For the 2nd time in 3 years, the Eagles are in the NFC championship game, and for the 1st time since 1986, it will be a battle of NFC East teams. Eagles are set to host the Commanders this Sunday at 3 pm.

It’s Philly’s 7th time this century in the NFC Championship. Meanwhile, it is the first time Washington has been there since 1992. Obviously, it was a tough stretch for Washington in the last 30 or so years. They toiled under their previous ownership, with only a rare glimmer of hope that was always quickly snuffed out. But Rookie sensation Jayden Daniels has breathed new life into the franchise.

This will be the 3rd time these teams have played each other, but perhaps the first they have done so at full strength. Jayden Daniels was limited by a rib injury the first time when the Eagles ran over them, and Jalen Hurts was out for the Commanders’ impressive comeback win the 2nd time.

Related: 5 Promising Numbers To Make You Confident In The Eagles

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The Eagles go into this game as heavy favorites. The line opened at -4.5, and has moved in their favor to -6. But the Commanders were heavy underdogs vs the Lions, and ran them over. Unlike last week when people tried to argue the Rams were this red-hot team in the Birds way, the Commanders can actually say that. No QB has been playing better, and they are coming off one of the best wins this season.

Still, the Eagles have lost just one game in the last several months, and it was without Jalen Hurts. Their defense and the run game is the best in the league. They are favorites for a reason, but that does not mean you can count the Commanders out.

Will the Eagles continue their run to the Super Bowl? Or does the rookie have another miracle up his sleeve? Let’s break down this matchup position by position. Which QB is playing better? Who has the better O-Line? Which secondary has more talent?

We Broke Down Eagles vs Commanders Position By Position Below:

• QB

  Jalen Hurts has the experience advantage. He has played in and won a NFC championship game. He now has 4 playoff wins under his belt. He went to the Super Bowl and balled out. All of that said, you have to give the edge to Jayden Daniels here. No QB has played better this post-season than Daniels. I don’t know if any rookie QB has ever played better in the playoffs than Daniels has so far. He leads all QBs in passing yards and passing TDs, has yet to throw a pick, and has only taken 1 sack.

  Hurts meanwhile has had some struggles. He has protected the ball and made plays when he had to, but he has also left some plays on the field. It is not all his fault. His coordinator has done him no favors, and AJ Brown dropped what could have been a TD, or at least set up a TD. Looking at how Hurts has played these past 2 weeks, and how Daniels has played, there is no comparison.

  But Hurts has proven himself in the past, and that does count for something.

  Edge- Commanders

  Get Up on X (formerly Twitter): ""Not only has he had the best rookie season ever, you can make the case it's the most impactful rookie season ever."-@danorlovsky7 on Jayden Daniels pic.twitter.com/TSbZzbXwhg / X"

  "Not only has he had the best rookie season ever, you can make the case it's the most impactful rookie season ever."-@danorlovsky7 on Jayden Daniels pic.twitter.com/TSbZzbXwhg

• WR

  Terry McLaurin is very good. Over 1000 yards, 13 TDs, many of which were deep shots. He is fantastic. But comparing WR groups, this one is easy. AJ Brown and Devonta Smith are arguably the best WR duo in the league. The Commanders next best WR is Olamide Zaccheaus, who is fine but nothing special. We have not seen it much yet in the playoffs, but we know what the Eagles WR group is capable of. Brown is one of the best WRs in the league, and Smith is no slouch either.

  Edge- Eagles

  Yahoo Fantasy Sports on X (formerly Twitter): "In 6 career games against the Commanders, A.J. Brown is averaging:🦅 6 catches🦅 93.2 yards🦅 TD🦅 18.32 fantasy points pic.twitter.com/Y99VFat13w / X"

  In 6 career games against the Commanders, A.J. Brown is averaging:🦅 6 catches🦅 93.2 yards🦅 TD🦅 18.32 fantasy points pic.twitter.com/Y99VFat13w

• RB

  Is this even a question? Saquon Barkley became the 9th RB to ever rush for 2000 yards. he could have broken the record if he played the final game. We just saw him run for over 200 yards last week. He has 8 50 Yard+ TDs this season. Saquoin has a strong case to be called the best player in the league this season.

