PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles were a stalwart force against a pitiful rival prone to such blows. They were the pillar of dependency they had built themselves up to be. They dismantled the Dallas Cowboys by a final score of 41-7 so humiliating that future researchers will be shocked to learn which backup quarterbacks played. They secured their second division title in three seasons, officially restoring their pursuit of the Super Bowl that had eluded this regime of coaches and players, a team that weighs its records and trinkets against an ultimate trophy.

Saquon Barkley sat with his NFC East Champions hat tipped back and askew. He wasn’t wearing the matching T-shirt. “To be honest, I didn’t even know it was a thing,” the running back said of the haul. That certainly wasn’t a problem during the six years he spent with the New York Giants, a miserable team that can only avoid the humiliation of seeing Barkley break Eric Dickerson’s NFL single-season rushing record because next week’s regular season finale has become meaningless.

The Eagles are the NFC’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Minnesota Vikings, who defeated the Green Bay Packers, eliminated any shot the Eagles had, with a bye in the wild-card round and home-field advantage against any opponent. In some ways, this certainty offers those within the NovaCare complex a chance to say goodbye, so to speak. Nick Sirianni, who won his second division title in his fourth season as head coach, can rest a somewhat banged-up squad. Jalen Hurts, who missed Sunday’s game with a concussion, doesn’t have to rush back. Barkley, whose 314 carriers make up the bulk of a historic load, can take a well-deserved breather. A number of other starters can recover.

Such a decision would not diminish the importance of this team in history. Statistics show that greatness is seen with eyes open. Barkley amassed 2,005 rushing yards by leaping backwards over a defender, romping the Rams with two 70-yard scores and beating Derrick Henry on a throwback in a duel of rivals. Barkley already holds the Eagles’ single-season rushing record. Against the Giants, he would need 101 yards to surpass Dickerson, a status that is important especially because our memories are pointless and our reasoning is fickle. There will still be those, perhaps Dickerson himself, who would point out that Dickerson ran for 2,105 yards in one fewer game. There will be Philly fans who would never forgive Sirianni if ​​something unfortunate were to happen to the team’s MVP candidate in a completely avoidable situation.

Barkley said, “It’s up to Nick.” Sirianni said, “I’ll think about it at some point tonight.” The implication: If there’s no No. 1 to play for, Barkley doesn’t play.

“I came here to do something special,” said Barkley, who had his 11th 100-yard game of the season with 167 yards. “Of course it’s something special to break a record. But I want to be part of it – I want a banner up there. I think we all do.”

Saquon Barkley is only the 9th player in NFL history to reach more than 2,000 rushing yards‼️@saquon | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/3o7SCoMWO0

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) December 29, 2024

No, as almost everyone in the Eagles’ locker room said Sunday, their goals are much bigger. Send in the replacements in Week 18. Send in the special teams role players. If possible, send security chief Dom DiSandro. It’s still likely that such a roster can still stifle the Giants, who at 3-13 shouldn’t be making any further plans to reduce their draft stock. Let a young Eagles team prove once again why their depth is so valuable. Let Kenny Pickett make a second start after grabbing a 24-7 lead in relief of Hurts. Let Pickett, a New Jersey native who grew up an Eagles fan, gain more experience after he was forced out of the game in the third quarter with a rib injury. Or let Tanner McKee build on an NFL debut in which the 2023 sixth-round pick completed 3 of 4 passes for 54 yards and two touchdowns.

Hell, let McKee try to play a second game ball for his living room. AJ Brown nearly lost McKee’s first touchdown by shouldering the quarterback’s first touchdown ball deep into the stands after a 20-yard strike. Brown grinned at the mistake. He hadn’t thought about the ball’s significance until Sirianni told him on the sidelines. “I felt so bad,” Brown said. With the help of DiSandro and the willingness of the cheerful fan who caught the ball, Brown recovered it for McKee by exchanging his game-worn (and signed) jersey with the fan after the game.

“We have great fans here,” Brown said.

Lincoln Financial Field repeated the chants of “MVP” in the third quarter when Barkley’s 23-yard run became the ninth running back in NFL history to eclipse the 2,000-yard mark. Bruce Springsteen’s “Born to Run” blared from the stadium speakers. Every member of the offensive line hugged Barkley. So did Tyler Steen, who, like several substitutes on Sunday, played a key role in unbalanced formations that gave Barkley another 23-yard run early in the third quarter

Sirianni became emotional as he spoke at the podium about the team’s strong players. Pickett. McKee. Steen. Oren Burks led the team with eight tackles after “Mike” linebacker Nakobe Dean was declared inactive with an abdominal injury. Fifth-round rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. picked up a half-sack. Third-round rookie Jalyx Hunt made a significant impact at edge rusher after Bryce Huff, returning from wrist surgery, left the game with a shoulder injury. Veteran safety Avonte Maddox contributed to a second-half shutout and replaced both CJ Gardner-Johnson and Reed Blankenship at various stages of the game – a backup role that Maddox took over after backup cornerback Isaiah Rodgers took over his role in dime packages that were used again on Sunday.

“We’re deep,” said Milton Williams, who often starts and rotates along the defensive line. “We have guys who are hungry and play with a chip on their shoulder. We know what we can do.”

“I think we have an incredible team,” McKee said. “Guys obviously know it’s a next man up mentality. Everyone supports each other. When I heard, “Hey, I’m going in,” all those guys had a lot of trust in me. I know we have a lot of confidence in all the other guys that play on the second or third line, whatever it may be, that when they come out and are called upon, they’re going to go out and make a play. And it will just continue.”

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Eagles win NFC East, Barkley reaches 2,000 yards in win over Cowboys: Takeaways

The Eagles embody the confidence, identity and swagger they sought in the offseason. They spent the final months of last season wondering where it all went. That’s partly why general manager Howie Roseman signed Gardner-Johnson to a three-year, $27 million contract. Above all, the 27-year-old’s strengths are the ball losses, which last year’s system was often unable to produce. Gardner-Johnson intercepted Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush twice on Sunday. On the game’s first possession, Gardner-Johnson snagged a deep pass down the left seam and buried it for a 69-yard pick-six. Gardner-Johnson’s six interceptions in 2024 are now tied for the career high he reached in his final stint with the Eagles, a 2022 season that ended in Super Bowl LVII.

Only five other teams have forced more turnovers than the Eagles (25). They scored 24 points off four Cowboys turnovers. Zack Baun and Nolan Smith both forced fumbles. Gardner-Johnson’s play made up for his ejection after two unsportsmanlike penalties last week as the Eagles blew a two-point lead to the Washington Commanders. It is a persona that must dominate the defense. Backup safety Sydney Brown was ejected after throwing Cowboys cornerback Troy Pride to the ground near the tunnel. Pride and wide receiver Jalen Brooks were also sent off for their involvement in the altercation, which boiled over.

“I think it was a lesson,” Gardner-Johnson said of his expulsion. “I need to grow the fuck up.”

Maturity comes when the Eagles need it most. They distanced themselves from worse teams. DeVonta Smith recorded six catches for 120 yards and two touchdowns, often finding himself off balance with Andrew Booth, the Cowboys’ eighth-string cornerback who was signed from the practice squad last week. They will finish 2024 against an organization that is nearing rock bottom. They are aware of the more important factors beyond the division title on their t-shirts.

“It’s cool,” Barkley said. “I’m not going to downplay it. But at the end of the day, you know, you won’t be remembered as the 2024 NFC East Division champions. … I’m excited to be a part of it and we did it as a team. But we all know what the goal is.”

(Top photo of Saquon Barkley: Bill Streicher / Imagn Images)