Wednesday, January 29, 2025

Live updates: Chiefs lead Bills 21-16 late in second quarter of AFC championship

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Mahomes masterful with arm and legs

Patrick Mahomes has been effective as a rusher this season — especially when he has gained extra yards on the sideline by sensing when defenders will ease up, reticent of risking a penalty for a late hit. Yet his counterpart, Buffalo’s Josh Allen, entered the AFC championship as by far the more dynamic rushing option at quarterback, with half of his 18 carries in the postseason resulting in a first down.

That hasn’t panned out thus far, as Mahomes has been elusive on his five rushes for 18 yards, including a touchdown and fourth-down conversion on what looked like the same play call — a bootleg scramble toward the sideline.

Touchdown, Chiefs!

Huge, huge score by the Chiefs.

Set up by a big punt return, Kansas City needed only six plays to go 34 yards for a touchdown.

The drive was aided by a controversial play — a catch by Xavier Worthy that somehow also looked like an interception or incomplete pass.

Two plays later, Mahomes ran the ball in from one yard out.

The Chiefs now lead 21-10.

Bills go three-and-out quickly

The Bills punt after picking up zero yards in three plays. The Chiefs have the ball back less than a minute after scoring a touchdown.

Patrick Mahomes will have the ball on the Bills’ 34 after a 42-yard punt return.

Nearly perfect start for Patrick Mahomes

After his 11-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy, Kansas City’s quarterback has completed nine-of-10 passes for 106 yards, and his run to the sideline earlier in the touchdown drive also converted a key fourth-down attempt. Mahomes still hasn’t been intercepted or sacked.

Touchdown, Chiefs!

And the Chiefs are back in front!

Kansas City travels 70 yards in 11 plays, capped by an 11-yard touchdown pass to Xavier Worthy. Patrick Mahomes was 5 of 5 on the drive, and also picked up a fourth down with his legs.

The Chiefs lead 14-10.

Chiefs convert a key fourth down

Facing 4th-and-a-long-1 from their own 39-yard line, the Chiefs decided to be aggressive and attempt a conversion. They picked it up, with Patrick Mahomes rolling out and running for the first down.

That’s a big play early in this game, as the Bills offense had found a groove. Kansas City is now in better position to tie or take the lead.

Kansas City trails for first time during playoffs

After allowing a Buffalo touchdown for a 10-7 Bills lead, Kansas City trails for the first time in five postseason quarters.

Touchdown, Bills!

What a turn of events.

The Chiefs were driving and in position to potentially go ahead two scores. Instead they fumbled, and now the Bills are in front after a 10-play, 72-yard drive.

Great possession by Buffalo, which converted a 3rd-and-13 one play before James Cook ran in for a score from six yards out.

The Bills now lead 10-7.

End of first: Chiefs 7, Bills 3

A tight first quarter that featured some highs and lows for both teams.

The Chiefs opening drive was great — then they fumbled after moving the ball again on their second.

The Bills started the game with a three-and-out before settling in on their second possession.

Buffalo currently has the ball post-fumble. The Bills will have a 2nd-and-7 from their 41 when the second quarter begins.

That’s the first Chiefs turnover since Nov. 17

Kansas City’s first-quarter fumble was extremely rare. The Chiefs had gone eight consecutive games without a turnover, dating to Nov. 17. That streak was the longest turnover-free streak in the Super Bowl era.

Fumble! Bills recover!

Oh no!

The Chiefs were driving, but a poor handoff between Patrick Mahomes and Isaiah Pacheco turned into a fumble, and the Bills recovered. Kansas City was on the edge of the red zone before the mistake.

Buffalo now has the ball on its own 28, trailing 7-3.

Elite postseason QBs going head-to-head

Patrick Mahomes has a 105.6 postseason passer rating while Josh Allen’s is 101.5. It will mark the fifth playoff matchup ever between starting quarterbacks with career postseason passer ratings of 100 or higher (with a minimum of 100 attempts).

