Going into the 2025 NFC Championship game, the Philadelphia Eagles probably didn't need bulletin board material-but they had it anyway.
The Washington Commanders can blame themselves for that, as Eagles star Saquon Barkley recently revealed that the way the Commanders celebrated their previous outing against the Eagles was stored in the back of their minds for their next meeting.
Unlike most seasons, the Eagles and the Commanders met more than twice. As Washington pulled off upsets in the 2024 NFL Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, they punched their ticket to the NFC Championship game.
Meanwhile, the Eagles took care of business against the Green Bay Packers, before hosting the Los Angeles Rams and squeezing out a tight victory there. One game away from the Super Bowl, the Commanders paid a visit to Philadelphia and struggled to make it three upsets in a row.
Reviewing the Eagles' season, Saquon Barkley recently touched on the team's mindset going into the matchup.
"The mindset going into this game was the last time we played this team we lost, we kind of gave the game away," Barkley said. "That's why you got to be careful with what you do. We remember how they celebrated. If this was college, they would've stormed the field. That's what it felt like. That definitely was in the back of our mind."
The Eagles were on a heater heading into Washington on December 22, 2024. After starting the season 2-2, the Eagles came out of their early bye week and rattled off 10 wins in a row. During the first half of the matchup against the Commanders, the Eagles were in complete control, looking like they were well on their way to 11 straight.
However, the momentum shifted. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts went down with an injury early on. He was evaluated for a concussion, and found himself ruled out for the remainder of the matchup. The Eagles still had a handle on the game, building up a solid lead for themselves, but they collapsed late. The Commanders snapped the winning streak by winning 36-33.
The Commanders had a lot of confidence coming out of that game, but it didn't matter in the NFC Championship. The Eagles dominated Washington, sending them out of the playoffs with a 55-23 loss.
Although the Eagles got their payback, the rivalry should be heating right back up in 2025. With the Eagles and the Commanders recognized as two contenders in the NFC East, they'll have plenty of eyes on them for their two matchups against each other next season.
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