Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson put the Birds up 7-0 with a 70 yard pick six off Cowboys quarterback Cooper Rush

PHILADELPHIA - Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson was named NFL Defensive Player of the Week for his performance in a 41-7 rout over Dallas that clinched the NF

Philadelphia Eagles' defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson undercuts a short throw from Dallas Cowboys' quarterback Cooper Rush, intercepts it and takes it 69 yards to the end zone for his first NFL touchdown.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson, shall we say, is known for being emotional. That got the best of him vs. the Washington Commanders in Week 16, leading to his ejection ( and another emotional outburst ). He was fined $45,022 as a result, but how about that bounce-back versus the Dallas Cowboys? It appears Birds fans aren't the only people who noticed.

The NFL fined Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson $45022 for his two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties against the Commanders last week. A second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty is an automatic ejection, and thus Gardner-Johnson was sent to the locker room early in the third quarter.

On the Cowboys' opening possession, quarterback Cooper Rush completed a seven-yard pass and a 16-yard pass against Philadelphia’s secondary, moving Dallas to the Eagles' 35-yard line. Dallas' promising drive ended when Gardner-Johnson intercepted Rush on third-and-3 and returned it for a 69-yard touchdown, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Gardner-Johnson jumped a Cooper Rush pass intended for receiver Brandin Cooks, secured the pick and then raced down the right sideline for the score to put Philadelphia up 7-0. It marked Philadelphia's first defensive touchdown of the season.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson is the engine that makes the Eagles’ defense go, and he ended a seven-play, 35-yard Cowboys drive that ate up 3:17 on the clock with a dazzling 70-yard interception for a huge touchdown. After the pick-six, Dallas reeled off a 12-play 70-yard drive touchdown drive and had over 100 yards early in the first quarter.

Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson earns his first NFC Defensive Player of the Week honor after a dominant two-interception performance, including a game-changing pick-six, in Philadelphia's blowout win over Dallas.

CJ Gardner-Johnson revealed the new mindset he brought into the Eagles Week 17 win. In Week 16, CJ Gardner-Johnson was ejected from the Philadelphia Eagles ' game against the Washington Commanders after recording his second personal foul call of the game… and then his team lost.

On the Cowboys' opening possession, quarterback Cooper Rush completed a seven-yard pass and a 16-yard pass against Philadelphia’s secondary, moving Dallas to the Eagles' 35-yard line. Dallas' promising drive ended when Gardner-Johnson intercepted Rush on third-and-3 and returned it for a 69-yard touchdown, giving the Eagles a 7-0 lead.

Saquon Barkley entered an elite group of NFL running backs Sunday by surpassing 2,000 yards in a season. He ran for 167 yards on a workmanlike 31 carries against the Cowboys, pulling him within 101 yards of breaking Eric Dickerson’s record for rushing yards in a season. Only eight other running backs in NFL history have reached 2,000 yards.