Eagles-Commanders Game Preview: 6 Questions and Answers with NFC Championship Game Foe

Sunday’s NFC Championship Game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field is a rubber match with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.

In order to get some insight into this massive NFC East battle, I reached out to our enemies at Pig Haven. The awesome Andrew York I kindly took the time to answer my questions about this next tilt. Let’s take a look at the answers. (For my answers on the Eagles, stay tuned to HH.)

1) Washington no longer has the NFL’s longest NFC championship game drought; that distinct honor now belongs to Dallas (lol Cowboys). I imagine the commanders must feel like they are in seventh heaven. What is it like for Washington to be here?

Yes, it’s absolutely incredible. This is what we thought might be possible in the second or third year of the rebuild if everything went well. Getting there in the first year seems almost unreal. The last time we went to the NFC Championship was for the 1991 season, so there’s a whole generation of Washington fans who have never had this much success. And for those who remember the 1991 season, it brings back fond memories of what it was like to have a consistently fun team that fans could celebrate and trust. During the Dan Snyder years, I really debated if I should have children, Would I share this fandom with them knowing that it was far more likely to bring them grief than joy? Now I have two kids, my oldest is 3 – just old enough to start watching casual games with me and get excited when I get excited about a big play. It’s been a lot of fun sharing these experiences with her and I can’t wait to share more.

2) Commanders starting right guard Sam Cosmi suffered a season-ending injury in Detroit. How concerning is his absence and how will Washington replace him?

Well, that’s a concern, especially against Jalen Carter this week. Cosmi was one of our best offensive linemen (and one of Ron Rivera’s only draft picks still on the team). However, Trent Scott came in and replaced him quite well against the Lions. Scott has primarily served as a deep offensive tackle for us before, so it was curious to see him act as a backup guard, but I think the coaches haven’t been too happy with our IOL depth and thought Scott could do a better job. Scott played well for 3 quarters against the Lions, but he’s a less formidable front than the Eagles, so we’ll see how he performs in this game or if they use anyone else.

3) What else has changed for the Commanders since their last game against the Eagles? What’s different about Washington entering this game?

Most of the differences are positive for commanders. RB Austin Ekeler is back from his concussion and provides an explosive element in the running and short passing game. DT Jonathan Allen returned from a torn pectoral and seemed to play well against the Lions, generating some pressures and causing 2 QB hits. Although Marshon Lattimore played against the Eagles in our last game, he did not appear 100% healthy and was removed from the game after his hamstring aggravated. Last week against the Lions seemed to be the first game where he was 100% recovered, allowing no receptions on a single target.

4) What are you really excited about about Commanders’ chances?

How well we played against the Lions, a team that had the Highest point differential in the NFL and was the No. 1 seed in the NFC. It wasn’t just that we won the game, it was that we played relatively error-free football while capitalizing on the Lions’ mistakes. I think that’s the formula for winning in the playoffs and one of the lessons from the whole weekend is that the teams with the fewest mistakes won. If we can continue to play this type of football I think we have a chance.

5) What is the one thing that really worries you about commanders going into this game?

The Eagles probably have the most talented team of any team in the NFL and most of this team has been playing together for years, while the Commanders have a lot of players who are new to the team and a lot of them have not proven themselves. If I think back to the teams that beat us (Bucs, Ravens, SteelersEagles, Cowboys), the biggest commonality between these teams is that they have loaded rosters that are mostly local and have played together for years (in the Cowboys’ case, this is mostly true on the defensive end) . I think the commanders are coached to a very high level and the players show tremendous chemistry, but there is only so much coaching and chemistry that can overcome a large talent differential and stability, so this match will be an uphill battle.

Additionally, even though we beat the Lions, Jahmyr Gibbs gashed us for 105 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, and 6 receptions for 70 yards. Saquon Barkley is basically a better Jahmyr Gibbs.

6) Who wins this game and why? With the Eagles currently listed as a 5.5 point home favorite, what is your score prediction?

I believe the line opened at 4.5 and has already gone to 6 and 6.5 in some spots, so people are betting pretty heavily on the Eagles. Objectively, the Eagles should win something like 27-21, as Vegas’ total indicates. The Eagles have the more established roster and are used to this kind of postseason success. The Commanders are new to winning playoffs, have an unproven roster, a rookie QB, and a “retreaded” head coach that no other team was willing to hire. The Commanders have been underdogs in every playoff game so far and continue to be so here, it’s up to them to prove themselves again.