Even beyond the usual hype afforded a conference championship, this NFC title game stands out.
The Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles—division rivals—are scheduled to meet in the playoffs for the first time since 1990. The teams split their two regular-season meetings, neither of which were decided by more than a possession—the Eagles won 26–18 on Nov. 14, and the Commanders won 36–33 on Dec. 22.
However, despite Washington's relative success against Philadelphia, former Eagles center Jason Kelce still sees a prohibitive talent advantage for his old team.
"I'll be very candid. I think the Eagles are better at every position," Kelce told WIP-FM in Philadelphia Thursday morning. "I don't know that there is one position—if you put the two rosters, the depth charts next to each other—that I would take the Washington player over the either player. And that is a very honest assessment."
Jason Kelce on Commanders vs Eagles in the NFC Championship:
— SPORTSRADIO 94WIP (@SportsRadioWIP) January 23, 2025
“I’ll be very candid. I think the Eagles are better at every position…That is a very honest assessment.” pic.twitter.com/6pHBJRw01C
It's not hard to find evidence to support Kelce's statement—for instance, Philadelphia is sending six players to the Pro Bowl while the Commanders are sending two.
That doesn't make his declaration any less bold, as Washington has been doubted at every turn.
"I think the Eagles are loaded. In Washington, to their credit, they play extremely well as a team. Dan Quinn is a fantastic coach," Kelce said. "They're well-coached, they play well as a unit, they make minimal mistakes... It's gonna be a tough game."
Kelce later added this explanation about the QBs:
Just to clarify, I wasn’t really talking about the QBs with this quote, I had already brought them up in the convo. I was talking about all the other positions, I could have been clearer with that. I think both QBs are incredible, Jayden is having an insane rookie season.… https://t.co/nsJTR5fXAG
— Jason Kelce (@JasonKelce) January 23, 2025
"Just to clarify, I wasn’t really talking about the QBs with this quote, I had already brought them up in the convo. I was talking about all the other positions, I could have been clearer with that. I think both QBs are incredible, Jayden is having an insane rookie season. Washington is very good, obviously, their linebackers are fantastic, and the DTs Allen and Payne are very good. They are good across the board. In the rest of the interview I go on to say Washington plays very well as a team, they’re very physical, well coached, and a resilient group. It’s going to be a dog fight. Wasn’t trying to say anything negative about them."
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jason Kelce Frankly Addresses Eagles' Talent Advantage Before NFC Title Game.
