Two of the NFL’s biggest offensive stars sitting out won’t put a damper on the Philadelphia Eagles (12–3) taking on the Dallas Cowboys (7–8) in Week 17.
Neither will the differences in records, as the Eagles pursue the No. 1 seed in the NFC while the Cowboys play for pride. Philadelphia will need to get the job done with backup quarterback Kenny Pickett in place of Jalen Hurts, who is out with a concussion, and the Cowboys will go without star wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who will sit the remaining two games as a precaution amid a sprained AC joint.
Philadelphia blew out the Cowboys 34–6 on Nov. 10, but Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni expects a challenge. Dallas is fresh off of a 26–24 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, and the Cowboys have won four of the past five games—a far cry from the 3–5 squad that stumbled against the Eagles in Week 10.
For Pickett, he will have to keep things going for an Eagles team looking to bounce back from a late comeback loss, 36–33, to the Washington Commanders (10–5). Pickett, a former first-round draft pick from Pittsburgh, went 14–24 for 143 yards and a touchdown versus an interception in the loss after Hurts sustained a concussion.
The former Pittsburgh Steelers starter didn’t pan out in his first two seasons on the other side of Pennsylvania, so Pickett signed with the Eagles as a backup.
“Just very professional, wanting to learn new things and continuing to grow his game,” Sirianni said of Pickett. “I just think he’s been great for the room and a great addition to the room.”
“I just feel like he’s treated it from day one as, how does he get better every day? Not worrying about the circumstances that he’s in, but how does he get better every day? I’ve seen improvement from the moment he stepped in here,” Sirianni added.
Pickett will have to lead the offense against a Cowboys defense that didn’t look decimated by injuries against the Buccaneers despite the slew of starters out. That said, Pickett can get the ball to Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, who is in hot pursuit of the league single-season rushing record.
Barkley has 1,838 yards rushing, and he needs just 267 more yards to break former NFL great Eric Dickerson’s record of 2,105 yards from 1984. Record aside, Barkley could help Pickett get the passing game rolling as Sirianni sees it since the former Penn State star has 31 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns this season.
As for Lamb sitting out for the Cowboys, it’s another opportunity for other receivers on the roster to prove their abilities. McCarthy in particular would like to see wideout Jonathan Mingo step up after only two catches for 10 yards since the team acquired him from the Carolina Panthers via a trade in November.
“He’s done a good job of learning the language,” McCarthy said. “He understands it conceptually.
“This is a really good opportunity for him. I just want to see him take another step.”
Regardless of who steps up, Dallas has been able to score without Lamb getting into the end zone often. Cowboys backup quarterback Cooper Rush has only thrown two touchdown passes to Lamb in seven starts this season in place of the injured Dak Prescott.