  The Commanders’ leading rusher is their QB. Saquon averages 5.8 yards per carry, and the Commanders’ lead back, Brian Robinson, averages 4.3. This isn’t a debate. The Eagles have the better run game period.

  Edge- Eagles

  Philadelphia Eagles on X (formerly Twitter): "Saquon Barkley runs against the Washington Commanders... but they keep getting longer 😏 pic.twitter.com/viBZSbRBmL / X"

  Saquon Barkley runs against the Washington Commanders... but they keep getting longer 😏 pic.twitter.com/viBZSbRBmL

• TE

  The former Eagles TE, Zach Ertz, vs the current one, Dallas Goedert. Ertz still has a lot to provide his team. 654 yards and 7 TDs. He is not the star he once was, but he is the Commander’s second-best weapon in the passing game. He has been as dependable as it gets, and many of his catches, as was the case when he was in Philly, seem to come when the Commanders need a play the most.

  All of that said, Goedert takes this one. We don’t see it as much because he has been banged up, and even when healthy is the 3rd option. But he is as explosive as a TE gets. Just go watch his TD run vs the Packers if you need proof. Ertz can get where he needs to be and catch the ball. You can put the ball in Goederts hand and watch him make plays.

  Edge- Eagles

  NFL on X (formerly Twitter): "DALLAS GOEDERT ANGRY RUN 😡📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rxRDVME91z / X"

  DALLAS GOEDERT ANGRY RUN 😡📺: #GBvsPHI on FOX📱: Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rxRDVME91z

• O-Line

  Washington’s O-Line was impressive this season. Like the Eagles, they rank in the top 10 in both pass block win rate and run block win rate. But they are going to be down their best player. Sam Cosmi is out for the rest of the playoffs with a torn ACL.

  The Eagles meanwhile sport two All-Pros, and two other Pro Bowlers. When healthy this is easily the best Line in the league, and they are all healthy. They struggled a bit last week in the snow, but for the most part, their starters have been flawless. Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata have shut down opposing Ends for most of the season, and Landon Dickerson is growing into one of the best OGs in the league. They are 6th in pass block win rate and 9th in run block win rate, despite battling injuries through the middle of the season.

  You can put them up against any line, and I would give the Edge to the Eagles. The Commanders line is better than people give them credit for, but up against the Eagles, there is no competition. Especially with no Sam Cosmi. 

  Edge- Eagles  

  PFF on X (formerly Twitter): "The highest-graded offensive linemen remaining in the playoffs 🛡️ pic.twitter.com/bKer7CSYzw / X"

  The highest-graded offensive linemen remaining in the playoffs 🛡️ pic.twitter.com/bKer7CSYzw

• D-Line

  These are two lines that can get after the QB. Commanders are led by Edge Rushers like Dante Fowler, and Dorrance Armstrong, and then have Darron Payne and Jonathan Allen inside. While the Eagles have relied on All-Pro Jalen Carter, 2nd-year standout Nolan Smith, Josh Sweat, and Milton Williams. Commanders are 7th in Pass Rush Win rate, and the Eagles are 8th. The gap in which line is better at getting pressure on the QB is pretty narrow. 

  The difference comes in how each team plays the run. The Eagles line is 3rd in run-stop win rate. The Commanders are 23rd. The Eagles have one of the best-run defenses in the league, the Commanders have one of the worst. That disparity makes this matchup not close. The Eagles D-Line is much better because they are great at both parts of the game, while the Commanders line is great at one, and terrible at the other. And when you are playing the Eagles, you kind of need to be good against the run. 

