The Philadelphia Eagles routed the Washington Commanders in the NFC Championship Game to advance to the Super Bowl. The final score was 55-23, and the 55 points were the most scored in a conference championship game in NFL history. The Eagles scored seven rushing touchdowns in the blowout win, tying the 1940 Chicago Bears for the most in a playoff game. The Dallas Cowboys had six rushing touchdowns during the entire 2024 season.
Here are six takeaways from the Eagles’ NFC title win over the Commanders:
It’s getting tough to find new ways to say just how good Saquon Barkley is. The All-Pro running back continued his historic season with a dominant performance against the Commanders’ defense in the NFC Championship Game.
After Jayden Daniels and the Commanders’ offense opened the game with a seven-minute, 18-play drive that ended with a field goal, Barkley needed just one play to put the Eagles on the board. The Pro Bowl back showed off his speed, power, and elusiveness on his way to a 60-yard touchdown run to give his team a 7-3 lead.
On just his second touch of the game, Barkley carried the football for four yards into the end zone for his second touchdown to give the Eagles an early 14-3 lead. He found his way into the end zone a third time for his second four-yard touchdown run midway through the fourth quarter to give the Eagles a commanding 48-23 lead.
Barkley finished the NFC title game with 15 carries for 118 yards and three touchdowns. He ended the year with 470 total yards and seven touchdowns in three games against the Commanders.
Jalen Hurts’ passing numbers were down this year which caused a lot of criticism both locally and nationally. The Eagles’ offensive identity was the run game, so Hurts wasn’t asked to do too much. His stats may have been down, but he was efficient all season. Hurts had the highest completion percentage (68.7) and passer rating (103.7) of his career. He threw just five interceptions and lost five fumbles throughout the regular season.
Hurts stepped up in the NFC Championship game. He completed 71.4 percent of his passes for 246 yards and a touchdown. He had a 110.1 passer rating. Hurts did a much better job getting the ball out quicker and only took two sacks.
Not only did Hurts get the job done through the air, he also had three rushing touchdowns, including a nine-yard run in the third quarter to give the Eagles a 34-15 lead.
Hurts is a winner who often finds a way to make the big plays when needed. It may not always look pretty, but as long as Hurts is protecting the ball and playing smart, the Eagles will be in a good position to win every game.
The Eagles had the No. 1 defense in the NFL in 2024. They were tied for the league lead with 22 forced fumbles and had the fourth most fumble recoveries. They had the seventh most interceptions.
Head coach Nick Sirianni stresses the importance of winning the turnover battle. It’s a winning formula and a large reason for the team’s success. The Eagles’ defense forced four turnovers against the Commanders, including three fumbles. The Eagles’ offense capitalized off the Commanders’ mistakes, scoring 28 points off turnovers.
Nolan Smith played a large role in the defense’s success during the regular season. The second-year player started 10 games and racked up 6.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits. He had played just 16 percent of the defensive snaps during his rookie year in 2023.
Smith’s impressive sophomore season continued right into the playoffs. He’s playing at an incredibly high level and became the Eagles’ all-time playoff sack leader in a single postseason with his takedown in the NFC title game. He recorded his fourth sack in three games, passing Haason Reddick from the 2022 season. Smith has 16 tackles, four tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, and a forced fumble through three games this postseason.
Pro Bowl center Cam Jurgens was dealing with a back injury leading up to the NFC Championship game, and his playing status was in question. There was a lot of doubt, but the 25-year-old was active for the game. The Eagles decided to keep him on the sideline and slide Pro Bowl guard Landon Dickerson to center, a position he played in college at Alabama.
Dickerson injured his knee during the game and was seen having a hard time walking throughout the first half. He battled through the injury for as long as he could, but Jurgens took over for him to start the second half despite his back injury.
Jurgens could’ve easily sat out the game. Dickerson could’ve tapped out when he initially hurt his knee. Instead, both players displayed their toughness and resilience to help their team win. That alone shows just how much this team wants to win a championship and the culture they have in place.
The Eagles drafted running back Will Shipley in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. The Clemson product didn’t get much playing time during the regular season with Barkley leading the backfield. He had just 82 rushing yards in his rookie season, contributing most of his time on special teams.
With the game in hand late in the fourth quarter, the Eagles were able to take out their starters and replace them with the backups. Running back Kenny Gainwell was ruled out earlier in the game with a concussion, so Shipley was the next man up.
On his first carry, Shipley ran for 16 yards. After a Washington timeout, Shipley broke free for a 57-yard gain and was tackled at the seven-yard line. He found the end zone after a two-yard run three plays later for the first touchdown of his NFL career. It was an incredible moment for the rookie and nobody was happier for him than Barkley.
Shipley didn’t only contribute in the run game. He returned three kicks for 88 yards, including a 35-yard return before Barkley’s 60-yard touchdown run.
The Eagles are Super Bowl-bound. It’s the organization’s third appearance in eight years and second in the last three years. Hurts and the Eagles will look to get revenge on Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs when the two teams meet in New Orleans on Feb. 9. The Chiefs took home the Lombardi Trophy after beating the Eagles 38-35 in 2022.
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