The Philadelphia Eagles defeated the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC championship to advance to Super Bowl LIX.
Turnovers were the story of the day for Washington. The Commanders turned the ball over four times, and the Eagles converted all four turnovers into touchdowns, which was the difference in the game.
Things started badly for Washington when Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley took the Eagles’ first play from scrimmage 60 yards to the end zone to give them an early 7-3 lead.
On Washington’s next possession, wide receiver Dyami Brown fumbled, giving Philly the ball at the Commanders’ 48-yard line. Several plays later, Barkley scored again to give the Eagles a 14-3 lead.
Washington received a spark from punter Tress Way’s 23-yard completion to tight end Ben Sinnott on a fake punt. Unfortunately, the drive didn’t end in a touchdown, but the Commanders still managed to trim the Eagles’ lead to 14-6.
After a defensive stop, quarterback Jayden Daniels found wide receiver Terry McLaurin for a 36-yard touchdown, making the score 14-12. However, the Commanders failed on the two-point conversion.
A turning point in the game came when the Eagles faced a fourth-and-5. They went for it, and quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with wide receiver A.J. Brown for a 31-yard gain. However, Barkley held linebacker Frankie Luvu on the play, and it was not called. Philadelphia would score a few plays later.
CLEAR HOLD
NO FLAG
MASSIVE IMPACT ON THE GAME pic.twitter.com/4kvfsBZiWg
— Warren Sharp (@SharpFootball) January 26, 2025
After the Eagles scored, Washington running back Jeremy McNichols fumbled the kickoff, giving Philly the ball at the 24-yard line. Penalties crushed Washington appeared to stop the Eagles on third down, but cornerback Mike Sainristil was called for a late hit out of bounds, keeping the Philadelphia drive alive, and Hurts found Brown on a four-yard touchdown to make it 27-12.
Daniels would quickly lead the Commanders down the field for three points before halftime for a 27-15 halftime score.
Washington quickly stopped the Eagles on their first possession of the second half but went three-and-out on offense. Philadelphia again scored a touchdown, making it a three-possession game.
Daniels responded with a quick scoring drive that he capped off with a 10-yard touchdown run. The two-point conversion was good and it was 34-23.
After another defensive stop, the Commanders were again driving when disaster struck. Daniels completed a low pass to running back Austin Ekeler, who fumbled as he got up. The Eagles responded with a touchdown, and the game was essentially over. Philadelphia would add two more touchdowns.
Turnovers were a major reason Washington defeated Detroit. They were the primary reason the Commanders lost to the Eagles.
Daniels finished the day completing 29 of 48 passes for 255 yards with one touchdown and an interception. He also led the Commanders with 48 rushing yards. Washington’s running game was a non-factor against the Eagles.
It caps off an unimpressive comeback season for the Commanders, who won 12 regular-season games and two road playoff games before falling in the NFC championship. It was Washington’s first NFC championship appearance in 33 years.
