Absolutely ruthless Kenny Pickett stat will make Steelers fans a little too happy

The Philadelphia Eagles' 10-game win streak ended on Sunday with a 36-33 loss to the Washington Commanders. It was a thrilling game, which concluded on a walk-off TD pass from Jayden Daniels, who is making a name for himself in clutch moments.

These losses happen, and a 12-3 record is nothing to scoff at. The Commanders are a very good team and the Eagles spent most of the game without their starting quarterback, which puts a glaring asterisk next to Washington's W.

Jalen Hurts was injured a little over five minutes into the first quarter, when he suffered a concussion on a head-to-head hit.

That left Kenny Pickett in charge of the Eagles offense for the first time all season. He completed 14-of-24 passes for 143 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt. It was not the worst imaginable performance, and Philadelphia would have won the game if not for a heartbreaking drop by DeVonta Smith late in the fourth quarter.

Still, the offense noticeably declined with Pickett at the reins, as we all knew it would. Nobody is more familiar with Pickett's shortcomings, of course, than Pittsburgh Steelers fans, who watched the former first-round pick ram the offense into a brick wall for two years before his cross-state relocation.

The numbers weren't kind to Pickett on Sunday.

Stats paint gloomy portrait of Eagles offense with Kenny Pickett at the commands

Philadelphia scored back-to-back touchdowns to open the game on drives started by Hurts. The Commanders' stout defense looked utterly hapless as Saquon Barkley tore it up between the hashmarks and Philadelphia's O-line did its job. Hurts finished his brief stint on the field just 1-of-4 for 11 passing yards, but he also scrambled for 41 yards, averaging more than double per carry (13.7) than Pickett on pass attempts.

The Commanders could not stop the Eagles' run game, point blank. Pickett stepped in and made it a bit easier for Washington to key in on Barkley, although Philadelphia's MVP candidate still exploded for a 68-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. More than that, however, Pickett just couldn't move the football effectively with his arm — a tale as old as time.

Steelers fans knew this was coming eventually. Philadelphia's offense managed 19 points on 12 possessions with Pickett, compared to 14 points on two possessions with Hurts. That is damning stuff.

That's not to say the Eagles would've scored a TD on every possession had Hurts remained in the game, but it's worth noting just how drastic the decline was after Pickett's insertion. This is a talented offense, equipped with a world-class offensive line, two Pro Bowl receivers, and a literal MVP candidate in the backfield. Pickett has never been better positioned for success, but he couldn't muster the necessary production to lock up a victory on Sunday.

The Eagles can absolutely win games with Pickett under center, but Philadelphia fans ought to hope and pray that Hurts is back soon. An extended absence would effectively end the Eagles' bid for the No. 1 seed, and it could complicate their postseason path if the worst-case scenario comes to pass.