PHILADELPHIA — Throughout this season, the Philadelphia Eagles have stressed that the disappointing end to the previous year is behind them.

This makes their latest victory even more satisfying.

For the second time in three seasons, the Philadelphia Eagles are heading to the Super Bowl, earning the spot with a dominant 55-23 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday in the NFC championship game. The Eagles recorded the highest number of points ever scored in a conference championship game, with seven rushing touchdowns.

The significant impact of running back Saquon Barkley can’t be overlooked, as he contributed three touchdowns and gained 118 rushing yards on just 15 carries.

The Eagles fell behind 3-0 even before they had run a play, but they quickly turned that around. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, who also scored three rushing touchdowns, executed a fake jet sweep and handed the ball to Barkley, who burst through and evaded a tackle for a 60-yard touchdown, putting the Eagles ahead 7-3. This marked Barkley’s seventh touchdown of over 60 yards this season and his third in these playoffs.

On the ensuing drive by the Commanders, Defensive Player of the Year finalist Zack Baun knocked the ball loose from Dyami Brown, which was recovered by Eagles safety Reed Blankenship. A quick six plays later, Barkley celebrated his second touchdown on just his second carry of the game, putting the score at 14-3 with 3:43 left in the first quarter.

The Commanders managed to narrow the gap to 11 points in the third quarter but committed far too many errors to upset the Eagles. Running back Austin Ekeler fumbled the ball – Washington’s third turnover – just 22 seconds before the quarter ended. The Eagles capitalized on this mistake, scoring on the following drive after some tricky attempts by the Commanders to counter Hurts’ signature “tush push,” extending their lead to 41-23 with 12:24 remaining.

From the opening moments, the Eagles’ defensive line was relentlessly pressuring Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels. Though he evaded a sack on the very first play, he wasn’t able to escape three more times. The third sack set the Eagles up with excellent field position with 10:19 left, culminating in Barkley’s third touchdown, sealing a dominant performance.

Two first-half turnovers, coupled with significant penalties, proved costly for Washington. For Daniels, this loss brought an end to what had been an impressive rookie season. He finished 29-for-48 passing for 255 yards with one touchdown and one interception, along with a rushing touchdown that brought the score to 34-23 with 5:01 left in the third quarter (he successfully connected with Olamide Zaccheaus for a two-point conversion). The Philadelphia defense pressured Daniels throughout, throwing off his rhythm initially before he settled down.

Amid concerns regarding the effectiveness of the passing game, Hurts delivered an outstanding performance, going 20-for-28 with 246 yards and one passing touchdown. Just a week after appearing limited by a knee injury, he showed impressive mobility. His first rushing touchdown, coming from nine yards out with Barkley leading the way, expanded the Eagles’ lead to 34-15 after the extra point with 8:58 remaining in the third quarter.

Hurts’ main targets Sunday were tight end Dallas Goedert (seven catches for 85 yards) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (six catches for 96 yards and one touchdown).

As the two-minute warning approached in the first half, Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni kept the offense on the field for a crucial fourth-and-5 from the 45-yard line. The Eagles successfully handled a blitz, allowing Brown to beat Marshon Lattimore, and Hurts connected with him for a significant 31-yard gain, a play that had been missing from the Eagles’ offense in recent games.

A no-call by officials regarding Lattimore’s defense on a jump ball to Goedert upset the fans, but they got their wish on the very next play when receiver DeVonta Smith drew a pass-interference penalty in the end zone. Hurts pushed through for a touchdown on the next play, and after another penalty on Lattimore for unnecessary roughness, the Eagles ran their favorite play again for a two-point conversion, leaving the score at 20-12 with 1:44 left before halftime.

Then disaster struck for Washington once more, as the Eagles forced a fumble on a kickoff for the second time in three games. Special teams player Will Shipley collided with Washington’s Jeremy McNichols, causing McNichols to lose control of the ball. The Eagles recovered at the 24-yard line, and it seemed the Commanders’ defense would force a field goal until rookie corner Mike Sainristil hit Barkley out of bounds, leading to another unnecessary roughness penalty that kept the drive alive. Hurts connected with Brown, who easily beat Sainristil on the outside, securing a four-yard touchdown that extended the Eagles’ lead to 27-12 with just 39 seconds left in the first half. However, Daniels managed to drive Washington within field-goal range, with Gonzalez successfully kicking his third field goal of the half, making it 27-15 at halftime.

The Eagles’ biggest challenge arose from a successful fake punt by Washington in the first quarter. Down 14-3, punter Tress Way executed a perfect pass to rookie tight end Ben Sinnott for a 23-yard gain. Washington capitalized on this with a 46-yard field goal from Gonzalez for three points.

In the second quarter, Washington’s Frankie Luvu broke through on a third-down blitz, resulting in a nine-yard loss for Hurts. Eagles kicker Jake Elliott pushed a 54-yard field goal attempt wide right, allowing Daniels to find Terry McLaurin on a slant route for a 36-yard touchdown. A missed two-point conversion kept the Eagles ahead, 14-12.

Rookie Will Shipley joined the Eagles’ rushing success late in the fourth quarter, breaking a 57-yard run and capping the drive with a 2-yard touchdown for his first career score, finalizing Philadelphia’s dominant victory.