Tim McManus
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Tim McManus
ESPN Staff Writertim McManus covers the Philadelphia Eagles for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2016 after covering the Eagles since 2010 on Birds of Philadelphia Magazine 24/7, a site he created.
John Keim
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John Keim
ESPN staff writer John Keim covers ESPN’s Washington Commanders. He joined ESPN in 2013 after a stint at the Washington Post. He began covering the team in 1994 for the Journal newspaper and later for the Washington Examiner. He has written/co-authored four books. You can also hear him talk on “The John Keim Report,” which airs on ESPN Richmond Radio.
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles punched their ticket to Super Bowl LIX with a decisive 55-23 victory over the upstart title commanders of Washington in Sunday’s NFC title game at Lincoln Financial Field. We provided the complete game at the most convenient time.
Questions about Jalen Hurts’ health have been swirling all week after he injured his left knee against the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. Not only did the Hurts look healthy, but they had one of their best games of the season, totaling four touchdowns, including three on the ground.
MVP candidate Saquon Barkley started the party with a 60-yard run in the Eagles’ first offensive game and finished with three touchdowns. He and Hurts became the first pair of teammates to each have at least three rushing touchdowns in an NFL playoff game.
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The defense, on the other hand, was its usual generated self with takeaways and helped force Washington’s three turnovers.
Although the season is over for the Commanders, rookie quarterback sensation Jaden Daniels announced his arrival in a big way this season. There is long, long hope in the Washington area that the Commanders can be a threat in the NFC for years to come.
For now, the conference crown belongs to the Eagles. It was only two years ago that they fought their way to the Super Bowl, only to be denied by the Kansas City Chiefs. It followed a difficult year that included both a late-season collapse, the firing of a coordinator and questions about coach Nick Sirianni’s job.
The addition of Barkley and some hard lessons learned from 2023 helped get the Eagles back to the big game. They are attempting to capture the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts are the first pair of teammates in NFL history to have at least three rushing touchdowns in a playoff game. Mitchell Lev/Getty Images
Promising trend: Receiver AJ Brown had a breakout game after a quiet postseason at this point. Brown, who is working through a knee injury, had three receptions for 24 yards combined in his first two playoff games. He looked like his normal self against the Commanders, hauling in six grabs for 96 yards and a touchdown.
PIVOTAL PLAY: After going up 20-12 with just under two minutes on a Hurts quarterback sneak, the Eagles’ special teams forced a turnover on the ensuing kickoff when Shipley loosened the ball from Jeremy McNichols . Seven plays later, Hart found Brown for a 4-yard touchdown, extending the lead to 15 before the half.
Eye-popping stats: Hurts has four career games with 200 passing yards and three rushing TDs. No other player in NFL history, regular season or playoffs, has more than one game like that. – Tim McManus
Next game: Super Bowl Ricks vs. Chiefs/Bills (Sunday, Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m., Fox)
Commander quarterback Jaden Daniels showed no resignation against the Eagles on Sunday. Photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images
Commander Washington (12-5)
A dream season ended in a nightmare for Washington’s commanders.
The team that took care of the ball and forced turnovers in their first two postseason wins failed and was costly on either Sunday. Teams with stronger rosters reminded the upstart commanders that they have work to do to flex their muscles and close the gaps between teams.
The Commanders turned the ball over four times and scored 28 points. Washington’s defense, which forced five turnovers to help defeat Detroit in the divisional round, was only able to force two punts and no takeaways. The defense also struggled to stop the run, allowing 232 yards Sunday.
Washington’s first trip to the championship game since the 1991 season was less than desirable. The Commanders went from 4-13 a season ago to 12-5 amid major organizational changes. General manager Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn overhauled the roster, and Daniels provided the final, and perhaps the biggest, reason for hope.
A troubling trend: Cornerback Marcian Lattimore didn’t make the desired impact after Washington acquired him from New Orleans ahead of the trade deadline. He was beaten in a key moment against the Eagles. For example, he gave up 31 yards on a 4th-and-5 pass. He has been slowed this season with a hamstring injury, but was nevertheless flagged five times in two games against Philadelphia and lost his composure in the first half Sunday.
Pivotal Play: On the ensuing series after Barkley sprinted 60 yards for a touchdown, Washington receiver Dyami Brown fumbled at the Washington 48-yard line. The Eagles made it six plays into another touchdown. A 14-3 lead kept Washington chasing all day. This is a bad place to go against an explosive team.
QB breakdown: Daniels was unable to play Superman again on Sunday. That’s what the commanders needed, especially after turning the ball over four times. Daniels played a solid game – 255 yards rushing for a touchdown and one interception and 48 yards for another score, but didn’t look like a rookie. He remains the primary reason for optimism for the future, not the reason Washington lost. – John Keim
