By james art 
Saquon Barkley – who else? — made an electrifying 60-yard touchdown run the first time he touched the football Sunday, in the first game he played for a Super Bowl berth. His Philadelphia Eagles kept the pressure going throughout the game.
With Washington’s gorgeous rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels, wearing a burgundy ski cap, watching from the bench for most of the afternoon, the Eagles beat the Washington Commanders 55-23 to win the NFC Championship at home for the second time in three years.
Philadelphia will play the winner of the AFC Championship game later Sunday between the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills in Super Bowl LIX on February 9 in New Orleans. The Eagles lost to the Chiefs two seasons ago in Super Bowl LVII.
Barkley, the speedy but punishing and resourceful running back acquired from the rival New York Giants after six scoreless seasons there, also scored a touchdown on his second carry from scrimmage, then iced the decisive victory with a four-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
“I’m not going to lie — I tried to play it down in my head, but it’s just amazing, man. It’s incredible. We are here. Super Bowl,” Barkley said. “But the goal wasn’t just to get there. The goal is victory. And we’re going to celebrate and enjoy it and get right back to work.”
He would finish with 118 yards on just 15 carries, and he was far from Philadelphia’s only weapon. Oft-maligned quarterback Jaylen Hurts, playing with a bad knee, was superb Sunday, scoring twice and completing 20-of-28 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown.
“I guess he let me out of the straitjacket a little bit today,” Hurts said, referring to Philadelphia head coach Nick Siriani.
The Chiefs were partially done for by three fumbles — the second on a kickoff that led to an Eagles touchdown in the first half, the third on their final drive of the third quarter when they appeared to be building the momentum needed to erase an 11-point deficit.
“Yeah, I mean turnovers play a huge factor in a game, especially when you’re playing a good team like Philly,” Daniels said. “You can’t give these guys extra possessions.”
The Eagles then covered 51 yards in five plays, with Hurts scoring on a one-yard “Tush Push,” delayed three times by Washington pass-rushing penalties, to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 41-23 with 12:24 to play. Barkley scored again, delighting the packed hall.
The Eagles stormed 58 yards in four plays on their second drive of the second half — capped by a nine-yard field goal by Hurts — to extend their lead to three scores. Washington was determined, with Daniels capping a 70-yard touchdown drive with a 10-yard sprint of his own.
Daniels, the quiet rookie who had led Washington to improbable playoff victories at Tampa Bay and Detroit, completed 29 of 48 passes for 255 yards and a touchdown, but his final pass was picked off in the end zone by rookie Philadelphia cornerback Quinan Mitchell.
Siriani, whose 2023 team collapsed and whose 2024 team started 2-2, then cleared its bench, with rookie backup Will Shipley scoring a touchdown with three minutes left. A beaming Siriani immediately took a Gatorade bath.
Although Washington settled for a 34-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez to end a monstrous 18-play, seven-minute opener, Daniels hardly looked like a 24-year-old rookie playing for a Super Bowl berth, coolly converting two third downs and two fourth falls.
But the Eagles needed exactly one play — and 18 seconds — to break through the Commanders’ vulnerable defense to take the lead. Barkley took a deep pass from Hurts, galloped around left end, broke three tackles and cut down the right to cap off a stunning touchdown sprint.
Washington’s offense was off the field after four plays. Zach Baun, a revelation at middle linebacker, knocked the ball away from Commanders receiver Dayami Brown after catching a short pass. Reid Blankenship recovered for Eagles at Washington 48.
“You know, they caused them,” Washington coach Dan Quinn said of the turnovers. “It wasn’t like a misclick or anything reckless like that. They caused them. And so I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that it’s a good job [Eagles defensive coordinator Vic] Fangio and their team.
Barkley would polish off Philadelphia’s second touchdown with a four-yard run around the end, but he had help moving the Eagles downfield during the six-play drive. A magnificent toehold by DeVonta Smith on a lateral pass from Hurts covered 20 yards.
Washington brazenly converted another fourth down play on its next possession, this one on a 23-yard pass from Tres Way to Ben Sinnott on a fake punt. But the Eagles forced two fumbles and Gonzalez hit a 46-yard field goal. The score was 14-6 early in the second quarter.
Hurts was almost immediately sacked for a nine-yard loss on third down by the Commanders’ flamboyant linebacker Frankie Louvoo, critically pushing the Eagles back to the Washington 36. So Jake Elliott attempted a 54-yard field goal and, by the walls, his kick went wide to the right.
Daniels threw a short slant pass to his ace receiver, Terry McLaurin, and McLaurin went right through the Eagles’ secondary to complete a 36-yard touchdown play that cut the deficit to 14-12. The Eagles kept their lead after a two-point conversion failed.
Hurts scampered in from one yard out to cap a 12-play, 72-yard drive to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 20-12 with just under two minutes left in the half. Commanders cornerback Marshawn Lattimore was burned for a 31-yard completion from Hurts to AJ Brown.
Lattimore forced a third down in the end zone on a pass from Hurts to Smith – but not before he tackled Smith, giving the Eagles first and goal. Lattimore then received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for fighting with Brown after the touchdown.
Shipley fumbled the ball from Washington returnee Jeremy McNichols on the kickoff, and Kenneth Gainwell recovered for Philadelphia. Aided by a late Barkley penalty by Mike Saintsteel, the Eagles got back into the end zone after seven plays.
Brown got both feet in as he caught a four-yard touchdown pass from Hurts with 39 seconds left in the half, extending the Eagles’ lead to 27-12. Daniels came up big, and Gonzalez kicked a 42-yard field goal with two seconds left in the half to cut the deficit to 27-15.
It would only be a short delay.
Siriani appeared to be soaking in the jubilant scene in the dressing room after the match. “I was just thinking about the next game to be quite honest with you,” he said. “It’s a great feeling. We’ve had this feeling before. It just makes you hungrier. Hungrier or hungrier? ok I’ll pass with more hungry ones. It just makes you even more hungry to go out there and play that game again.”