Saquon Barkley tops 2,000 yards rushing as Eagles beat Cowboys 41-7 to clinch NFC East

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Nick Sirianni wore the hat given to NFC East champions as he sat at the podium and considered all the greatness that his Eagles still could accomplish this season.

Personal goals, sure. Saquon Barkley has Eric Dickerson's NFL rushing record in sight.

Team goals, absolutely. There are playoff games and a Super Bowl to try and win — and this Philadelphia team sure plays like one that could win it all.

“It’s cool, I’m not going to downplay it," Barkley said of the division crown. “At the end of the day, you’re not getting remembered for being a 2024 NFC East division champ.”

Barkley rushed for 167 yards to top 2,000 on the season, backup quarterback Kenny Pickett ran and threw for scores before departing with injured ribs, and the Eagles clinched the division title by routing the Dallas Cowboys 41-7 on Sunday.

Barkley has 2,005 yards and needs 101 in next Sunday's mostly meaningless regular-season finale to top Dickerson and his 2,105 yards for the Los Angeles Rams in 1984.

The Eagles (13-3) led 24-7 in the third quarter when Pickett was drilled by defensive end Micah Parsons, ending his first start in place of the concussed Jalen Hurts. Tanner McKee, a career third-stringer, entered the game and the Eagles finished the drive with a field goal.

McKee later threw two TD passes, a 20-yarder to A.J. Brown and a 25-yarder to DeVonta Smith, in front of a roaring crowd delighted to watch the Eagles dominate their rivals to wrap up the division title and at least the No. 2 seed in the NFC.

“We always want to do special things. I think winning the division is always a special thing, and then our goals are much bigger from here,” Sirianni said. “I think we’ve got special guys.”

Hurts was injured in last week's loss at Washington and remains in the NFL's concussion protocol — he didn’t practice all week -- which opened the door for Pickett to start.

Pickett, acquired from Pittsburgh in the offseason, played with extra protection under his jersey after he suffered a rib injury when he was pressed into service against the Commanders.

Sore ribs or not, Pickett was pumped for this start all week. He was raised a diehard Eagles fan in central New Jersey about 80 miles from Lincoln Financial Field and recalled “great memories” of going to games with his dad and grandfather since he was 5 years old.

The 26-year-old Pickett said he had plenty of family at the Linc to cheer him on against Dallas (7-9).

More than 60,000 other Eagles rooted him on, too, but Pickett's dream day ended prematurely. He finished 10 of 15 for 143 yards.

With the Eagles no longer having a division title to play for, it's likely Hurts will rest another week ahead of the playoffs. Now, Pickett could be sidelined as well — possibly forcing McKee into the starting lineup.

Barkley had 31 carries and his last one went for 23 yards to push him over 2,000. He could also sit out rather than risk injury chasing Dickerson's record. Barkley, who left the Giants and signed a three-year deal with the Eagles for $26 million guaranteed, set the NFL mark for most yards rushing in a player's first season with a new team.

The friends and family that traveled to see Pickett play had to wait a bit after Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson returned an interception 69 yards for a score on Dallas’ opening drive. Cooper Rush — who threw for 147 yards and had two interceptions — followed on the next drive for Dallas with a 4-yard TD pass to Jalen Tolbert.

Pickett connected with Grant Calcaretta for 34 yards and then hit Smith — who had six catches total for 120 yards — for a 22-yard score and a 14-7 lead.

The Eagles' defense broke the game open when a recovered fumble led to Jake Elliott’s 31-yard field goal and Gardner-Johnson’s second pick of the day set up Pickett's rushing score on a tush push.

Just like Hurts.

Pickett took two tough shots on the same drive on the third: Osa Odighizuwa was flagged for roughing the passer on a late hit and Parsons delivered the knockout blow.

The Eagles were thrilled to have a capable backup QB who went 14-10 as a starter with the Steelers. His performance prompted Pittsburgh legend and Fox broadcaster Terry Bradshaw to say the Steelers never should have gotten rid of him.

“All I wanted to accomplish today was to get the win, for the team, for the city,” Pickett said.

The injury-depleted Cowboys had won four of five but were no match for Philadelphia.

“We knew it was going to be a different game with the plan this week,” Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said. “To be honest with you, we didn’t really get to some of the things we’d hope to get to.”

The teams scuffled late in the game, and Eagles defensive back Sydney Brown was ejected after an altercation in a stadium tunnel. Cowboys wide receiver Jalen Brooks and cornerback Troy Pride were also thrown out.

Cowboys: S Donovan Wilson suffered a knee injury. ... All-Pro WR CeeDee Lamb was shut down for the final two weeks with a sprained right shoulder.

Eagles: DE Bryce Huff briefly left with a shoulder injury sustained in his first game back since he was activated off the injured list. He had wrist surgery.

The Cowboys host Washington next Sunday in their final game of the season.

The Eagles tune up for the playoffs with a home game against the Giants next Sunday.