The previous QBs:

  • Allen and Mahomes (Jan. 23, 2022, and Jan. 21, 2024)
  • Drew Brees and Nick Foles (Jan. 13, 2019)
  • Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson (Jan. 18, 2015)

Bills hit field goal after nine-play drive

Tyler Bass hit a 53-yard field goal for the Bills to cut into the Chiefs’ lead. Buffalo looked much better on offense on its second drive until Josh Allen fumbled a snap on a 2nd-and-5, and the Bills couldn’t convert the subsequent third down.

Kansas City now leads 7-3.

Buffalo is in familiar territory

A Bills opponent has scored a touchdown on its opening drive in all three games this postseason. Buffalo overcame that to beat Denver in the wild card round and Baltimore in the divisional by allowing just two other touchdowns total. Can their defense tighten up the rest of the way in Kansas City?

Touchdown, Chiefs!

What an opening possession by the Chiefs!

Kansas City marched down the field with ease, covering 90 yards in nine plays for a touchdown. Every play on the drive gained yardage. Kareem Hunt capped it off with a 12-yard touchdown run.

The Chiefs lead 7-0.

Bills go three-and-out on opening drive

A scary opening drive for the Bills. After a short run by Josh Allen to start the drive, he threw two straight incomplete passes — and both were very nearly picked off. The Chiefs got some good pressure on both plays as well.

The Chiefs have the ball for their first drive on their own 10.

The AFC championship game is off!

The Bills received the opening kick and their first play from scrimmage was a Josh Allen run for four yards.

Allen vs. Mahomes IV is officially underway!

Chiefs going for three-peat

Only three other teams have won back-to-back Super Bowls and reached the conference title game the third year: the 1992-93 Dallas Cowboys, 1988-89 San Francisco 49ers and 1974-75 Pittsburgh Steelers.

None of those made the Super Bowl.

That said, with a win against Buffalo, they would become the fourth team to reach three consecutive Super Bowls. The others: 1990-93 Buffalo Bills (four consecutive), 1971-73 Miami Dolphins (three) and 2016-18 New England Patriots (three).

Taylor Swift arrives at Arrowhead

She’s back as cheer captain for at least one more game this season.

Taylor Swift arrived at Arrowhead Stadium ahead of tonight’s AFC championship game against the Buffalo Bills with her mom, Andrea, video posted to social media showed.

She sported an oversized black and gold Louis Vuitton zip-up, paired with a black beanie, black skirt and red tights — ready for both the Chiefs and the weather.

It’s official: Eagles advance to Super Bowl in New Orleans

Philadelphia has beaten Washington, 55-23, to win the NFC championship and secure a berth in the Super Bowl against the winner of Buffalo-Kansas City in the AFC title game.

The Eagles were powered by a running game that averaged 6.4 yards per carry led by Saquon Barkley, who rushed for 118 yards on 15 carries and scored three times on the ground. Quarterback Jalen Hurts also rushed for three touchdowns as Philadelphia matched the NFL record for most rushing scores in a postseason game, with seven.

One of best rookie seasons ever by a quarterback is over

The superlative rookie season of Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels has come to an end. Daniels became only the sixth rookie quarterback to start a conference championship game, and completed 29 of his 48 passes for 255 yards, with one touchdown and one interception. Daniels also rushed six times for 48 yards and a touchdown.

Sacked just once combined during playoff road wins at Tampa Bay and at Detroit, Daniels was sacked three times under Philadelphia’s relentless pressure.

Eagles extend lead, 55-23

Playing its backups, Philadelphia collects its record seventh rushing touchdown in an NFC championship to widen its lead even more with 3:03 to play in the fourth quarter.

This game is over enough that the Eagles have already doused coach Nick Sirianni with the celebratory Gatorade bath on the sideline.

Washington’s fourth turnover ends drive

Philadelphia’s Quinyon Mitchell intercepts Washington quarterback Jayden Daniels, the fourth Commanders turnover of this championship game. The Eagles have scored 21 points off of turnovers tonight, and those mistakes have been the difference.

This is an historic rushing performance by the Eagles

All year long we’ve known the Eagles have one of the most feared rushing attacks in the NFL. And now the Jalen Hurts-Saquon Barkley backfield has been immortalized in the league record books.

Philly’s six rushing touchdowns today are the most in NFC championship game history, per the Fox broadcast. The Eagles set the record with their fifth rushing score. Barkley’s third touchdown on the ground added to the record.

