by Vegas Writer
Wednesday, Jan 22, 2025
No. 6 Washington Commanders (14-5 SU, 13-6 ATS) at No. 2 Philadelphia Eagles (16-3, 12-7)
Postseason history: Washington defeated Philadelphia, 20-6, in the 1990 NFC Wild Card round, the only postseason meeting between the two franchises. Mark Rypien threw touchdown passes to Gary Clark and Art Monk. Also, Darrell Green had one of his six career postseason interceptions.
Series History: The Commanders come to Philadelphia on a 6-2-2 ATS winning streak against the Eagles.
2024 regular season: Philadelphia and Washington split their regular-season meetings, each team winning at home. In Week 11, the Eagles beat the Commanders, 26-18, as Saquon Barkley rushed for 146 yards, including two rushing touchdowns in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to seal the win. In Week 16, it was Washington overcoming a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Philadelphia, 36-33. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a career-high five touchdown passes, with three coming in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning touchdown pass with six seconds remaining.
Divisional opponents in Championship games since 2002: Philadelphia and Washington provide the fifth Conference Championship game between divisional opponents since 2002. In the previous four such matchups, the division-winning team won three times while each of the four winners went on to win the Super Bowl.
Washington tidbits: Washington, which comes into the game on a 4-1 ATS run, advanced to the Conference Championship game for seventh time since 1970 (5-1 record) and for the first time since the 1991 campaign. The Commanders became the sixth team since 2009 and the third team in the past four seasons (2021 – Cincinnati and San Francisco) to make the Conference Championship game after finishing in last or tied for last place in their division the season before.
The Commanders, who selected quarterback Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, are the fourth team in the common-draft era to have a Top-2 selection in the NFL Draft and make the Conference Championship in the same season.
Postseason history: Washington defeated Philadelphia, 20-6, in the 1990 NFC Wild Card round, the only postseason meeting between the two franchises. Mark Rypien threw touchdown passes to Gary Clark and Art Monk. Also, Darrell Green had one of his six career postseason interceptions.
Series History: The Commanders come to Philadelphia on a 6-2-2 ATS winning streak against the Eagles.
2024 regular season: Philadelphia and Washington split their regular-season meetings, each team winning at home. In Week 11, the Eagles beat the Commanders, 26-18, as Saquon Barkley rushed for 146 yards, including two rushing touchdowns in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter to seal the win. In Week 16, it was Washington overcoming a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Philadelphia, 36-33. Rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels threw a career-high five touchdown passes, with three coming in the fourth quarter, including the game-winning touchdown pass with six seconds remaining.
Divisional opponents in Championship games since 2002: Philadelphia and Washington provide the fifth Conference Championship game between divisional opponents since 2002. In the previous four such matchups, the division-winning team won three times while each of the four winners went on to win the Super Bowl.
Washington tidbits: Washington, which comes into the game on a 4-1 ATS run, advanced to the Conference Championship game for seventh time since 1970 (5-1 record) and for the first time since the 1991 campaign. The Commanders became the sixth team since 2009 and the third team in the past four seasons (2021 – Cincinnati and San Francisco) to make the Conference Championship game after finishing in last or tied for last place in their division the season before.
The Commanders, who selected quarterback Daniels with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, are the fourth team in the common-draft era to have a Top-2 selection in the NFL Draft and make the Conference Championship in the same season.
- Dan Quinn: Quinn, who has led the Commanders to 14 wins this season (including the playoffs) after finishing with four wins last season, is the second coach ever to improve a team by 10 wins in his first season with a club (including the postseason). He also became the fourth head coach in the last 15 seasons (2010-24) to lead his team to a Conference Championship appearance in his first season with a club.
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Jayden Daniels: The rookie gunslinger can become the sixth rookie quarterback all-time to start a Conference Championship game. With a win, Daniels can become the first rookie starting quarterback to start a Super Bowl, first rookie starting quarterback to win three postseason games and surpass Ben Roethlisberger (14 wins in 2004 with Pittsburgh) for the most wins by a rookie quarterback, including the postseason, in NFL history. Additionally with a win, Daniels can become the sixth quarterback ever to win three road postseason games in one playoff run. Daniels, who already has the most completions by a rookie quarterback in the postseason in NFL history (46), can become the first rookie quarterback ever with five postseason touchdown passes and with six passing yards, will surpass Russell Wilson (572 passing yards in 2012 with Seattle) for the most playoff passing yards by a rookie quarterback all-time.
Philadelphia tidbits: For the first time in franchise history, the Eagles will host a Wild Card, Divisional and Championship game in the same season. Philadelphia, which is in on a 3-1 ATS roll, has a 4-4 record in Conference Championship games since 1970, including wins in each of their past two appearances (2017 and 2022).
- Nick Sirianni: Including the postseason, Sirianni has won 52 games since being hired as Philadelphia’s head coach in 2021 and is one of two head coaches with at least 50 wins in his first four seasons, including the playoffs. With a win, Sirianni can join Pro Football Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs and Mike Tomlin as the only head coaches to make the Super Bowl in two of his first four seasons.
- Saquon Barkley: In the Divisional playoffs, Barkley totaled 232 scrimmage yards (205 rushing, 27 receiving) and two rushing touchdowns, the second-most scrimmage yards in a playoff game by a running back in the Super Bowl era, trailing only Pro Football Hall of Famer Eric Dickerson (244 scrimmage yards on Jan. 4, 1986). Including the playoffs, Barkley has the third-most rushing yards (2,329) and fourth-most scrimmage yards (2,638) by a player in a season in NFL history.
