The Philadelphia Eagles overcame the elements in the Divisional Round of the postseason and defeated the Los Angeles Rams, 28-22. Now the Eagles will host another familiar opponent, as the division rival Washington Commanders are set to visit the City of Brotherly Love for a second time this season. While the Eagles had their way with the Commanders on the ground in both regular season matchups, they split the season series with Washington.
Now the Eagles will have their chance for revenge after they literally dropped the ball against the Commanders in Week 16. Despite the Eagles being 6.5-point favorites heading into the NFC Championship Game, many are expecting a close game with some predicting a win for the Commanders. Here are three storylines to watch for when the Eagles host the Commanders in the Conference Championship Round.
Can the Commanders Stop Saquon Barkley?
Prior to last week’s matchup against the Rams, I asked a similar question about Los Angeles being able to stop Eagles superstar running back Saquon Barkley. In Philadelphia’s lone regular season matchup against the Rams, Barkley rushed for 255 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Surely enough, he showcased his explosiveness against Los Angeles in the Divisional Round, as he ran for 205 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Can Barkley replicate his recent success against the Commanders as well?
All signs point to Barkley having another huge performance against Washington. In fact, Barkley’s dominance against Washington dates back to his time with the New York Giants as well. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Barkley’s 137.5 scrimmage yards per game against the Commanders are the second-most by a player against a single opponent in NFL history (minimum 10 games).
In two games against the Commanders this season, Barkley has averaged 174 scrimmage yards per game. Washington has allowed the second-highest explosive run rate (13.2%) and the most yards before contact per carry (1.9) to running backs this season. Therefore, it’s hard to envision Washington being able to bottle up Barkley in the NFC Championship Game.
Which Team’s Backups Will Rise to the Occasion?
Both the Eagles and Commanders will be starting at least one backup player in the NFC Championship Game. After Nakobe Dean suffered a season-ending knee injury in the Wild Card Round, Oren Burks stepped up at inside linebacker for the Eagles. While the Commanders lost starting right guard Sam Cosmi to a season-ending knee injury in the Divisional Round.
Trent Scott played admirably in relief of Cosmi against the Detroit Lions, although there is a chance that the Commanders will shift Andrew Wylie from right tackle to right guard and start Cornelius Lucas at right tackle. Regardless of which combination Washington opts to utilize, they’ll be starting a backup offensive lineman against Philadelphia’s stout defensive front. Eagles All-Pro defensive tackle Jalen Carter will present a much tougher challenge for Washington’s offensive line than Detroit’s banged up defensive front did in the Divisional Round.
Meanwhile, Burks will surely look to replicate his strong performance from last week. Many were concerned about Burks after he had three missed tackles against the Packers in the Wild Card Round. Yet he rebounded with an impressive showing against the Rams, despite playing in the elements on a slippery surface. Commanders offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury will certainly test Burks’ coverage ability against Zach Ertz and Austin Ekeler in the NFC Championship Game. Will Burks be able to rise to the occasion once again?
Which Trends Will Continue for the Eagles?
There are plenty of trends and streaks in play heading into Sunday’s matchup between the Eagles and Commanders, yet which one will continue in Philadelphia? Here’s a closer look at each of the trends and streaks that are worth monitoring ahead of the Conference Championship Round matchup in the City of Brotherly Love (credit to Pro Football Focus and NFL Next Gen Stats for the stats and information).
- Eagles are 11-0 in games that Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith have started in and completed this season.
- Jalen Hurts is 4-0 in home playoff games in his NFL career. Hurts is 0-3 on the road or at neutral site playoff games in his NFL career.
- Eagles are 6-0 in games that A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert have started in this season.
- Teams are 2-15 in their following game after they play against the Detroit Lions this season.
- The Commanders will be the eighth team since 2000 to enter a playoff game having it be their fourth straight road game. The previous seven teams were 0-7.
- Jalen Hurts hasn’t thrown an interception in eight consecutive starts.
- Saquon Barkley is averaging 162.0 rushing yards per game in the 2024 playoffs, which is the most by a player in a single postseason in NFL history (minimum two games).
- Saquon Barkley’s 137.5 scrimmage yards per game against the Commanders are the second-most by a player against a single opponent in NFL history, trailing only hall of famer Jim Brown’s 147.9 against the Eagles (minimum 10 games).
- The Eagles have the league’s top-ranked scoring and total defense (including playoffs) entering Conference Championship week.
Teams with the top-ranked scoring and total defense entering a Conference Championship matchup at home are 4-0 over the last 20 seasons. - Nolan Smith has at least one sack in both of Philadelphia’s playoff games. Smith had one sack in both of Philadelphia’s games against the Commanders during the regular season.
Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
