NFC Championship: Commanders and Eagles’ 3rd game leads to the Super Bowl
PHILADELPHIA — Take a look at the Eagles since October — en route to 16 total wins for the second time in three seasons — and all the hallmarks of a dominant Super Bowl favorite are checked.
A 10-game winning streak.
Saquon Barkley rewriting team record books and finishing on the cusp of the NFL single-season rushing record. The top-rated defense in the NFL. Six Philadelphia players in the Pro Bowl. They even made a little-known author a best seller.
The Eagles are 14-1 since October — and that includes two straight home postseason victories.
It’s that “1” that troubles the Eagles a bit more this weekend.
The Washington Commanders are the one behind the 1 in 14-1, a thrilling comeback home win against the Eagles in December that made coach Dan Quinn and a special quarterback in Jayden Daniels truly believe that, yes, maybe the long-downtrodden franchise once known more for shoddy ownership is finally equipped to make a Super Bowl run.
Who wants to doubt them?
Certainly not the top-seeded Lions, knocked off last week after Washington’s defense got five turnovers and its offense never turned the ball over in a 45-31 victory in Detroit.
Certainly not the Eagles, the game film from their December defeat still irritatingly fresh and their eyes wide open given another two-TD effort from Daniels against the Lions.
“We’ve got a lot of expectations about how we can play and what we do,” Quinn said.
That starts with taking Round 3.
The rubber match is set in the NFC championship game Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles are trying to return to the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons. They are 6-point favorites to beat Washington, per BetMGM Sportsbook, but go in with QB Jalen Hurts nursing a left knee injury.
Hurts never missed a snap after he was hurt against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional game and he remained steadfast this week that he would play — a needed boost for the Eagles after he was concussed in the previous game against the Commanders and missed the final two games of the regular season.
Hurts ran for the go-ahead score, Barkley rushed for 146 yards and two fourth-quarter touchdowns, and the Eagles held off the Commanders 26-18 in the first matchup in November. The Commanders took the rematch 36-33 a month later behind five touchdown passes from Daniels.
“He can extend plays and make a play with his legs. He can extend a play and make a play with his arm,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “You can see that he’s calm and cool in the biggest moments and got a lot of respect for how he’s playing.”
The Commanders had few believers outside the locker room that they could get this far in the postseason.
Daniels has led the Commanders to six consecutive victories — winning the first five on the final play of scrimmage before upsetting the Lions by double digits.
The Commanders don’t expect the magic to run out in Philly in the first conference title game between NFC East teams since the 1986 season — even as they rank behind Buffalo, Kansas City and the betting favorite Eagles to win the Super Bowl.
“It’s the final four,” Daniels said. “There’s going to be a lot more eyes on these teams, so you could get out of whack, you could listen to the media, stuff like that. But if you keep your same routine, stay consistent, it will work out.”
Slowing Saquon
Barkley is coming off rushing for 205 yards and two touchdowns against the Rams. He had two big games against the Rams this season. Against the Commanders, it has been a mixed bag.
Barkley had 15 carries for 56 yards in the first half of these teams’ first game this season Nov. 14 at Philadelphia, before finishing with 146 yards and two TDs. He had 109 yards and two TDs in the first quarter at Washington on Dec. 22, then had 22 runs for 41 yards the rest of the game with Hurts sidelined by a concussion.
“He’s a remarkable player,” Quinn said. “You have to be able to do right over and over again and not get bored with just being in the right spot over and over again.”
Barkley brushed off any concerns that the Commanders had his number this season.
With good reason, perhaps. The Commanders faced Eagles backup QB Kenny Pickett for the bulk of that game once Hurts was concussed, eliminating a top offensive threat. The top focus — and Nos. 2, 3 and 4 — became stopping Barkley.
“I think they sold out on the run,” Barkley said. “It worked for them in the second half. In the grand scheme of things, we still put up 30-something points and had the opportunity to win the football game. It ended up with in our hands, but we didn’t do that, so we’ll prepare for whatever they’re going to bring.”
Rookie QB history
Daniels is one more upset away from becoming the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. He is only the sixth to reach a conference championship game. The previous five are Brock Purdy, Mark Sanchez, Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger and Shaun King.
Purdy’s 49ers lost at Philadelphia two years ago.
“Man, I’m not even thinking that far,” Daniels said this week. “It would obviously be a blessing, but I’m just focused on how can I be better day by day.”
Daniels already set the rookie QB record for rushing yards with 891, and he’s the leading passer through two rounds of the playoffs with 567.
“He’s the ultimate pro as a rookie,” top receiver Terry McLaurin said. “Whether it’s a good play or a bad play, he’s always worried about the next play and he’s worried about how we can execute this next play at the highest possible ability that we have for our offense.”
NFC Championship: Washington at Philadelphia
When: Noon PT Sunday
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
TV: FOX (Ch. 11)