It’s not every day we get a conference championship game that features two divisional opponents. In fact, Sunday’s game between the Eagles and Commanders will mark just the fifth time we’ve seen such a matchup since the league realigned in 2002.
When Commanders quarterback and runaway 2024 Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels takes the field, he will become the sixth rookie to start a conference championship since the AFL and NFL merged in 1970.
It goes without saying that Sunday’s game is an unprecedented matchup in more ways than one.
After finishing with a dreadful 4-13 record in 2023, the Commanders rebounded in a big way this season. Daniels and retread head coach Dan Quinn combined to go 12-5 in the regular season and have now ripped off back-to-back road wins against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the No. 1 seed Detroit Lions to get a third game with the Eagles that will decide who represents the NFC in Super Bowl LIX. Less than a year after losing to the 49ers in last year’s NFC Championship game, the Lions had their hopes of a return dashed in last week’s 45-31 defeat.
The Eagles ground out a win in last week’s snowy NFC Divisional Round against the Rams in a game that saw Jalen Hurts briefly exit with a knee injury. He returned to finish out the game, but how that knee will hamper him in Sunday’s game will be something to watch for. Another player to watch for is Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 2,005 yards in 16 regular season games and has totaled 348 yards from scrimmage and four touchdowns in his two games against the Commanders this season.
Nick Sirianni is seeking his second Super Bowl appearance in four seasons, while Quinn is one win away from returning to the second Super Bowl in his head coaching career and his first as coach of the Commanders. An already heated rivalry carries a bit more weight in a monumental meeting between these two storied franchises.
How to Watch Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders
- Date: Sunday, January 26
- Time: 3:00 PM EST
- TV Network: FOX
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Washington Commanders NFC Championship Odds
- Moneyline: Eagles (-285), Commanders (+230)
- Spread: Eagles -6
- Over/Under: 47.5
*Odds from DraftKings
How many times have the Eagles been to the NFC Championship game?
The Eagles are appearing in their ninth conference championship game, and last appeared in the Super Bowl in 2022 when they lost 38-35 to the Chiefs.
When was the last time Washington was in the Super Bowl?
Sunday marks the Commanders’ seventh appearance in a conference championship game in franchise history. Should they pull off another road win, their trip to Super Bowl LIX would mark their first visit to the Big Game since 1991 where they beat the Buffalo Bills.
Eagles vs. Commanders head-to-head history
- All-Time record: Washington leads 90-85-5
- Playoff record: Washington Leads 1-0
- Jalen Hurts vs. Jayden Daniels: Hurts (1-1), Daniels (1-1)
Has a rookie quarterback ever started and won a Super Bowl?
Jayden Daniels set a rookie record this season when he won 11 Rookie of the Weeks, an award that has been given out each week since 2002. The unquestioned rookie of the year has a chance to make even more history with a win over the Eagles, as that win would set Daniels up to become the first rookie to ever start a Super Bowl.
Daniels is already being talked about as one of the best rookie quarterbacks the league has ever seen. A trip to the Super Bowl will put him in truly rarified air.
