The sixth-seeded Washington Commanders, recent off an upset of No. 1 seed Detroit, are the underdogs for the third consecutive week within the playoffs, assembly the second-seeded Philadelphia Eagles with a visit to the Tremendous Bowl on the road when the longtime NFC East rivals face off in Philadelphia.
Jayden Daniels handed for 258 yards and 5 touchdowns to guide the Commanders to a 36-33 victory over the visiting Eagles in December. Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts was knocked out of that recreation within the first quarter with a concussion, and cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson was ejected for taunting. Saquon Barkley rushed for 150 yards and a pair of touchdowns for the Eagles in that recreation.
Eagles participant to look at
Barkley completed with a club-record 2,005 speeding yards within the common season, 101 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson’s single-season speeding document of two,105 yards, set in 1984. Philadelphia’s star working again was held out of the crew’s meaningless regular-season finale in opposition to the Giants as a precaution by coach Nick Sirianni. Barkley ran for 119 yards in his return to the sphere in opposition to the Packers within the opening spherical of the playoffs earlier than following it up with a franchise playoff document of 205 speeding yards in opposition to the Rams on Sunday.
Commanders participant to look at
Rookie quarterback Daniels lit up the Eagles protection within the earlier matchup in late December, accounting for 339 yards between 9 carries and 24 completions. The No. 2 general select of LSU handed for 299 yards and two TDs and ran for 51 yards within the win at Detroit on Saturday night time.
Key matchup
Washington’s protection in opposition to Barkley. The Commanders have been thirtieth within the common season defending the run, permitting a median of 137.5 yards per recreation. That doesn’t bode nicely for stopping Barkley. Within the common season, Barkley turned the ninth participant in NFL historical past to hurry for two,000-plus yards, serving to the Eagles common 179.3 yards on the bottom, good for second within the league. And he has continued rolling within the playoffs, breaking Steve van Buren’s franchise document for speeding yards in a playoff recreation by working all around the Rams. The second of Barkley’s two speeding TDs in opposition to Los Angeles, a 78-yard scamper via the snow, immediately turned one of many highlights of the season and among the finest performs in latest Eagles historical past.
Key accidents
Commanders: Proper guard Sam Cosmi suffered a torn ACL in his proper knee within the second quarter in opposition to Detroit and is out for the playoffs. Trent Scott changed Cosmi for the rest of the sport in opposition to the Lions. … Neither defensive deal with Daron Payne (knee/finger) nor linebacker Bobby Wagner (ankle) practiced on Wednesday. Payne was downgraded to out on Saturday.
Eagles: Hurts limped off the sphere following Sunday’s win after showing to injure his left knee late within the recreation. The Eagles held a walkthrough on Wednesday. If it was a full follow, Hurts would have been a restricted participant. He mentioned his knee was “progressing” and indicated that he may play on Sunday. Rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell injured a shoulder in opposition to the Rams. He participated in Wednesday’s walkthrough however would have been a restricted participant for an everyday follow. Mitchell advised reporters he expects to play Sunday. Tight finish Dallas Goedert (ankle) and middle Cam Jurgens (again) would have been sidelined on Wednesday had it been an everyday follow. Linebacker Nakobe Dean was misplaced for the rest of the playoffs after injuring his left knee within the second quarter in opposition to the Packers.
Sequence notes
Mark Rypien handed for 206 yards and tossed landing passes to Gary Clark and Artwork Monk in the one playoff matchup between the groups, a 20-6 win by Washington within the wild-card spherical at Philadelphia on Jan. 5, 1991. Washington is 5-1 in franchise historical past within the NFC title recreation. … The Eagles are internet hosting their fifth NFC title recreation at Lincoln Monetary Subject because it opened in 2003. They most not too long ago performed it at dwelling two years in the past after they beat San Francisco.
Stats and stuff
Solely 5 present Commanders have been alive the earlier time the group reached the NFC title recreation 33 years in the past: Wagner, linebacker Nick Bellore, tight finish Zach Ertz, offensive lineman Cornelius Lucas and punter Tress Method.
The wild-card win at Tampa Bay was Washington’s first within the playoffs in 19 years.
Washington pressured 5 turnovers in opposition to Detroit, together with a pair of interceptions by rookie cornerback Mike Sainristil. Security Quan Martin had a 40-yard interception return for a landing. The Commanders additionally dedicated zero turnovers in opposition to Detroit.
Washington ranked thirtieth within the common season in speeding protection and allowed 105 yards and two touchdowns on the bottom to Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs final week.
Brian Robinson Jr. and Austin Ekeler mixed to hurry for 124 yards and two touchdowns in opposition to the Lions.
Philadelphia has gained 14 of 15 general and 25 of its previous 30 at dwelling, together with the playoffs.
Hurts threw for 131 yards and rushed for 36 within the playoff-opening win over Inexperienced Bay and handed for 128 yards and ran for 70 yards, together with a 44-yard landing, in opposition to the Rams, who sacked him seven instances.
Defensive deal with Jalen Carter had a stellar recreation in opposition to the Rams with a pressured fumble, two sacks and 5 tackles.
Huge receiver A.J. Brown had 1,079 receiving yards within the common season however has made simply three catches for twenty-four yards in Philadelphia’s two playoff wins.
Kicker Jake Elliott missed a pair of additional factors in opposition to the Rams after lacking one in opposition to Inexperienced Bay the earlier week. Elliott additionally made three area targets in opposition to Los Angeles, together with two within the fourth quarter. The usually dependable kicker went 28 of 36 within the common season, lacking six of seven from 50-plus yards.
Philadelphia’s protection, led by veteran coordinator Vic Fangio, completed the common season ranked first general (278.4 yards per recreation) and tops in passing protection (174.2 yards per recreation). It’s the seventh time in membership historical past the Eagles have led the league in whole protection, additionally doing it in 1991, 1981, 1953, 1949, 1945 and 1944.
