- The Washington Commanders take on the Philadelphia Eagles for the NFC Championship
- They split their two matchups during the regular season
- Despite their long histories in the NFL, they have met in the playoffs once
- Both coaches would gain redemption with a win and a trip to Super Bowl LIX
It comes down to this for the NFC Championship: Commanders vs Eagles, Round 3.
It fits, given where they were a year ago and how they got here. The winner on Sunday in Philadelphia, where it will be anything but “brotherly love” between the rivals, will earn a trip to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX.
The Eagles are 6-point favorites, but barring anything unforeseen or unusual, that will likely tighten by kickoff. Let’s look at the dynamics.
Philly-Washington History
The Washington franchise came into existence in 1932 as the Boston Braves. The name was changed to the Redskins in 1933. After moving to the nation’s capital in 1937, they promptly won the NFL Championship. They were renamed the Commanders in 2022 after two years as the Washington Football Team.
The Philadelphia franchise has been the Eagles since its inception in 1933.
Despite the concurrent nine-decade existence, the teams have met exactly once in the postseason.
There are two basic reasons for this.
First, before the Super Bowl era, the NFL and AFL merger, and the Wild Card, the NFL was split into two divisions — East and West — and the division winners would meet for the NFL Championship. Philadelphia and Washington were in the NFL East and could not play in the postseason but for a first-place tie, which never happened.
Second, they were rarely good simultaneously.
For example, when the Eagles won the 1960 NFL Championship led by Chuck Bednarik (aka “Concrete Charlie” and the “60-Minute Man” who nearly killed Frank Gifford with a hit), Washington went 1-9-1.
When Washington won the 1942 championship (they wouldn’t win another one for 40 years), Philadelphia went 2-9.
The one playoff meeting was in 1990-91. Washington won 20-6 in Philadelphia. The Eagles had been 4.5-point favorites. Three days after the loss, then-Eagles owner Norman Braman fired head coach Buddy Ryan. The Eagles had made the playoffs three straight years under Ryan and lost all three times.
While Braman expressed displeasure about the postseason losses, it was Ryan benching Randall Cunningham for a series in favor of backup Jim McMahon that sealed the deal.
The Teams Traded Wins in 2024’s Regular Season
Each team won their home game against the other.
Week 11: Eagles 26-Commanders 18
Philly was a half-game ahead of Washington in the NFC East at kickoff. The Commanders were a surprise in what was expected to be a transition year with rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels, new head coach Dan Quinn, and a new owner Josh Harris. The Eagles were a 3.5-point favorite at home.
The score made the game look closer than it was. Washington entered the fourth quarter leading 10-6, but a rushing TD by Philly QB Jalen Hurts and then two TD runs by Saquon Barkley gave the Eagles a 26-10 lead.
Daniels threw a TD pass to Zach Ertz with 28 seconds remaining and a 2-point conversion (also to Ertz) to make the score 26-18. Philly’s defense largely corralled Daniels, holding him to 191 yards passing and 18 yards rushing.
Week 16: Commanders 36-Eagles 33
The Commanders’ playoff spot was still in question when they hosted first-place Philadelphia, playing without starting QB Hurts.
The Eagles were 4-point favorites and jumped out to a 14-0 lead with Kenny Pickett under center. They took a 21-7 lead at the half on a 68-yard TD run by Barkley. In the fourth quarter, Washington jumped ahead 28-27 on Olamide Zaccheaus’ second TD catch from Daniels in the game, this one from 49 yards. Philly took a 33-28 lead on two Jake Elliott field goals before this:
Daniels hit Jamison Crowder for a 9-yard TD with six seconds remaining. Their 2-point attempt succeeded. The rookie QB was 24 for 39 and 258 yards, throwing 5 TD passes. He also rushed for 81 yards on 9 carries.
Quinn and Sirianni Seek Redemption
Commanders head coach Dan Quinn’s career is sullied by his Falcons blowing a 28-3 lead over the Patriots with less than nine minutes to go in the third quarter of Super Bowl LI. He was fired less than four years later, served as the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator, and turned down other head coaching opportunities before taking charge as part of Washington’s new regime. A Super Bowl win for Washington would clear his ledger.
A year ago, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni’s job was hanging by a thread when the Eagles lost six of seven to end the 2023 season, including a Wild Card loss to Tampa Bay. This was a year after a 38-35 loss to Kansas City in Super Bowl LVII. The questionable job security was not solely due to on-field issues. He was arguing with fans and behaving immaturely. But he got another chance and has taken advantage of it. A Super Bowl win would validate him.
Their Super Bowl LIX Stories Write Themselves
These two organizations have taken vastly different paths to the precipice of Super Bowl LIX. If the NFC Championship Game goes similarly to how the first two games this season did, it will be a classic.
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