See, it was just one game.

We all can take a deep breath and relax.

The Philadelphia Eagles seemed to be back to their old selves Sunday, especially defensively, and defeated the Dallas Cowboys 41-7 to clinch the NFC East title. With the win, the Eagles also wrapped up the second seed. 

The Eagles swept Dallas for the first time since 2011. Isn’t that just awesome? It sure makes me smile!! I was a senior in high school in 2011. That’s how long ago that was. The Eagles and Cowboys pretty much always split, so this only made the win that much sweeter.

Also, after starting 10-1 last season and collapsing, it was great to see the Eagles rebound and win this way. After the loss to the Niners last season, things escalated quickly. But this is not last season!! This is a different team!! This team is on a mission!!

And winning the NFC East shouldn’t be taken lightly.

Before the season, the Eagles were basically tied with Dallas for odds to win the division. Nick Sirianni was “on the hot seat.” Winning the NFC East is a big deal. Sure, there is way more to accomplish. But this was a great first step.

The Cowboys have been playing better the last couple of weeks, too, and Cooper Rush seemed to settle in as the starter. Who really knew what to expect. Anything is possible in the NFL. 

After the Eagles allowed 36 points last week, 22 in the fourth quarter, the Eagles defense regrouped Sunday. Some people were worried after the loss, but I never felt there was a reason to panic. Maybe that loss was needed to hit the reset button before the playoffs. 

The Eagles did just that with a dominant defensive performance and two backup quarterbacks.

Saquon Barkley finished with 167 yards. He now has 2,005 yards this season, 100 shy of Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record (2,005). Barkley should be rested, as well as the other starters next week, so he will not be able to break it. Maybe he plays a half, but I wouldn’t risk him getting injured. Can you just imagine playing him to break the record to only get injured? The Eagles need Barkleyfor the playoffs. The single-season rushing record would be really great, but this risk is not worth the reward, in my opinion, unless an injury-free game can be guaranteed. Unfortunately, that cannot happen. With the No. 1 seed no longer an option, no starters should play against the Giants. If they do, just a quarter.

Kenny Pickett threw for 143 yards and a touchdown Sunday. He also rushed for a score. Devonta Smith seemed to have strong chemistry with Pickett. Smith finished with 120 receiving yards and two TDs, one coming from Tanner McKee. More on them later, but let’s dive further into the Eagles’ defensive outing.

After being ejected last week in the loss to Washington, C.J. Gardner Johnson made an interception on Dallas’ opening drive and ran it back 69 yards for a TD. More than likely he was disappointed with his ejection last week and felt like he let his teammates down, so his interception was probably satisfying for him. 

The Cowboys were driving to start the game, so the pick-six was also big for momentum, or so I thought. Dallas drove 70 yards in 12 plays to tie the game at 7-7. The defense could not slow down the Cowboys there, but things changed.  

Dallas punted on its next two drives. Jordan Davis then recovered a fumble, which led to Jake Elliott’s 31-yard field goal to extend the lead to 17-7. Gardner Johnson made another interception with 36 seconds remaining in the second quarter. Pickett threw a 49-yard pass to Smith, which led to Pickett’s rushing score to make it 24-17. Cooper DeJean also recovered near the end of the game, Smith’s second TD. 

It was just an outstanding defensive game after that letdown against Washington. It was a little bumpy in the first quarter, but the defense buckled down and took care of business. Last week was an anomaly. Simple as that. This is still one of the league’s top defenses. Just think… nine takeaways the last two weeks. That’s fantastic!!

The offense also took care of business.

The offense scored on three of the four turnovers, with the other being Gardner-Johnson’s pick-six. Last week against Washington, the defense forced five turnovers, but not every one led to points like Sunday. You really can’t ask for a better offensive performance, especially when you are playing with two backup quarterbacks.

Again, not having Jalen Hurts changed some aspects of the game. He just brings a different dynamic. But, like last week, Pickett did his job as a backup admirably 

Pickett made some great throws, especially on the Eagles’ first touchdown drive, and threw no picks.

But Pickett impressed me on that first TD drive.

On third-and-8 near midfield, he connected with Grant Calcaterra for a 34-yard gain. The catch was arguably more impressive than the pass. Calcaterra reached up with one hand to haul in the pass, all with a defender draped on him. On third-and-12, Pickett threw a 22- yard pass to Smith to give the Eagles a 14-7 lead.

In the third quarter, he threw a perfect pass to A.J. Brown for a TD, which was called back. It probably should have been offsetting penalties because Pickett took a late shot, which knocked him out of the game. Still, Pickett was patient in the pocket, read the field and connected with Brown.

But Brown got his TD on the Eagles’ next drive. After forcing a punt, McKee, who got his first NFL action, threw his first-career TD pass to Brown, a 20-yard. McKee also made a great TD pass to Smith. Three passes, two TDs and 54 yards… just great!! 

You can’t ask for more out of your backup and third string. McKee quite possibly could be starting next week against the Giants. I am excited for it! I liked McKee when I saw him the last two years in the preseason. I want to see what else he has. 

Just rest up next week and get ready for a first-round playoff game, which could probably be against Green  Bay or Washington.