Kenny Pickett TD pass, Saquon Barley scoring run for Eagles

On By Littum

  • Tim McManus, ESPN staff writerDecember 22, 2024, 2:07 PM ET

    Close

      Tim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles for Philadelphia Magazine’s Birds 24/7, a website he co-founded since 2010. You can follow him on Twitter @Tim_McManus.

LANDOVER, Md. — Quarterback Kenny Pickett, filling in for Jalen Hurts, threw his first touchdown pass in an Eagles uniform against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.

Hurts left the game midway through the first quarter to be evaluated for a concussion after his head hit the turf when he was hit by linebacker Frankie Luvu while going to the ground after a 13-yard run.

Pickett helped complete the drive and connected with receiver AJ Brown on a 4-yard touchdown that put Philadelphia up 14–0.

Pickett, a 2022 first-round pick of the Pittsburgh Steelers, was acquired along with a 2024 fourth-round pick in March in exchange for a 2024 third-round pick and a pair of 2025 seventh-round picks to work as no. 2. signal caller.

He went 14-10 as a starter in Pittsburgh and threw for 13 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

The Pickett TD pass was followed later in the first quarter by an electrifying Saquon Barkley 73-yard touchdown run.

Barkley carried the offense early and gave his rushing title hopes a boost in the process. He rushed for 109 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the first quarter, highlighted by a 68-yard TD scamper down the left sideline with 2:18 left in the opening frame.

Barkley is the first player with 100-plus rushing yards and 2-plus rushing TDs in an opening quarter since the Vikings’ Adrian Peterson in 2012 Week 14 against the Bears. Peterson was named NFL MVP that season.

Barkley entered Sunday with 1,688 rushing yards, 417 yards behind Eric Dickerson for most single-season rushing yards in NFL history.