PHILADELPHIA − Thanks to the Detroit Lions stunning loss, the Eagles won’t have to leave home for the NFC championship game if they can beat the Los Angeles Rams in their divisional round playoff game Sunday.
That’s because the No. 6 seed Washington Commanders upset the top-seeded Lions 45-31 on Saturday night.
The Eagles are the No. 2 seed and thus would be the top seed remaining in the NFC playoffs. The Eagles are also very familiar with Washington. As NFC East rivals, the two teams played twice during the regular season.
The Eagles won the first game, 26-18 on Nov. 14 at Lincoln Financial Field. The Commanders won 36-33 on Dec. 22 at Northwest Stadium.
Here are 3 things to know about the Commanders:
Jalen Hurts suffered concussion in rematch in Washington
In the first game, Saquon Barkley ran for 146 yards, including 23- and 39-yard TD runs in the fourth quarter as the Eagles overcame a 10-6 deficit heading into the final frame. In the rematch, Jalen Hurts left with a concussion in the first quarter as the Eagles built a 14-point lead. Kenny Pickett replaced Hurts. Barkley had 109 yards rushing in the first quarter, but just 41 yards in the final three quarters without Hurts. Washington won on Jayden Daniels 10-yard TD pass with 6 seconds left. Daniels threw for 258 yards and 5 touchdowns that day. He also had 2 interceptions.
Jayden Daniels turns around Commanders losing legacy
The Commanders went 12-5 in the regular season. It was their first winning season since 2016. Daniels, the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft last spring, had a lot to do with that. Daniels completed 69% of his passes, throwing for 3,568 yards and 25 TDs. He also ran for 891 yards, second most for an NFL quarterback, and 6 TDs. The Commanders are playing in their first NFC championship game since 1991.
Bobby Wagner, Frankie Luvu turn around defense
The Commanders under first-year head coach Dan Quinn revamped a defense that ranked 32nd and last in the NFL last season in both yards and points allowed per game. Washington improved to 13th and 18th, respectively. Linebackers Bobby Wagner and Frankie Luvu, both signed as free agents last spring, had a lot to do with that. Wagner, the 13-year veteran, had 132 tackles, while Luvu had 99 tackles and 8 sacks.
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