Kenny Pickett Week 17 report card: A dream comes true for a lifelong Eagles fan

There's no point in fibbing. We weren't sure about how successful Kenny Pickett might be if asked to start three or four games for the Philadelphia Eagles, but we were certain he was good enough to beat the Dallas Cowboys.

Injuries cut his day short, but he left the game having led the Birds to a 24-7 lead. That means he's 1-0 as a starter.

The Birds accomplished one of their short-term goals, winning the NFC East. That's all that will matter when we think about how Philly swept their long-time rivals in Week 17 of the 2024-25 season.

Nope that isn't true. We'll also think of the Ocean Township, New Jersey native. For Philly's QB1 of the moment, this was the opportunity of a lifetime.

Kenny Pickett's dream comes true as he wraps his first Eagles start with a win.

Kenny Pickett, on Sunday, did what all lifelong Eagles fans have dreamed of doing. He suited up and started a game as QB1 for the Birds. Did we mention he won and played well?

How about this stat line? Ten completions on 15 pass attempts. That's a 66.7 completion percentage. 143 yards through air... Zero interceptions... Zero turnovers... One rushing TD thanks to another successful 'Brotherly Shove'.

Pickett's 119.6 passer rating was the best of his career and statistical evidence of what turned out to be satisfactory and competent quarterback play.

Kenny Pickett's worst throws

Kenny's worst throw came during the first Eagles' drive of the second half. With just over 14 minutes remaining during the third quarter, A.J. ran a crosser and was undercut by Daron Bland. The ball should have been picked. Fortunately, Bland couldn't come up with it, and it fell harmlessly to the turf.

That play also resulted in a roughing the passer penalty and a first down. Two other peculiar tosses came much earlier in the contest.

We've watched this one a few times. It still has us scratching or heads. With 12:15 remaining in the second quarter and with the offense facing a 2nd-and-five scenario, Pickett, lining up in the shotgun, dropped back to pass.

There was no pressure. He wasn't hit, but as he began his release, he must have thought better of the pass attempt because the ball never took flight. It just kind of stuck to the glove, and wound up on the turf as 7 just kind of fell over.

No harm... No foul... The Birds were awarded a first down because of illegal contact. Maybe that's what he saw. Maybe the route of the guy he was trying to get the ball to was altered. Maybe that threw him off.

Later on the same drive, facing a 1st-and-ten scenario with just over ten minutes on the clock, he attempted a swing pass to Saquon Barkley. The ball probably should have been placed in front of him to allow him to run. Instead, it traveled behind him, and Barkley had to spin and adjust for what should have been a routine connection.

Six yard loss there on a play that could have resulted in positive yardage. No worries. Things got better.

Kenny Pickett's best throws

These were two of the plays that seemingly got the Eagles' offense going. In a 7-7 game with 8:47 remaining in the first half, the Birds were facing 3rd-and-eight and scrimmaging from their 46-yard line. Pickett breaks the pocket, rolls right, and finds Grant Calcaterra near the right side line.

Good throw... Awesome catch... Philly, facing another third-down scenario, cashed in three plays later.
A Pickett-to-DeVonta Smith connection would break the tie.

Gorgeous wasn't it? DeVonta Smith did a nice job of selling the inside move to get outside leverage on the slot fade. Cam Jurgens helped sort out the stunt by the linebackers in the A gap.

Last but not least, Kenny Pickett trusted his protection, stepped up in the pocket, and delivered a nice ball. These types of plays led to him becoming a first-round draft choice in the first place.

As expected, there were some ups and downs, but we have nothing to complain about regarding his performance. Overall, we give 7 a passing grade for Sunday.

Accuracy: B+
Vision: A-
Pocket Presence: A
Intangibles: A-
Decision-making: A
Leadership: A+
Overall grade: A-

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