Between Barkley and the Tush Push, Philly’s rushing offense can seemingly score from anywhere.

The Eagles now have 155 yards on 30 carries with 7:58 left in the fourth quarter.

Eagles can see the Super Bowl now

Philadelphia is closer to securing a berth in the Super Bowl after Saquon Barkley scores his third rushing touchdown of the day with 7:58 to play in the NFC championship.

Barkley now has 118 yards on 15 carries (7.9 yards per carry) and Philadelphia leads, 48-23.

D.C. area native wins skating championship

The DMV had better luck on ice than the gridiron today.

As the Washington Commanders struggled to keep up with the Philadelphia Eagles, 20-year-old Northern Virginia native Ilia Malinin won his third consecutive men’s title at the U.S. Figure Skating Championship in Wichita.

He carried a comfortable lead into today’s free skate and survived a nasty spill on a quad loop to still win easily.

Washington’s fourth-down magic wearing off

No team has ever converted as many fourth-down attempts as Washington this season, which has 30 including the postseason. Yet with 10:19 to play in the NFC championship, Washington’s Jayden Daniels was sacked on fourth-and-11 to give Philadelphia the ball back while leading, 41-23. It was the first failed fourth-down conversion today for the Commanders, and puts them in a very difficult position to mount a comeback.

Jalen Hurts now owns a playoff record

After the comical series of events on the Eagles’ last drive — during which the referees almost awarded Philly a score — Jalen Hurts is now in sole possession of an NFL playoff record.

With his third rushing touchdown of the game, Hurts has nine rushing touchdowns in his postseason career — the most for a quarterback in league history.

Steve Young is now in second place with eight. Josh Allen is lurking with seven.

Eagles ‘shove’ their way to another touchdown

With 12:24 to play in this game, Philadelphia leads 41-23.

Washington tried everything to stop Philadelphia from pushing the ball into the end zone on a quarterback sneak, the play the Eagles made famous and known as either the “Tush Push,” or “Brotherly Shove.” On three consecutive plays, with the ball only inches from the end zone, Commanders defenders drew encroachment penalties in hopes of timing the Eagles snap. But eventually, the Eagles broke through for the third rushing touchdown of the day by Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts.

The touchdown was set up by yet another big run by Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, this time a 21-yard gain.

Washington turns ball over for a third time

Washington running back Austin Ekeler made an athletic play to catch a short throw by Jayden Daniels, but when Ekeler tried to make a move upfield, he fumbled the ball, giving Philadelphia possession back with seconds to play in the third quarter. The Eagles have forced more fumbles this season (29) than any other team in the NFL.

Blitz ends Eagles drive

A perfectly timed blitz up the middle of Philadelphia’s offensive line by Washington linebacker Frankie Luvu allowed Luvu to tackle running back Saquon Barkley almost as soon as Barkley took the hand off on third down.

It left Philadelphia with little choice but to punt, and now Washington gets the ball back with just over one minute remaining in the third quarter, trailing 34-23.

Jayden Daniels breaks tackles for Washington touchdown

Philadelphia’s lead has been trimmed to 34-23 with 5 minutes left in the third quarter following Washington’s touchdown and successful two-point conversion — both engineered by quarterback Jayden Daniels.

Jalen Hurts ties postseason record with latest touchdown

With his latest rushing touchdown in the third quarter, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts tied Steve Young for the most rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in playoff history.

Both Hurts and Young ran for eight scores. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, who plays later tonight, has seven.

Touchdown, Eagles!

Concern over the injured left knee of quarterback Jalen Hurts followed the Eagles throughout the week leading up to today’s NFC championship game. Hurts, it turns out, looks just fine.

Already up to 199 yards passing, his most in the playoffs — previous high, 131 — Hurts has also hurt the Commanders as a rusher, including on his nine-yard scamper for a touchdown to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 34-15 with 8:58 remaining in the third quarter. The run capped a four-play, 58-yard touchdown drive.

Second half opens with … punts?

The first two punts of the NFC championship have taken place on each team’s opening drive of the third quarter. Both teams went three-and-out, with a total yardage gain of … negative-three yards.

