Eagles rout Commanders, headed to Tremendous Bowl LIX

PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles delivered a whole sport on the most opportune of occasions, punching their ticket to Tremendous Bowl LIX with a decisive 55-23 win over the upstart Washington Commanders within the NFC title sport Sunday at Lincoln Monetary Discipline.

Questions on Jalen Hurts‘ well being swirled all week after he injured his left knee in opposition to the Los Angeles Rams within the divisional spherical. Hurts not solely seemed wholesome, however he additionally had considered one of his finest video games of the season, totaling 4 touchdowns, together with three on the bottom.

MVP candidate Saquon Barkley obtained the occasion began with a 60-yard run on the Eagles’ first offensive play of the sport and completed with three touchdowns. He and Hurts turned the primary pair of teammates to have no less than three dashing touchdowns every in an NFL playoff sport.

In the meantime, the protection was its regular, takeaway-generating self, serving to to drive three Washington turnovers.

The season is over for the Commanders, however rookie quarterback sensation Jayden Daniels introduced his arrival in a giant means this season. There’s hope within the Washington space for the primary time in a very long time that the Commanders generally is a menace within the NFC for years to return.

For now, the convention crown belongs to the Eagles. It was simply two years in the past that they fought their strategy to the Tremendous Bowl, solely to be denied by the Kansas Metropolis Chiefs. A troublesome 12 months ensued that included a late-season collapse, the firing of each coordinators and questions concerning the job standing of head coach Nick Sirianni.

The addition of Barkley and a few exhausting classes realized from 2023 helped elevate the Eagles again into the massive sport. They will be seeking to seize simply the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise historical past.

Promising pattern: Receiver A.J. Brown had a breakout sport after a quiet postseason up to now. Brown, who has been working by a knee harm, had simply three receptions for twenty-four yards mixed in his first two playoff video games. He seemed rather more like his regular self in opposition to the Commanders, hauling in six grabs for 96 yards and a landing.

Pivotal play: After going up 20-12 with slightly below two minutes to play on a Hurts quarterback sneak, the Eagles’ particular groups compelled a turnover on the following kickoff when Will Shipley jarred the ball free from Jeremy McNichols. Seven performs later, Hurts discovered Brown for a 4-yard landing to increase the result in 15 earlier than the half.

Eye-popping stat: Hurts now has 4 profession video games with 200 passing yards and three dashing TDs, together with playoffs. No different participant has multiple such sport in NFL historical past, common season and playoffs. — Tim McManus

Subsequent sport: Tremendous Bowl LIX vs. Chiefs/Payments (Sunday, Feb. 9, 6:30 p.m. ET, Fox)

Washington Commanders (12-5)

A dream season resulted in a nightmare for the Washington Commanders.

A crew that had taken excellent care of the ball and compelled turnovers in its first two postseason wins did not do both Sunday, and it was pricey. A crew with a stronger roster flexed its muscle mass and reminded the upstart Commanders that they’ve work to do to shut the hole between the groups.

The Commanders turned the ball over 4 occasions, main to twenty-eight factors. The Washington protection, which compelled 5 turnovers to assist beat Detroit within the divisional spherical, may drive solely two punts and had no takeaways. The protection additionally struggled to cease the run, permitting 232 yards Sunday.

It was not the specified ending to Washington’s first journey to the championship sport because the 1991 season. The Commanders went from 4-13 a season in the past to 12-5 amidst nice organizational change. Common supervisor Adam Peters and coach Dan Quinn overhauled the roster, and Daniels offered the ultimate — and maybe biggest — motive for hope.

Troubling pattern: Cornerback Marshon Lattimore didn’t make the specified affect after Washington acquired him from New Orleans forward of the commerce deadline. He was crushed in essential moments in opposition to the Eagles, together with giving up 31 yards on a fourth-and-5 go. He was slowed by a hamstring harm this season however, regardless, in two video games versus Philadelphia he was flagged 5 occasions and misplaced his composure within the first half Sunday.

Pivotal play: On the following sequence after Barkley sprinted 60 yards for a landing, Washington receiver Dyami Brown fumbled on the Washington 48-yard line — the Commanders’ first turnover this postseason. The Eagles turned it into one other landing six performs later. A 14-3 lead left Washington chasing all of them day — a nasty place to be in opposition to an explosive crew.

QB breakdown: Daniels was not capable of play Superman once more Sunday, and that is what the Commanders wanted, particularly after turning the ball over 4 occasions. Daniels performed a strong sport — 255 yards passing with one landing and one interception and 48 yards dashing with one other rating — and didn’t appear to be a rookie. He wasn’t the explanation Washington misplaced and stays the No. 1 motive for optimism for the longer term. — John Keim