Cowboys-Eagles Stock Market: NFC East Secured For Eagles

Kenny Pickett delivered on a dream and Saquon Barkley chipped in with history in another rout over the Cowboys.

Dec 29, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett (7) throws a pass against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

PHILADELPHIA - Growing up an Eagles fan in Ocean Township, N.J., Kenny Pickett dreamed of this scenario: an opportunity to beat the hated Dallas Cowboys to win the NFL East.

In his first start with his hometown team, Pickett delivered in the battle of the backups against the Cowboys' Cooper Rush by delivering two touchdowns in the second quarter when Philadelphia pulled away in what turned into a 41-7 rout of the Dallas Cowboys.

The Eagles scored 17 points off three Dallas turnovers in the first half and Pickett developed a nice rapport with DeVonta Smith.

Pickett finished 10 for 15 for 143 yards and a TD with a 119.6 passer rating before leaving in the third quarter after aggravating a rib injury suffered at Washington last week.

With the win the Eagles clinched the NFC East and at least the No. 2 seed in the conference.

THE BULLS

PICK SIX

Dallas was driving the football on its first possession when C.J. Gardner-Johnson snuck in on the backside for what turned into a 69-yard interception return off Rush for a touchdown. It was the first pick-six of Gardner-Johnson's career.

Later in the first half CJGJ again victimized Rush by hauling in a bad overthrow for another pick, Gardner-Johnson's fourth in his last four games and sixth on the season, matching his 2022 career-high when he tied for the NFL lead with six in his first stint with Philadelphia.

A.J.'S ARM?

A.J. Brown is known for being one of the best receivers in the world and he got to show that off in the third quarter with a ridiculous one-handed stab that didn't stand in the end zone because Brown was unable to get his second foot in.

No matter because after a pair of penalties, Tanner McKee went right back to Brown with a back-shoulder throw for a 20-yard touchdown.

At that point, Brown showed off an arm that would have made any of the QBs in this game blush firing the football in the stands. The problem there is that the score was the first TD pass of McKee's career.

Quickly realizing his mistake Brown begged the fan who caught the football to bring it back and a trade was worked out so everything worked out in the end.

KICKOFFS

After a disastrous kickoff game at Washington, the Eagles went from Braden Mann as the kickoff specialist back to Jake Elliott. The weather helped in that it was freezing in Landover, MD last week vs. an unseasonable 62 this week In Philadelphia but Elliott delivered, producing five touchbacks and allowing star Dallas returner KaVontae Turpin only two opportunities to return the football, one which was called back on a holding penalty.

TURNOVERS

After producing five turnovers last week against the Commanders, the Philadelphia defense produced four more against the overmatched Cowboys, the two interceptions by Gardner-Johnson and forced fumbles by Oren Burks and Nolan Smith that resulted in recoveries by Jordan Davis and Cooper DeJean.

The Eagles' defense also forced four turnovers by the Cowboys in the first meeting between the two teams.

DOMINANCE

The Eagles outscored the Cowboys 75-13 this season. Ooofff.

THE BEARS

PUSHING FOR 2K

The goal was accomplished with Saquon Barkley rushing for 167 yards to put him at 2,005 on the season, only the ninth NFL player to hit 2K. The problem is that it took Barkley a season-high 31 carries to do it and this team's goals are bigger than individual accolades.

Barkley is now just 101 yards short of Eric Dickerson's record and that is akin to a walk in the park against his old team in Week 18, the moribund New York Giants.

Is it worth it for a Super Bowl contender to risk injury for a star player to make history?

MORE NFL: Watch Eagles' Saquon Barkley Make History Vs. Cowboys