(Philadelphia) The Philadelphia Eagles scored seven rushing touchdowns to crush the Washington Commanders 55-23 on Sunday and book their ticket to the Super Bowl.
Updated yesterday at 7:03 p.m.
Dan Gelston
Associated Press
Saquon Barkley finished the game with 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns, but it was his 60-yard run for a major on the Eagles’ first offensive play that set the tone for the National Association final.
The Eagles’ 55 points were the highest total by a team in a conference final since the 1970 merger.
Playing with a prosthetic left knee, quarterback Jalen Hurts completed 20 of 28 passes for 246 yards, throwing a touchdown pass to AJ Brown. Hurts also distinguished himself on the ground with three majors.
PHOTO MATT SLOCUM, ASSOCIATED PRESS
Saquon Barkley had 118 rushing yards
“What about our shift? He’s quite a player,” said Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni. I knew he was going to play that way. Don’t underestimate him. All he knows how to do is win. »
Brown caught six balls for 96 yards, while Dallas Goedert made seven catches for a total of 85 yards.
The Eagles will be in the Super Bowl for the second time in three seasons, and Barkley will be joining them for the first time in his career. They will now meet the Kansas City Chiefs, the two-time defending champions, who defeated the Buffalo Bills in the American Association final.
“I’m not going to lie, I try to tone it down a little in my head, but it’s just amazing. We are here. The Super Bowl, Barkley said. But the goal is not just to go there, the goal is to win. We will celebrate this victory and return to work immediately. »
PHOTO BILL STREICHER, USA TODAY SPORTS
Saquon Barkley (26) and Mike Sainristil (0)
The Eagles won the only Super Bowl in their history after the 2017 season, when Nick Foles was the starting quarterback. In 2023, they lost to the Chiefs.
-The Commanders helped their opponents’ cause by committing four turnovers, including an Austin Ekeler fumble in the third quarter, when the score was 34-23 in favor of the Eagles.
Jayden Daniels saw 29 of his 48 attempts through the air caught for gains of 255 yards. He threw a touchdown pass and an interception. The quarterback added six carries for gains of 48 yards, with a major.
Daniels was trying to become the first rookie quarterback in history to guide his team to a Super Bowl appearance.
The Commanders reached the National final thanks to two road victories, including a surprising one against the Detroit Lions last week.
“We felt like we deserved to be there,” Daniels said. It was just another match for me. That’s how I approached it. »
But as he has all season, Barkley led the charge for the Eagles.
After the Commanders opened the game with an 18-play drive that ended with a field goal, Barkley took a handoff from Hurts and broke away from a few tackles to score the touchdown.
On the next possession, the Eagles recovered a fumble and Barkley crossed the last four yards separating him from the end zone to give his team a 14-3 lead.
Including the playoffs, Barkley had an NFL record seventh rush of 60 yards or more for a touchdown this season.
Daniels responded with a 36-yard touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin to allow the Commanders to cut the lead to 14-12.
“I had a lot of confidence in what we could do and how we were going to play,” observed Commanders head coach Dan Quinn.
Hurts, however, finished the first half with a one-yard run for a major and a four-yard touchdown pass to Brown, helping the Eagles return to the locker room with a 27-15 lead.
In the second half, Hurts’ ninth career playoff touchdown gave the Eagles a 41-23 lead. Will Shipley scored his team’s seventh rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter to seal the game.