What to watch for in the second half

The most important thing to look out for in the second half will be the Eagles’ rushing attack vs. the Commanders’ run defense.

Once Philly gets ahead, its offense isn’t shy about pounding the ball on the ground and bleeding clock. The Eagles’ success is largely predicated on keeping Jalen Hurts out of obvious passing situations and controlling the game with the run. Washington can’t afford for Philly to run roughshod in the second half, and the offense will need all the help it can get.

Better yet, if the Commanders can make Hurts throw more often, that’s their best bet at throwing a wrench into the Eagles’ offense.

Jayden Daniels may not have had to play from behind much in the playoffs, but he’s already led several game-winning drives in his rookie season. The more Washington can get the ball in his hands, the better chance it will have to get to the Super Bowl.

A.J. Brown is having his best game of the playoffs

Eagles receiver A.J. Brown entered today’s game against the Commanders with only three receptions for 24 yards in the postseason, catching 30% of his targets across two games. His biggest highlight from the playoffs was reading a book on the sidelines.

That’s changed today.

Brown already has four catches for 61 yards and a touchdown through the first half. He also made one of the biggest plays of the game — a 31-yard reception after beating man coverage on a 4th-and-5.

An engaged and active Brown is a difference-maker for Philly’s offense. He and Hurts haven’t always had the best connection, but they’re bringing their best at an important time.

Washington fans holding out hope

The wind has been taken out of the sails of some Commanders fans here at Whitlows Bar at halftime.

“Stupid penalties,” one fan screamed as the first half was coming to an end.

But most Washington fans are keeping the faith. “We’re still in there. I think we’re still in there,” fan Alex Vreeland said. “They need to go have a talking to in the locker room. But after that, we should be good.”

“We’re always a fourth quarter team,” Meredith Hane, who has been saving a table at Whitlow’s bar since noon, said. “I feel like we always pull it off in like the last play. So I’m not worried. We’re scoring. We’re moving the ball.”

The Commanders had a mistake-filled first half

As a younger team playing on the road against an experienced opponent, the Commanders desperately needed to avoid big mistakes against the Eagles today. Unfortunately for Washington, that wasn’t the case in the first half.

The Commanders made several blunders, some forced and some unenforced.

The two fumbles Washington had — both of which led to Philly touchdowns — were both good plays by the opponent.

The penalties were another story, though. The Commanders committed a pass interference in the end zone on 3rd-and-13, which set up a score. A personal foul penalty after a touchdown nearly led to a two-point conversion by the Eagles. And a separate personal foul penalty on a third down led to Philly’s last touchdown of the half.

Washington is almost lucky to only be trailing by 12 after all the mistakes. But the Commanders need to clean it up quickly if they’re going to come back.

Halftime! Philadelphia 27, Washington 15

These teams are close in many statistical categories at the half, but Washington’s two turnovers loom large.

Washington is 4-for-9 on third down, and 3-for-3 on fourth down. Did coach Dan Quinn err in settling for a field goal on the opening drive and not attempting a third fourth-down conversion that might have led to a touchdown? Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels is 15-24 passing for 139 yards and a touchdown. Daniels has also rushed for 31 yards.

The Eagles are 4-for-7 on third down, and 1-for-1 on fourth. Saquon Barkley has nine carries for 85 yards, including two touchdowns. Quarterback Jalen Hurts, meanwhile, has completed 12 of his 18 passes for 141 yards and a touchdown.

Washington moves quickly to set up field goal

After getting the ball back with only 39 seconds left before halftime, Washington drove 46 yards to get into field-goal range for kicker Zane Gonzalez.

Gonzalez, who already made field goals from 34 and 46 yards today, then nailed the kick from 42 yards.

Philadelphia leads 27-15 at halftime.

Touchdown, Philadelphia!

The story of this first half: Washington makes a mistake, and Philadelphia takes advantage.

The Eagles now lead 27-12 after a pass from Jalen Hurts to A.J. Brown. Brown had caught only 24 yards in his first two playoff games but has 61 at the half today. The touchdown was set up after a late-hit penalty with 57 seconds remaining in the half, that happened on third down and gifted the Eagles a first down and goal.

