Super Bowl Bound Again!
Birds Massacre Commanders, Head To 2nd Super Bowl In 3 Years
PHILADELPHIA – Jalen Hurts emerged from the tunnel, trotting onto the field 55 minutes prior to the Eagles’ conference championship clash with Washington Commanders.
The quarterback, as he typically does, appeared collected and poised, proceeding to go through his typical routine, dapping up each of his running backs with personalized greetings before tossing the football around with teammates.
Even from afar, knee issue notwithstanding, it was evident that Hurts was primed and ready to take center stage.
The Eagles matched the unflinching composure of their quarterback, producing three second-half touchdowns and eventually pulling away from the Commanders en route to a 55-23 win that punched their ticket to New Orleans, sight of Super Bowl LIX.
The game began with a 60-yard Saquon Barkley touchdown run and it more-or-less ended with a Barkley 4-yard touchdown run to the right corner. Rookie Will Shipley scored the final touchdown as the backups came in, surging ahead from two yards out.
Hurts completed 20-of-28 for 246 yards and a touchdown, while Barkley churned out 114 rushing yards and two touchdowns on just 13 carries.
From a receiving standpoint, wide receiver A.J. Brown secured 6-of-8 targets for 96 yards and a touchdown. Tight end Dallas Goedert managed to reel in 7-of-8 targets for 85 yards.
Defensively, a swarming Eagles’ defense forced four turnovers – three forced fumbles and one interception – adding sacks by LB Oren Burks, DT Jordan Davis, and EDGE Nolan Smith. Linebacker Zack Baun led the team with 12 tackles and Oren Burks wasn’t far behind with eight.
Let’s get to the observations.
* Eagles inactives: QB Tanner McKee (3rd QB), CB Eli Ricks, DB Lewis Cine, OL Nick Gates, G/T Darian Kinnard, G Trevor Keegan and WR Ainias Smith.
* A tick over two hours prior to kickoff, all eyes diverted to the near side of the field for pregame warmups, as C Cam Jurgens (back) underwent a succession of drills under the watchful eye of OL Coach Jeff Stoutland and head trainer Tom Hunkele.
Jurgens, shortly before inactives were released, also spoke briefly with general manager Howie Roseman. When the inactives were released, Jurgens’ name wasn’t on it, though LG Landon Dickerson would take all the first-team snaps, with Jurgens snapping to backup QB Kenny Pickett. Jurgens was active for a break-glass-in-case-of emergency situation.
* Washington, probably strategically, bled a ton of clock on its opening drive, even converting a pair of fourth downs. In total, the Commanders burned just over seven minutes of clock, chipping their way down the field. Tackling was paramount, and the Eagles opened far better in that department than the prior week.
* Really strong kickoff return from Eagles RB Will Shipley following the Commanders’ opening drive. Shipley, who returned it 35 yards to bringing the raucous crowd to it feet, has said many times during our weekly chats that he’d be ready when the ball came his way.
On the ensuring play, running back Saquon Barkley took a pitch left 60 yards for the game’s first touchdown, which featured a nice lead block by C Landon Dickerson. Barkley would also take his next carry four yards for a score. Shipley added a forced fumble to his afternoon just before the half, with fellow RB Kenny Gainwell pouncing at the 24. The Eagles would score several plays later, with Hurts connecting with WR A.J. Brown for a 4-yard touchdown.
* Wrote and said all week that special teams would be a big-time factor in this one.
* Eagles defense continues to take the football away. LB Zack Baun tracked down WR Dyami Brown on a catch-and-run and punched at the ball. Brown coughed it up, and S Reed Blankenship was there to pounce. Six plays and 48 yards later, the Eagles punched it in, extending the lead to 14-3. DC Vic Fangio’s defense is conditioned to swipe and strike the football, and that play was a result of effort and situational awareness.
*False start aside, and the apparent miscommunication with Dickerson on the first-half Frankie Luvu sack, second-year pro Tyler Steen held up at left guard, working in tandem with LT Jordan Mailata. Steen, who has mentioned to me before that one of Stoutland’s coaching points is to always prepare as if you’re the starter, showcased his work behind the scenes, dominating his matchup at the point of attack and moving fluidly when moving laterally.
* Like it did last week against the Lions, Washington played like a team with nothing to lose, or playing with house money. Aside from the two fourth-down conversions on the opening drive, the Commanders also dialed up a fake punt, with P Tress Way completing a 23-yard pass to TE Ben Sinnott.
On their first touchdown, a 36-yarder to WR Terry McLaurin, the Commanders attempted a two-point conversion to try to tie the game, but RB Austin Ekeler was stopped short. In a game like this, where the Eagles are the clear heavyweights, it wasn’t surprising to see the aggressiveness continue from the upstart visitors.
* While the Eagles led 27-15 at the break – their most first-half points of the season – both team compiled eerily similar stats in key categories, including third down, where the Eagles were 4-for-7 and Commanders were 4-for-9. Total net yards – Eagles 233, Commanders 214). Total offensive plays: Commanders 39, Eagles 37. The big discrepancy was turnovers – where the Eagles came away with two – and rushing, where the Eagles had out-gained the Commanders 101-58.
* Dickerson’s knee injury forced C Cam Jurgens, but the ailing Jurgens fought through his back injury, driving linemen off the ball and moving around fairly well. His first full drive of the afternoon culminated in a 4-play, 58-yard scoring drive, capped by a 9-yard Hurts scamper to extend the lead to 34-15.
* While it’s tough to replace the leadership and playmaking ability of LB Nakobe Dean, the Eagles have gotten strong production from his replacement, Oren Burks. Burks, who also picked up a sack, forced a fumble on RB Austin Ekeler in the waning moments of the third, which was recovered by fellow LB Zack Baun. The Eagles epitomize the “next man up” mentality better than most.
* This was a first – Commanders LB Frankie Luvu repeatedly jumped the snap and leap-frogged the “tush push” at the goal line. A game official eventually said: “Washington has been advised that at some point, the referee can award a score.” Naturally, the Linc went bananas after that.
* The Eagles return to the Super Bowl for their second time in three seasons, a remarkable testament to consistency, roster construction, player development and culture.
– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.
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