Scores, highlights from the NFL Week 17 game

On By Littum

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PHILADELPHIA − It’s easy to forget Eagles backup quarterback Kenny Pickett was a full-time starter in his previous two seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

So it shouldn’t be a big deal for Pickett to replace Jalen Hurts, who is out with a concussion, when he starts Sunday against Dallas Cowboys.

After all, Pickett was the Steelers’ first-round pick in 2022 (No. 20 overall) and was 14-10 as a starter. The speed of the game is not as much an adjustment for Pickett as the players around him.

Tanner McKee, who replaced Kenny Pickett, seemed like a seasoned veteran instead of a second-year player making his NFL debut. He completed his first pass, a 9-yarder to DeVonta Smith, and capped the drive with a 20-yard behind-the-shoulder touchdown pass to AJ Brown with 2:44 left in the third quarter.

That gave the Eagles a 34-7 lead.

Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett left the game with just over 8 minutes left in the third quarter Sunday when he was hit in the ribs by Cowboys pass rusher Micah Parsons on a touchdown pass to AJ Brown.

Pickett was taken to the locker room and is doubtful to return. He was replaced by Tanner McKee, who had never played in an NFL game before.

Still, it wasn’t easy, at least until the final 36 seconds of the first half. That’s when CJ Gardner-Johnson’s second interception set up Pickett’s tush push from the 1 as time expired, giving the Eagles a 24-7 lead.

It was a bizarre ending though. Saquon Barkley started the drive with a 15-yard run. Then Pickett hit DeVonta Smith on a 49-yard pass down to the 1 with 13 seconds left. Pickett was then stopped on a tush push with 2 seconds left. He tried again in second place and got in.

Gardner-Johnson’s 69-yard interception return for a touchdown opened the scoring. Jordan Davis’ fumble recovery set the Eagles up at Dallas’ 39 late in the first half. The Eagles needed 11 plays for 26 yards for a field goal with 1:55 left.

That’s because the Cowboys swooped in on Barkley without having to worry about Hurts as a running threat. Barkley had just 25 yards on 12 carries until the final minute of the first half. He totaled 13 carries for 40 yards, well short of the 268 yards he needs to pass Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards in a season.

Pickett was 9-for-14 for 133 yards and a touchdown.

Here’s how it goes with Pickett and the Eagles:

Finally, the Eagles offense was untracked after being outscored 117-14 in the first quarter. Kenny Pickett and the offense still had their share of fits and starts on the TD drive that ended with Pickett’s 22-yard TD to DeVonta Smith.

There was a reverse pass to Saquon Barkley that went for a loss of 7 yards as a run, and a pass to Barkley that went for a loss of 4 yards. But on 3rd-and-8 from the Eagles’ 46, Grant Calcaterra made a one-handed over-the-shoulder catch for 34 yards to the Cowboys’ 20.

It’s almost unheard of for the Eagles to miss an opportunity to go for it on 4th and 1 from midfield. Yet the Eagles did just that late in the first quarter. That’s because Jalen Hurts isn’t in the game. But the Eagles were also likely reluctant to try it because Kenny Pickett is playing with a rib injury.

It also appears that rookie Jeremiah Trotter has replaced Oren Burks at linebacker. Burks started in place of Nakobe Dean, who is out with an abdominal injury.

CJ Gardner-Johnson made up for being ejected from last week’s game by intercepting Dallas’ Cooper Rush and returning the ball 69 yards for a touchdown on the Cowboys’ first possession of the game. The Cowboys were facing a 3rd and 3 from the Eagles’ 42 when Gardner-Johnson stepped in front of Rush’s pass over the middle to Brandin Cooks.

That gave the Eagles a 7-0 lead with 11:43 left in the first quarter.

The Cowboys got back on the field and tied the game on Rush’s 4-yard TD pass to Jalen Tolbert with 5:38 left in the first quarter. So the Eagles offense has yet to tie the game.

SAQUON TRACKER: Saquon Barkley tracker: How Philadelphia Eagles RB fares against Dallas Cowboys

Jalen Hurts wasn’t the only Eagles star who sat out Sunday’s game. Linebacker Nakobe Dean, who was listed as questionable with an abdominal injury, is also ruled out. Dean was a limited participant in practice this week. Oren Burks is expected to start in his place.

The Eagles’ other inactives are RB Will Shipley (concussion), QB Ian Book and OL Trevor Keegan, Darian Kinnard and Nick Gates.

The Cowboys will be without star WR CeeDee Lamb, who has 101 catches for 1,194 yards. He was placed on IR with a shoulder injury.

Eagles activate DE Bryce Huff, make other roster moves

On Saturday, the Eagles activated edge rusher Bryce Huff (wrist) from injured reserve and signed QB Ian Book to the 53-man roster after signing him to the practice squad earlier in the week. To make room for both players, the Eagles waived DE Chuck Harris and placed PR/WR Britain Covey (neck) on IR.

In addition, the Eagles practice squad gave raises to RB Tyrion Davis-Price and LB Dallas Gant. Davis-Price replaces Will Shipley, who was ruled out with a concussion.

Eagles vs Cowboys time today

  • Date: Sunday 29 Dec
  • Time: 1 p.m
  • Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

What channel is Eagles vs Cowboys on today?

  • TV: FOX
  • Radio: 94 WIP, Merrill Reese (play-by-play), Mike Quick (analysis) and Howard Eskin (sideline)

Eagles vs Cowboys History

  • Series record: Cowboys lead 74-57
  • Eagles’ last win: November 10, 2024 (34-6)
  • Cowboys last win: 10 December 2023 (33-13)

Eagles vs Cowboys Prediction

It’s only fitting that a marquee matchup in the coveted 4:25 p.m. national TV timeslot has already been flexed back to 10 p.m. 13, and will end up as “The Battle of Backup Quarterbacks.” So in the battle between Kenny Pickett and Cooper Rush, the difference will come down to the supporting cast. The Eagles’ are better, especially since the Eagles have Saquon Barkley and the Cowboys don’t have CeeDee Lamb.

The choice: Eagles 23, Cowboys 19

Eagles vs Cowboys odds

Game lines and odds from BetMGM:

  • Spread: Eagles with 7.5
  • Above/below: 38
  • Money line: Eagles minus-375 (bet $375 to win $100) and Cowboys plus-300 (bet $100 to win $300)

Eagles vs Cowboys Weather Update

It should be mostly cloudy, but dry, by game time. It will be hot in late December, with a temperature of 61 degrees and will last the entire game. Winds will be from the southeast at 10-15 mph.

Eagles 2024 schedule

  • Sept. 6 vs. Packers at Sao Paulo, Brazil (W, 34-29)
  • September 16 vs. Falcons, (L, 22-21)
  • Sept. 22 at Saints (W, 15-12)
  • Sept. 29 at Buccaneers (L, 33-16)
  • October 6, BYE
  • 13 Oct vs Browns, (W, 20-16)
  • Oct. 20 at NY Giants, (W, 28-3)
  • Oct. 27 at Bengals (W, 37-17)
  • November 3 vs. Jaguars, (W, 28-23)
  • Nov. 10 at Cowboys (W, 34-6)
  • 14 Nov vs. Commanders (W, 26-18)
  • Nov. 24 at Rams (W, 37-20)
  • Dec. 1 at Ravens (W, 24-19)
  • December 8 vs. Panthers (W, 22-16)
  • December 15 vs. Steelers (W, 27-13)
  • December 22 at Commanders (L, 36-33)
  • December 29 vs. Cowboys, at 4:25 p.m., FOX
  • 5 or 6 January vs. NEW Giants, TBD, TBD

Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.