“I feel good. It’s hard to beat a good team three times in a season. We lost one on purpose during Week 16.”
It is an old adage, but one that Eagles fan and amateur sports blogger Mitchell Warner echoed—perhaps a bit tongue in cheek—leading up to the NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders.
The final regular season matchup between the two NFC East division rivals ended in stunning fashion, as rookie quarterback and presumptive Offensive Rookie of the Year, Jayden Daniels, threw a game winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game. In that matchup, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts left the game in the first quarter with a concussion, stalling the offense for much of the remaining 45 minutes.
The win emboldened Commanders fans. So much so, in fact, that they had the gall to “take over” Philadelphia’s iconic Hard Rock Café on the corner of 12th and Market, deep in the heart of Center City.
You can read my last sentence as a joke.
Evidently, the bigger joke was the Commanders’ rushing defense. It took just one play and 18 seconds for Saquon Barkley to score. He has three scores of 50+ yards this postseason, more than any other player in the last 25 years.
The Commanders had just executed an efficient 18 play drive, converting two fourth down attempts, chewing up almost half of the first quarter, ending with a field goal to secure an early 3-0 lead.
“The first drive had me a bit nervous. But it felt like Saquon’s run broke the game open from the start.” Mitchell’s nerves quickly gave way to excitement.
Indeed, the score on the first play from scrimmage was a sign of things to come. Offensive Coordinator Kellen Moore called his best game on the biggest stage yet and Jalen Hurts took over the game, executing the offense almost to perfection.
That was the difference. The Commanders fans that made the trip up I-95 were hoping for a Jalen Hurts that was immobile and indecisive.
Throughout much of the season, Hurts has set aside individual statistics and success in favor of team wins. Frequently held under 200 yards per game and often late on throws, Hurts had rare moments where he looked like the quarterback that led the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2022. The wins were rolling in, but they were not always the most aesthetically pleasing.
The sentiment regarding the deterioration of Hurts’ game was echoed nationwide. A quick survey of the national coverage of the playoffs yields a polarizing depiction of Hurts. Analysts across sports networks found ways to take shots at the Eagles’ signal caller, many of them predicting the Eagles to fall short against the Packers. Then it was the Rams. The Commanders were just the next team that would put away the Eagles and their poor passing offense.
Hurts got the last laugh.
He finished the game completing 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown. He ended the game with .511 EPA/play, a 94th percentile performance this season. In fact, of all four quarterbacks to play in a conference championship this year, Hurts led all of them in EPA/play, completion percentage and completion percentage over expected. Hurts was the linchpin for the best offense on championship weekend.
(data generated via rbsdm.com/stats)
The efficiency was good to see after a season when the offense was not always humming so smoothly. Commanders fans may have been surprised by the Jalen Hurts that played in the NFC Championship Game, but Eagles fans were not. Downingtown native Pete Crossan knew Jalen Hurts’ winning ways would prevail once again.
“The key to the game was keeping Jalen in the pocket and running the ball with Saquon. Quick draws. Calling screens. Letting the defense do what they’ve done all season. We were a better team position by position on the depth chart. We had home field advantage.”
Pete is not wrong. Saquon clearly was important.
Perhaps even more telling though, was his mention of the importance of keeping Hurts upright in the pocket. Hurts has been nails from the pocket this season, challenging the conventional wisdom that he is more of a scrambler.
Hurts again silenced his doubters against the Commanders. In the first half alone, Hurts threw for 110 yards, a touchdown and a 116.0 passer rating with an 84.6% adjusted completion percentage when kept clean.
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles’ offense gave the Commanders all they could handle and then some. When the clock hit zeroes, the Eagles were up 55-23.
It was an unceremonious exit for the Commanders; the ride just a few hours south down I-95 was likely filled with sadness, disappointment and regrets. They could not take over at Lincoln Financial Field.
But hey, at least the fans will always have the Hard Rock Café.
"Congrats on the Hard Rock… Great takeover last night" 😂pic.twitter.com/q3wVp2BGtE https://t.co/YN7B4yUu2M
— Barstool Philly (@BarstoolPhilly) January 27, 2025
Aside: Teasing Commanders fans is all in good fun. Tailgate Ted’s passion for his team is commendable. Even more commendable is his work in raising money in support of the fight against lung cancer. Check out his fundraising campaign, Lungevity, here. Eagles fans have already helped Tailgate Ted surpass his initial goal.
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