A score and a skirmish

Philadelphia scores on its customary “Brotherly Shove” quarterback sneak play, for a 20-12 lead with 1:41 to go before halftime, but immediately after the play, Washington cornerback Marshon Lattimore and Eagles receiver A.J. Brown got in one another’s faces, a skirmish that extended from the touchdown play when Brown was blocking Lattimore.

The Eagles could not convert another quarterback sneak for a two-point conversion, leaving their lead 20-12.

Philadelphia converts huge fourth-down attempt

Facing fourth-and-5 from the Washington 46 with just over 2 minutes remaining before halftime, Philadelphia did something rare this postseason — it asked Jalen Hurts to make a big play. Hurts’ pass up the left sideline found A.J. Brown for a 31-yard gain, and now the Eagles are just 14 yards from the end zone.

Hurts has completed 9 of his 13 passes for 126 yards so far, by far his most comfortable postseason outing this season.

Touchdown, Washington!

Jayden Daniels got the ball quickly to receiver Terry McLaurin on a slant route, and McLaurin did the rest, breaking tackles en route to a 36-yard touchdown.

Trying to forge a tie, Washington attempted a two-point conversion but came up short. Philadelphia leads 14-12 with 7:05 left before halftime.

Still a one-possession game

Philadelphia kicker Jake Elliott pushes a 54-yard field goal attempt wide right with 8:55 to play before halftime to keep the score Eagles 14, Commanders 6.

The miss was preceded by a nine-yard loss when quarterback Jalen Hurts couldn’t avoid the blitz and was sacked by Washington’s Frankie Luvu. For a Commanders team trying to climb back into this game, it was a significant two-play sequence.

Eagles defensive line generating good pressure

The Eagles’ defensive line is presenting some issues for the Commanders early.

Philly sacked Jayden Daniels for the first time on Washington’s most recent drive, then forced a throwaway on third down after pressuring Daniels.

How the Commanders hold up against the Eagles’ pass rush will be worth monitoring moving forward. Washington is without its starting right guard, and Philly is adept at collapsing the pocket from both the interior and the edge.

Aside from the obvious, another reason the Commanders need to close the deficit is Daniels is going to be facing a ferocious rush in pure passing situations.

Commanders score again

At the end of a 10-play Washington drive, kicker Zane Gonzalez nails a field goal from 46 yards to trim Philadelphia’s lead to 14-6 with 14:42 remaining in the second quarter.

Washington converts fake punt!

The Commanders were set up as though they were about to punt for the first time until Washington ran a trick play. Punter Tress Way’s pass was good for 23 yards and now the Commanders are back on Philadelphia’s side of the field.

Commanders facing their biggest deficit of the playoffs

The biggest deficit the Commanders had faced in the postseason entering today was 7-0 against the Lions. They now trail 14-3 to the Eagles.

Philadelphia has made some big plays in the first quarter — Saquon Barkley’s touchdown run on the offense’s first play, and the forced fumble on Dyami Brown.

Can Washington overcome the Eagles’ fast start?

Eagles extend lead to 14-3

Gifted the ball back by a Washington fumble, Philadelphia wastes little time to take advantage. Saquon Barkley scores his second touchdown on a 4-yard run with 3:43 to play in the first quarter. The TD was set up by an incredible catch from DeVonta Smith along the sideline.

The Commanders made the mistake they’ve avoided so far

Dyami Brown’s fumble is the Commanders’ first turnover of the playoffs.

A big reason Washington has pulled off upsets in back-to-back weeks is because of the team’s ability to play mistake-free football. The mistake led to a second Saquon Barkley touchdown as the Eagles take a 14-3 lead.

Fans are gathered to watch the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles face off in the NFC championship game. It has been more than 30 years since the Commanders played in the Super Bowl. NBC News’ Gary Grumbach reports from the official Commanders’ watch party.

 

Washington turns the ball over

The Commanders’ second drive was rolling along with yet another third-down conversion, until Dyami Brown couldn’t hold onto the ball under pressure from two Eagles defenders. Zack Baun and Cooper DeJean helped punch the ball out, and Philadelphia jumps on the fumble. Washington has shown great resilience in the postseason, but this has been a brutal last two minutes.

