Highlights and lowlights from Philadelphia’s third straight playoff win.
Josh Harris was not on the sideline this time. The Washington Commanders’ owner was nowhere to be found.
Harris, who is connected to Philadelphia as the owner of the NBA’s 76ers, was off hiding after the Eagles scored a record 55 points in an NFC Championship game, beating Washington, 55-23, to reach the Super Bowl for the second time in three years.
The Eagles amassed 459 yards of offense, caused four turnovers, with three fumble recoveries amounting to 21 points, while Nick Sirianni became the first coach in Eagles’ history to lead the franchise to two Super Bowls.
Saquon Barkley rushed for 118 yards on 15 carries and scored three touchdowns, while Jalen Hurts completed 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown, scoring three touchdowns himself.
This marks the fifth time the Eagles will be playing in the Super Bowl (1980, 2004, 2017, 2022 and 2024).
The Eagles did not face their first third down until there was 9:43 left in the first half. Entering the Super Bowl, they have caused 10 turnovers and have yet to turn the ball over themselves.
Linebacker Zack Baun continued to be a terror, with a game-high 12 tackles, eight solo, causing a fumble and recovering a fumble. Oren Burks, who has been filling well in at middle linebacker for the injured Nakobe Dean, had nine tackles and a sack, with Nolan Smith and Jordan Davis coming up with key sacks themselves.
There was a mountain of good, some bad, and some ugly crumbs, in the Eagles’ emphatic 55-23 NFC Championship win over to the Washington Commanders.
The Good
The Eagles rushing attack, behind a makeshift offensive line. Their seven rushing touchdowns tied the most all-time in a postseason game, equaling the Chicago Bears’ seven rushing TDs in the infamous 1940 73-0 NFL Championship against Washington. The Eagles finished with 229 yards on 36 carries, averaging 6.4 yards a carry.
A.J. Brown chewing up man coverage for six catches on eight targets with a touchdown and 96 yards.
The Eagles’ defense. They caused four turnovers, scored 21 points off three fumble recoveries, had three sacks for minus-27 yards and 13 pressures with a four-man rush.
Cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s interception with 4:51 left to play.
Nolan Smith’s 9-yard sack on fourth-and-11 at the Commanders’ 31 with 10:24 left to play.
Barkley’s 22-yard run in the first minute of the fourth quarter on a second-and-one to the Commanders’ one. It led to a series of Washington “tactics,” deliberating going offsides until Hurts finally scored his third touchdown and gave the Eagles a 41-23 lead with 12:24 left to play. It sealed the victory for the Eagles. It was the third touchdown off the third fumble caused by the Eagles.
Linebacker Oren Burks stripping Austin Ekeler on a first-and-10 at the Washington 49 with 32 seconds left in the third quarter. It was the third time the Eagles caused a fumble, which was recovered by Baun at the Eagles’ 49.
Landon Dickerson, banged up himself and began wearing a brace on his left knee during the game and walking with a limp, moving from left guard to center replacing injured center Cam Jurgens in the first half. Tyler Steen moved in at left guard and held up well, save for a second-quarter false start. Jurgens started the second half, with Steen remaining in the game to replace the injured Dickerson.
The Eagles’ second drive of the second half, when Hurts found Dallas Goedert on a second-and-3 for 26 yards to the Washington nine. The following play, Hurts scored his second touchdown and a 34-15 Eagles’ lead with 8:58 left in the third quarter. It looked like the Eagles had the game wrapped up at that point.
Defensive tackle Jordan Davis’ 12-yard third quarter sack on Washington’s first drive of the second half. It came on a second-and-eight at the Commanders’ 28 and was a vital play in forcing Washington to punt on its first second-half series.
The Eagles’ 14 points off turnovers in the first half. There was the Reed Blankenship fumble recovery in the first quarter, caused by Baun and corner Cooper DeJean, and the second caused by Will Shipley, recovered by Kenneth Gainwell at the Washington 24.
Hurts ending the half on a third-and-goal with a touchdown pass to A.J. Brown. The Eagles went after rookie corner Mike Sainristil in the corner of the end zone.
Hurts’ 31-yard sideline completion to Brown on a fourth-and-five at the Washington 45 at the two-minute warning. Brown just overpowered Commanders’ cornerback Marshon Lattimore, shoving him out of the way and running by him. The Eagles got away with Saquon Barkley holding Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu. Well, it was actually pretty clear, Barkley held Luvu, hooking him with his right arm as he came rushing through the middle.
Barkley scoring his second TD on the Eagles’ second drive, with two carries and two touchdowns for 64 yards.
DeJean holding up Kyami Brown and Baun coming in to punch the ball free on the Commanders’ second drive at their 48. It resulted in an Eagles’ 14-3 lead after Barkley scored his second TD.
Barkley’s first touch, taking a toss 60 yards for a touchdown on the Eagles’ first offensive play of the game. He ran through Washington defensive backs Quan Martin and Jeremy Chinn. Left tackle Jordan Mailata came down on Washington’s Noah Igbinoghene, A.J Brown had a great block inside on defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. and that seemed to cave in the Washington interior front. After that, it was all Barkley. The 60-plus yard TD gave Barkley seven touchdowns of 60 yards or more in 2024, exceeding the previous mark of six held by Hall of Famers Jerry Rice (1988), Jim Brown (1963) and Elroy Hirsch (1951).
DeJean knocking down a third down pass intended for Austin Ekeler at the Eagles’ 10 on Washington’s first possession.
Will Shipley’s 36-yard kickoff return to begin the game for the Eagles. Shipley’s 57-yard fourth-quarter run with 3:53 left to play. He topped the drive by scoring his first NFL touchdown, and it was a significant score: It gave the Eagles 55 points, the most ever scored in an NFC Championship game.
The Bad
Hurts’ false start with 1:51 left in the half at the Commanders’ 12 on a third-and-eight, making it a third-and-13 from the Commanders’ 17. The Eagles fortunately received a break the next play when Lattimore received a pass interference call and the Eagles scored on a Hurts’ “Brotherly Shove.”
Baun getting beat by Zach Ertz on a fourth-and-five at the Eagles’ 36 on Washington’s first drive.
The Ugly
The Eagles gave a team on life support some life on the Commanders’ final drive of the first half. It was ugly losing contain on Daniels up the middle for 19 yards to the Eagles’ 35 on a first-and-five. That set up a field goal and instead of going into the half up 27-12, they went into intermission up 27-15 giving the Commanders some speck of momentum.
Dickerson getting flagged for holding Washington linebacker Bobby Wagner that wiped out the Hurts’ 17-yard touchdown run with 1:12 left in the first half. Dickerson did not have to collar Wagner, because Hurts would have scored anyway.
The decision to have Jake Elliott try a 54-yard field with 8:49 left in the half when the longest field goal he has kicked this season was 50 yards. Why not punt there and let the No. 1 defense in the NFL go to work? Given great field position, Washington scored its first TD on the next possession.
Hurts taking the nine-yard sack on third-and-six at the Washington 27, pushing the ball back to the 36 and forcing the Eagles into a 54-yard field goal try with 8:55 left in the half.
The Eagles’ first defensive series. They allowed Washington to chew up 7 minutes, 3 seconds, while keeping Barkley off the field, converting two third downs and two fourth downs, and traveling 54 yards on 18 plays for a Zane Gonzalez 34-yard field goal.