  Edge- Eagles

  NFL Films on X (formerly Twitter): "Big dawg in big moments. 🐶Jalen Carter's game-winning sack saved the @Eagles season.#NFLTurningPoint on ESPN+ | @LRiddickESPN pic.twitter.com/BSKPrW21GW / X"

  Big dawg in big moments. 🐶Jalen Carter's game-winning sack saved the @Eagles season.#NFLTurningPoint on ESPN+ | @LRiddickESPN pic.twitter.com/BSKPrW21GW

• LB

  This one is tough. LB is a bright spot on both of these defenses. The Eagles have the best LB in the league this year in Zack Baun, but the Commanders have the guy you would probably call the 3rd or 4th best LB in Frankie Luvu. Both Luvu and Bobby Wagner were 2nd Team All-Pros, while Baun was 1st Team. The Eagles did have Nakobe Dean who was up there and had a case himself to be an All-Pro, but he is out after sustaining a major injury vs the Packers. Oren Burks is an experienced LB and held up well vs the Rams, but that is a downgrade.

  Luvu and Wagner are both stars when it comes to being sent on blitzes. But again, their run defense leaves something to be desired. The LBs are just as much to blame for that poor run defense as the DL is. Baun is dominant against the run, has had success as a blitzer, and is great in coverage. Burks is ok at all 3. But Washington has a glaring weakness in 1 area, and neither Luvu nor Wagner are shut down LBs in coverage. So while Luvu and Wagner are great overall players, Baun gets the win here.

  Edge-Eagles

  Shane Haff on X (formerly Twitter): "Really nice play by Oren Burks coming downhill in the run game. pic.twitter.com/5cr2iNBXWb / X"

  Really nice play by Oren Burks coming downhill in the run game. pic.twitter.com/5cr2iNBXWb

• DB

  Eagles give up the fewest passing yards per game, but the Commanders are not far behind them giving up the 3rd fewest yards per game. There is a slightly bigger gap in yards per attempt. Eagles are again 1st, allowing only 6 yards per pass attempt. Meanwhile, the Commanders are middle of the pack allowing 7 yards per attempt. The Eagles DBs have 12 total interceptions, the Commanders have 8. The Eagles allow a passer rating against of 88.2. The Commanders allow a pass rating against of 100.7.

  There is no argument here. Outside of passing yards allowed per game, the Commanders secondary is middle of the pack in everything you could judge a team’s secondary by. The Eagles’ secondary tops the league in nearly everything except picks. I saw a Commanders fan brag about how many tackles Mike Sainistril has compared to Quinyon Mitchell but tackles as a corner are usually a sign of how many catches you give up.

  4 of the 5 starters in the Eagles secondary have a passer rating against under 80, and CJGJ is just over 80. 3 of the Commanders 5 starters have Passer Ratings Against over 100, with Lattimore being up at 125.2, and their other 2 are in the 80s with CJGJ.

  This isn’t close. The Eagles’ secondary is better in every metric. They are the best secondary in the league. The Commanders are middle of the pack.

  Edge- Eagles

  John Clark on X (formerly Twitter): "Eagles draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are both finalists for the NFL defensive rookie of the year pic.twitter.com/f7DP5ovACV / X"

  Eagles draft picks Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are both finalists for the NFL defensive rookie of the year pic.twitter.com/f7DP5ovACV

• ST

  Jake Elliott is a problem. Oddly he has made all 6 FG tries so far, but he has now missed 3 extra points. And the Eagles clearly dont trust him to try anything past 50 yards. Zane Gonzalez has meanwhile missed one kick for the Commanders in the playoffs but has made all 8 Extra Points. He is mostly reliable, but Elliott is all over the place.

  Another big factor here is kick coverage. The Eagles have had issues at times and got burned against the Commanders the last time they played. But Elliott has been better than Mann was at getting touchbacks to make it a nonissue. It should be warm enough where Elliott can continue to do that, but it is worth watching since that was such a big factor the last time these teams played.

  The kicking issues will be the biggest issue though. It has not hurt them yet, but his missed extra points could hurt them in a close game. That said, he did deliver some tough FGs in the snow.

  NFL on X (formerly Twitter): "Jake Elliott puts it through to give the @Eagles the lead.📺: #LARvsPHI on NBC📱: Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/ga8Clilj9b / X"

  Jake Elliott puts it through to give the @Eagles the lead.📺: #LARvsPHI on NBC📱: Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/ga8Clilj9b

  Edge- Commanders

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