Saquon Barkley for the score!

The NFL’s leading rusher runs for a 60-yard touchdown on Philadelphia’s first play from scrimmage today. It’s 7-3, Philadelphia, and you cannot draw up a better start for the Eagles.

Massive loss on defensive line for Washington

The Commanders already faced an uphill battle going against superstar running back Saquon Barkley. They’ll have to do it without one of their top defensive players.

Time of possession will be a major factor in this game

The Commanders’ first drive of the half was a massive one — 18 plays, with 7:03 taken off the clock, nearly half of the first quarter.

Time of possession will be the game within the game in the NFC Championship. Both the Eagles and Washington can play ball-control offense. Both teams have good rushing attacks and both are confident in fourth-and-short situations.

That means possessions will be at a premium. With possibly limited opportunities to score for each side, that will magnify any mistakes made by the offenses today.

Commanders lead, 3-0

Washington produces its longest drive of the entire season — 18 plays — before opting for a field goal instead of trying a third fourth-down conversion. Zane Gonzalez nails the 34-yard field goal with 7:57 left in the first quarter.

Commanders staying aggressive on fourth down

The Commanders converted two fourth-down attempts on their first drive of the game, continuing a theme from their playoff run.

Washington went for it five times in the Wild Card Round and four more times last week. The Commanders finished the regular season first in fourth-down percentage.

After their first two conversions today, Washington is now 8 of 11 on fourth-down attempts in the postseason.

Washington converts fourth down

The Commanders aren’t afraid to go for it on fourth down — they were 20-for-23 in the regular season and 6-for-9 in their first two playoff games. And on their opening drive of the NFC championship they’ve already gone for one, and converted.

Jayden Daniels extends the opening drive yet again by a 7-yard gain to tight end Zach Ertz while facing fourth-and-5. The Commanders are nearly into the Eagles’ red zone.

We are underway!

Philadelphia won the toss and deferred to the second half. The Commanders will get the game’s first possession. It’s time for Jayden Daniels, who has already won two road playoff games as a rookie, to get the ball.

Washington fans have waited decades for this

Commanders fans have packed into Whitlow’s bar in Washington, D.C., one of the official watch parties for today’s NFC Championship game.

Heidi Andrews says she flew from Rhode Island just to be in Washington for the game.

The last time the Commanders won a Super Bowl, Andrews was two years old. “We have waited a long time for this,” she said. “Bring it on.”

The matchup to watch? Barkley vs. Washington’s run defense

Saquon Barkley had an MVP-type season in 2024-25, running for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season as Philadelphia won the NFC East. In his last performance, he pushed the Eagles past the Rams in the divisional round with 205 yards and two scores.

If Washington wants any chance in the NFC Championship, it must stop Barkley from going off. Unfortunately, that is not a bright spot for their team. The Commanders rank 30th in the league in both opponent rushing yards per carry (4.9) and opponent rushing yards per game (138.9).

This matchup alone could determine who plays in the Super Bowl.

Jayden Daniels having historic rookie season

Daniels, the No. 2 pick out of LSU, has had arguably the best rookie season in NFL history. After two more wins in the postseason (following 12 in the regular season), he’s tied with former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger for the most ever by a rookie.

If he wins Sunday, he’ll become the sixth QB ever to win three road postseason games in one playoff run. The others? Tom Brady (2020 with Tampa Bay), Tony Eason (1985 with New England), Eli Manning (2007 with the New York Giants), Aaron Rodgers (2010 with Green Bay) and Ben Roethlisberger (2005 with Pittsburgh).

He’d also overtake Russell Wilson (572 passing yards in 2012) for the most playoff passing yards by a rookie all time.

Will Commanders continue to find success on 4th down?

The Commanders’ fourth-down aggressiveness is coming close to flying above the radar, but I think their coaching strategy has been on point during the postseason. After attempting five fourth-down conversions in the Wild Card round, Washington went for it four more times on fourth against the Detroit Lions. If the Commanders are going to pull off an upset on the road as a significant underdog, then continuing to employ a bold fourth-down strategy will go a long way.

