The Washington Commanders will take on the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field for a chance to compete in the Super Bowl. Here are three keys to getting a victory.
1. Force the ball into Jalen Hurts hands.
Saquon Barkley has been the Eagles' game-changing weapon all season. Aside from being the ninth player to rush for 2,000 yards, he's second in the league in runs of at least 10 yards, first in breakaways yards and second in yards after contact. The Eagles know they can rely on him to make an explosive play, and he usually rewards that faith with a run that either flips the field or ends in a touchdown.
Of course, the Commanders will try to stop Barkley, but few teams have figured out that formula this season. So, perhaps their best chance at getting the Eagles off the field is to force the ball into another player's hands, specifically Jalen Hurts. The quarterback has been noticeably off since returning to action in the playoffs. His completion rate has been fine, but he hasn't thrown for 150 yards in over a month. He also took seven sacks in the Divisional win over the Los Angeles Rams, including one that resulted in a safety.
Assuming the Commanders can bottle up Barkley, it will be on cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Mike Sainristil to win their one-on-one matchups against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The two held their own against Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams last week, allowing 32 yards and two catches on six combined targets. A.J. Brown and Smith are a step up in talent, though.
The good news is that Hurts hasn't thrown the ball deep in a while. That could change against the Commanders, but as long as the Commanders' secondary keeps Philadelphia's receivers in front of them, they'll have opportunities to make life difficult for Hurts.
2. Keep the status quo on offense.
The Commanders have looked impressive on offense over the past two weeks, particularly against the Lions, but their best attribute is arguably their ability to stay on the field. They've only punted the ball once over the last two weeks and controlled the ball a combined 18 minutes longer than their opponents.
That will also be important against the Eagles, who have an explosive offense but have struggled to score points at times. They haven't scored 30 points in a game since their loss to the Commanders in Week 16.
It will be difficult for the Commanders' offense to maintain that success against the Eagles' No. 1 defense, and losing Sam Cosmi to injury doesn't help. Still, the Commanders must find a way to get their run game against an Eagles front that has held opponents to just 104 yards. Although it came against an injured Lions' front, it's encouraging that the Commanders put up 182 rushing yards on 42 carries in last week's 45-31 win. They didn't have many breakaway yards, but they kept the chains moving, with Brian Robinson Jr. putting up 77 yards.
The other benefit of staying on the field is keeping Barkley off it. The Eagles have largely been in control since losing to Washington in Week 16. They have only trailed for a combined five minutes in their last four games. If the Commanders manage to score on long drives, it will put the Eagles in an unfamiliar position and might force them to change their game plan
3. Avoid reckless mistakes.
Yes, overcoming five turnovers to beat a team many consider to be the best in the league was one of the Commanders' best moments this season. No, that is not sustainable, and they'll need to play much cleaner on the road to give themselves a chance.
The Eagles have a habit of making their opponents pay for their mistakes. The Rams had a chance at taking the lead after forcing a safety with 26 seconds left in the third quarter. Two plays into their drive, however, Jalen Carter ripped the ball away from Kyren Williams, allowing Isaiah Rodgers to scoop it up and run it back to the Rams' 10. The Eagles only got a field goal out of the drive, but it kept them in the lead and provided a massive momentum shift.
While the Commanders have the offensive firepower to overcome one or even two turnovers, they'll need to play much cleaner against an Eagles team motivated by a raucous home crowd. The Commanders have done a good job of keeping the ball in their hands, as they're one of just three teams not to commit a turnover in the playoffs. But the Eagles are tied with the Commanders for forcing the most turnovers in the postseason.
Protecting the ball is always essential, but it will be even more paramount for both teams this weekend.
