Welcome to the NFC Championship Game and a third meeting of the season against the Washington Commanders. These are teams that know each other so well, have ultimate respect for each other, and understand the stakes. The storylines? More than we can list. The matchups? Every one of them matters. Let’s dive into the game (3 PM, FOX) and preview what to watch when the Eagles host Washington at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday …
1. Giveaways, takeaways, turnover margin
You are probably tired of hearing this, but it matters: The teams that have won the turnover margin in the NFL playoffs this postseason are 7-0. Philadelphia has taken the football away six times in the wins over Green Bay and Los Angeles, with zero giveaways. That’s huge. The Eagles are 22-1 in their last 23 games when they’ve won the turnover battle, with the loss to Washington in Week 16 the exception. Washington has also not turned the football over and in the win over Detroit last week, the Commanders had 5 takeaways to fuel the upset victory. Washington had a plus-1 in turnover margin in the Wild Card victory at Tampa Bay. So, yeah, a reminder: This statistic matters maybe more than any in the game.
2. Defense against QB Jayden Daniels
Excluding kneeldowns, Jayden Daniels has led Washington on 11 scoring drives in the 16 playoff possessions the offense has had. The Commanders have punted only one time and haven’t given the football away. They’ve turned the football over on downs three times and have a missed field goal and all of those possessions ended inside the opponents’ 30-yard line, so this is the bottom line: Daniels has driven Washington into scoring position 93.8 percent of the time in these playoff games. Amazing. What do the Eagles do to slow him down? They have to plan to play all four downs, that’s for sure. Washington converted 3 of 4 times in Detroit on fourth down to keep drives going and they will do it again here. Daniels hurt the Eagles with his mobility in the loss in Week 16, so the defense is well aware of the danger there. Philadelphia needs to create some negative plays, must win at the line of scrimmage with Washington right guard Sam Cosmi injured and out for this game. Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, and Moro Ojomo must win here, collapse the pocket, and squeeze Daniels – don’t give him running lanes and don’t allow him to get to the edges.
Winning in the secondary is obviously huge against receivers Terry McLaurin, Dyami Brown, Olamide Zaccheaus, and Jamison Crowder. Tight end Zach Ertz has been a very strong part of the offense. Running back Austin Ekeler is a factor both as a runner and pass catcher and Brian Robinson Jr. is a quality player.
