, Rush’s quarterback rating was 50.7.
Rush has a 2-4 record against the Eagles when starting for the Cowboys. He has lost his last two games in Philadelphia.
Rush was asked about his difficulty of playing in Philadelphia.
“Yeah, like I said, it's just a few plays,” He said after the game. “You have a lot of good plays, but for whatever reason this stadium – I don't know, maybe I don't subconsciously like green, I don't know, something.
“It's frustrating, especially when we've been playing well. We haven't been turning it over, giving our defense what they need. And you do that versus a good football team, it's very challenging.”
OFFENSE WAS SLUGGISH AT FIRST
Pickett kept the Eagles tradition of slow starts that Jalen Hurts forged during his first four seasons as the team's starting quarterback.
It must be noted the Birds offense did not get its hands on the ball until there was 5:38 left in the first quarter.
The Eagles and Dallas were tied 7-7 going into the second quarter and the Eagles offense had virtually nothing to do with any of the scoring.
Gardner-Johnson, perhaps eager to make up for getting tossed from the Washington game the week before, a last second loss that may have been averted had the highly-touted safety stayed in the game.
On the Cowboys first drive, Gardner-Johnson picked off Rush's pass at the Eagles 31-yard line and raced 69 yards for a touchdown.
The Eagles first two drives ended in punts.
But on their third drive, tight end Grant Calcaterra made a 34-yard circus catch 8:45 left in the second quarter, it seemed to energize Pickett with confidence.
The drive ended with Pickett hitting Smith with a 22-yard touchdown pass to go up 14-7.
Dickerson said the offense could feel uplifted after the Calcaterra one-handed grab.
“Yeah...everybody gets excited,” Dickerson said. “You do something good, you're gonna get excited...then you're ready to do it again.
“Kenny does a great job of bouncing...there's highs and lows in every game. There's a wave there...and the last thing you want to do is ride that wave. Kenny does a great job of staying neutral. Whether he's doing good or doing bad, he comes out with the same mentality every drive.”
The Cowboys started their next drive on their own thirty.
On the first play of the drive Rush hit tight end Jake Ferguson with a six-yard pass. Ferguson fumbled and was recovered by Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis at the Dallas 39-yard line.
Eleven plays later, Jake Elliott – who was back doing kickoffs this week – hit a 31-yard field goal to make the score 17-7.
The Birds never looked back
MORE QUOTES AND STATS
Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle was the lone bright spot for the Cowboys…and he lost a fumble at the 14:37 mark of the fourth quarter.
He rushed 24 times for 102 yards. The fifth-year player out of South Carolina was asked how much does not having CeeDee Lamb in the lineup impact the offense.
“Alot,” Dowdle said at his locker after the game. “CeeDee is one of our star players. He accounts for a huge part of our offense. When he's not out there, teams play you differently.
"When you've got CeeDee, you've got to scheme against him...you've gotta have two guys, you've gotta have eyes on him. It's definitely different when your star receiver, your best receiver's not out there.”
Dallas All Pro linebacker Micah Parsons – who has hinted he may want to seek greener pastures next season was asked to talk about the loss that the
“When you lose that turnover battle against a top team,” Parsons said at his locker after the game. “That's the kind of outcome you get. Obviously, it's upsetting. When we come out on the road, playing against a good team and play like that.”
Linebacker Oren Burks led the Eagles with eight total tackles (two solo) and forced a fumble.
LB Zack Baun recorded seven tackles (one solo) and defended pass.
DB Cooper DeJean came up with five tackles (three solo) and a fumble recovery.
Gardner-Johnson was only credited with one solo tackle, but he had two interceptions and two passes defended.
SIRIANNI ON CJGJ .
Sirianni was asked what does S C.J. Gardner-Johnson’s interception, pick-six mean for the team when it happened on the Cowboys first drive.
“That was really big. Got momentum going early,” said Sirianni, who is the first and only Eagles coach to record multiple 13-win seasons. “We didn’t start off great on offense. I think we had two three-and-outs after that.
“But any time you can create turnovers on defense, that’s special. We talk a lot about it, and these guys pour everything into it. You can really see them coming after the football. What’s so impressive about Chauncey (C.J.) is when he gets his hands on the football, he finishes, and that’s a special talent that he has.
“Thinking about when he had the interception last week, where it was low on the ground, he had to double catch it to catch it, but he still finds a way to do it, and then he finds a way to do that. He did something like that in practice.
"I give a lot of credit to the coaches of them putting players in that position. We had that play that we looked at and did in practice, and Chauncey was right there the same way. It didn’t end up in an interception, but he ended up in a really good spot.
“Chauncey responded in a big way, making big time plays today.
Sirianni was asked about past comments he made about Gardner-Johnson and as the player most like him a couple years ago. His emotions got the best of him against Washington and got him in trouble. Sirianni was asked how CJGJ responded.
“Yeah, you saw the game today. I thought he responded awesome,” Sirianni said. “We talk a lot about dawg mentality, and what dawg mentality is, is learning from your past mistakes, but putting them in the past and being able to focus completely on where you’re at right now.
“That won’t only serve him well in football, but it will also serve him well in life to be able to do that through the ups and downs of life. I was just really proud of him and how he responded today, how he played today. I actually saw him breaking up a couple things out there today of some interactions between players.
“He’s a special dude. My two years with Chauncey, I just think he’s special. I think he’s a special guy that loves this game of football, loves his teammates, loves the people in the building. I saw him giving presents to the entire cafeteria staff this week.
“This guy is a special guy. You can ask him what he got them. I don’t want to give that. They can talk about that if they want to. But going in there and doing that and taking care of — it truly comes down to everybody in this sport, everybody in the building — players, coaches, front office, people in the cafeteria, the equipment staff, the video department, the training staff, the strength and conditioning staff.
“It takes everybody. A lot of credit to Mr. Lurie and Howie and everybody they have in place and all the resources they have in place, and you’re able to do some things like this when you have that.”
Some info taken from pro-football-reference.com.
Email Al Thompson at al.thompson@footballstories.com
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