The Commanders have surprised the NFL world by reaching the NFC Championship with rookie QB Jayden Daniels at the helm. Even Jason Kelce was impressed by their ability to overcome the Lions in Detroit in the Divisional Round, a team he says was the best in the NFC over the last two regular seasons. However, Kelce doesn’t like their chances against his Eagles, offering the simple analysis that Washington is outmatched at every position.
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Kelce joined the 94WIP sports radio to share his analysis ahead of the game. He began by expressing surprise at how far this Commanders team has come this season. Then, he praised their coaching staff, particularly Dan Quinn, and also commended Daniels for his dazzling performance in the playoffs.
“They (Commanders) have good players… [But] I’ll be very candid, I think the Eagles are better at every position. I don’t know if there’s one position if you put the two rosters next to each other, that I would take the Washington player over the Eagle player. And that is a very honest assessment. I think that the Eagles are loaded.”
Jason Kelce on the Commanders vs Eagles:
“I’ll be very candid. I think the Eagles are better at every position. That is a very honest assessment.”
(via:@SportsRadioWIP) pic.twitter.com/g20cf8hW8I
— brandon (@JayDanielsMVP) January 23, 2025
The Eagles have been extremely tough to play against this season, especially on defense. They rank first in yards, allowing just 278 yards per game. What’s crazy, though, is that the yardage difference between them and the second-place Titans (311) is the same as the gap between the second and the 23rd team on the list. To say the Eagles’ defense has been dominant would be an understatement. They were also second in TDs allowed with 33, just one ahead of the eliminated Broncos in first.
It’s a defense that has been built through drafting former Georgia Bulldogs. Five of the 11 Philadelphia starters on defense came from the school. It would be six if Nakobe Dean didn’t tear his patellar tendon against the Packers in the Wild Card. Most notable of the starters is defensive lineman Jalen Carter, who fell to the Eagles at ninth overall in the 2023 draft.
Carter was being projected to go as high as one before he was involved in a fatal car crash while racing against one of his teammates in Athens, Georgia. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges and reckless driving while being sentenced to 12 months of probation. The car Carter was racing against crashed and killed Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy.
The Eagles knew selecting Carter came with risk. But that risk has since paid off. He’s stayed out of trouble and become a dominant force on the defensive line. He led the league in batted passes this season while registering 4.5 sacks and 2 forced fumbles.
Back to the interview, Kelce says the Commanders and Quinn do an excellent job at scheming plays and completing fourth-down conversions, which extend drives. He even pointed out that when Quinn was the defensive coordinator in Dallas, he always schemed well against the Eagles.
“So, they’re well coached. They play as a unit and make minimal mistakes. They go for it on fourth down and get it a lot, which increases drives and their opportunities. So, they do a lot of things really well. That’s why they’re here.”
It’ll be interesting to see whether the Commanders rise to the challenge as they did against Detroit, or if they crumble to their divisional rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles, led by Kelce. Either way, it should be a fun matchup in the NFC Championship. This marks just the fifth time since 2000 that divisional rivals have met in the contest.