And it will especially be important against an Eagles team that likes to play keepaway with the football. Philly’s rushing attack can skew time of possession pretty quickly. If Washington remains aggressive and can keep an extra drive or two alive, that will go a long way in the Commanders upsetting yet another team.


After going viral for his pre-kick routine, Washington Commanders’ kicker Zane Gonzalez is opening up about his struggle with OCD which he says he’s been managing for years. NBC’s Sam Brock reports for “TODAY.”

Why I would take Daniels over Mahomes right now

Not to be a prisoner of the moment, but Daniels is currently having one heck of a moment. Among the four quarterbacks left, the Commanders rookie has completed the second-highest percentage of passes, taken the fewest sacks, thrown for the most yards per game and has the best touchdown-to-interception ratio. One rating, ESPN’s “QBR,” rates him virtually perfect on third and fourth downs. Most importantly, Daniels also leads the category of “player you least want to see right now.”

Mahomes’s statistical sag during the regular season — he posted worse-than-career-average marks in rating, the percentage of passes that went for touchdowns, and interceptions, and threw for fewer than 4,000 yards for the first time since he became a starter six years ago — has continued in the postseason. And yet, try watching his improvised touchdown pass to Travis Kelce last week, thrown perfectly through Houston’s zone while Mahomes was falling down, and believe that he won’t find a way to win. Mahomes has won his last six home playoff games and 11 of his last 12, dating to 2019.

Matthew McConaughey ready for NFC title game

The actor (and huge Commanders fan) posted this photo earlier today.

Dan Quinn could make history

Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, who previously led Atlanta to Super Bowl LI following the 2016 season, can become the eighth head coach to lead multiple franchises to a Super Bowl appearance.

The others?

  • Bill Parcells (New England, New York Giants)
  • Don Shula (Baltimore Colts, Miami)
  • Dick Vermeil (Philadelphia, St. Louis Rams)
  • John Fox (Carolina, Denver)
  • Mike Holmgren(Green Bay, Seattle)
  • Dan Reeves (Atlanta, Denver)
  • Andy Reid (Kansas City, Philadelphia).

Both Eagles, Commanders have elite rushing attacks

Philadelphia — led by running back Saquon Barkley — had the second-best rushing offense in the league this season (behind Baltimore) with 179.3 yards per game on the ground. Washington ranked third with 154.1 rushing yards per game.

According to the NFL, Sunday’s game will mark the first Conference Championship since 1993 (Dallas vs. San Francisco) to feature two teams in the top three in rushing during the regular season.

Jalen Carter could be the difference Sunday

Carter’s third-down sack and fourth-down pressure of the Rams’ Matthew Stafford helped seal the Eagles’ victory in the divisional round, and he also has three passes defended in the postseason. Now, Carter faces a Commanders offensive line missing starting guard Sam Cosmi, who injured a knee last week. An Eagles victory hinges partly on getting to Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels, and if the Eagles can get pressure with just their defensive front, it will allow its linebackers to spy on Daniels or drop into coverage.

Eagles the betting favorite

Here are how the odds opened:

Spread: Eagles (-6)

Moneylines: Philadelphia (-300); Washington (+240)

Over/under: 47.5

Will Saquon Barkley continue to dominate?

Eagles running back Saquon Barkley, including the playoffs, has 2,329 rushing yards and 2,638 scrimmage yards this season. Against Washington on Sunday, he could surpass Broncos legend Terrell Davis (2,476 rushing yards and 2,762 scrimmage yards in 1998 with Denver) for the most rushing yards and most scrimmage yards by a player in a season (including the postseason) in NFL history.

How Washington got here

Washington fans knew things were moving in the right direction a couple years ago when Dan Snyder sold the team to Josh Harris, however few if any thought the turnaround would be this fast. But thanks to new ownership, a new GM in Adam Peters, a new coach in Dan Quinn and new starting quarterback in No. 2 draft pick Jayden Daniels, that’s exactly what happened.

After a regular season that saw them improve from four to 12 wins, they defeated No. 3 seed Tampa Bay in the wild-card round and dominate No. 1 seed Detroit on the road in the divisional round.

If Washington wins on Sunday, it will become just the third team ever to defeat the top three seeds in their conference in a single postseason and the third No. 6 seed to reach the Super Bowl.

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