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Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) gestures toward the stands after realizing the football he launched onto the stands is quarterback Tanner McKee's first career touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) launches the football onto the stands after catching a touchdown pass from quarterback Tanner McKee, not visible, during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. Looking on are wide receiver Jahan Dotson (83) and wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6). (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs the ball against the Dallas Cowboys during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles safety Reed Blankenship, right, grabs at Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle while tackling him during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Nolan Smith Jr., left, punches the ball out of the hands of Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle (23) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. The Eagles recovered the fumble. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, right, is congratulated by offensive tackle Jordan Mailata after Barkley rushed for a long run to put him over 2,000 yards for the season during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, center, leaps as Dallas Cowboys linebacker Marist Liufau tries to trip him up during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Darius Slay Jr. (2) gifts the football to Los Angeles Angels baseball outfielder Mike Trout after recovering a fumble by Dallas Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Tanner McKee (16) reacts after throwing a touchdown pass to wide receiver DeVonta Smith during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith (6) avoids a tackle by Dallas Cowboys cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. while scoring on a touchdown catch during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jordan Mailata reacts on the sidelines during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) is congratulated by offensive tackle Jordan Mailata and teammates after running for a long gain to put him at over 2,000 yards for the season during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI says it recovered the black banner of the Islamic State group from the truck that an American man from Texas smashed into New Year's partygoers in New Orleans' French Quarter, killing 15 people.

The investigation is expected to look in part at any support or inspiration that driver Shamsud-Din Jabbar may have drawn from that violent Middle East-based group or from any of at least 19 affiliated groups around the world.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening that the FBI had told him that “mere hours before the attack, (Jabbar) posted videos on social media indicating that he was inspired” by IS.

Routed from its self-proclaimed caliphate in Syria and Iraq by a U.S. military-led coalition more than five years ago, IS has focused on seizing territory in the Middle East more than on staging massive al-Qaida-style attacks on the West.

But in its home territory, IS has welcomed any chance to behead Americans and other foreigners who come within its reach. The main group at peak strength claimed a handful of coordinated operations targeting the West, including a 2015 Paris plot that killed 130 people. It has had success, although abated in recent years, in inspiring people around the world who are drawn to its ideology to carry out ghastly attacks on innocent civilians.

Here's a look at IS, its current status, and some of the offshoot armed groups and so-called lone wolves that have killed under the group's flag.

The main group also goes by IS, ISIS, or the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.

It began as a breakaway group from al-Qaida.

Under leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, IS had seized stunning amounts of territory in Iraq and Syria by 2014. Within territory under its control, it killed, raped and otherwise abused members of other faiths and targeted fellow Sunni Muslims who strayed from its harsh interpretation of Islam.

By 2019, a U.S.-led military intervention had driven IS from the cities and towns of its self-claimed state. Al-Baghdadi killed himself, and two children near him, that same year, detonating an explosive vest as U.S. forces closed in on him.

Currently, the main IS is a scattered and much weakened organization working to regain fighting strength and territory in Syria and Iraq. Experts warn that the group is reconstituting itself there.

And that flag? Typically, it's a black banner with white Arabic letters expressing a central tenet of the Islamic faith. Countless Muslims around the world see the coercive violence of the group as a perversion of their religion.

Some experts argue that IS is powerful today partly as a brand, inspiring both militant groups and individuals in attacks that the group itself may have no real role in.

The group's credo and military successes have led armed extremist organizations in Africa, Asia and Europe to swear allegiance to it. It's a greatly decentralized alliance.

Many of the offshoot groups have carried out lethal attacks. Islamic State-Khorasan, an Afghanistan-based group, is one of the most lethal currently. Attacks linked to that affiliate include the March 2024 killings of about 130 people at a Moscow theater, the August 2021 bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members and about 170 Afghans as the U.S. was withdrawing from Afghanistan, and killings in Pakistan and elsewhere.

The New Orleans rampage reflects the deadliest IS-inspired attack on U.S. soil in several years.

Other attacks over the past decade include a 2014 shooting rampage by a husband-and-wife team who killed 14 people in San Bernardino, California, and a 2016 massacre at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, by a gunman who fatally shot 49 people, pledged his allegiance on a 911 call to al-Baghdadi and raged against the “filthy ways of the West.”

Those attacks coincided with an influx of thousands of Westerners — some of them Americans — who traveled to Syria in hopes of joining the so-called caliphate.

In the aftermath of those killings, the threat from radicalized followers of the group had appeared to wane in the Defense Department strikes have taken out other IS members and the FBI has had significant success in disrupting plots before they come to fruition.

But over the past year, FBI officials have warned about a significantly elevated threat of international terrorism following Hamas’ rampage in Israel in October 2023 and the resulting Israeli strikes in Gaza.

The SITE intelligence group reported IS supporters celebrating in online chat groups Wednesday.

“If it’s a brother, he’s a legend. Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great,” it quoted one as saying.

President Joe Biden makes a statement on the latest developments in New Orleans from Camp David, Md., Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

Emergency services attend the scene on Bourbon Street after a vehicle drove into a crowd on New Orleans' Canal and Bourbon Street, Wednesday Jan. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

This undated passport photo provided by the FBI on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, shows Shamsud-Din Bahar Jabbar. (FBI via AP)

A black flag with white lettering lies on the ground rolled up behind a pickup truck that a man drove into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing and injuring a number of people, early Wednesday morning, Jan. 1, 2025. The FBI said they recovered an Islamic State group flag, which is black with white lettering, from the vehicle. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)