The Philadelphia Eagles were the one team finally able to stop the red-hot Washington Commanders. The Eagles cruised to a dominant 55-23 win over Washington and secured their second Super Bowl appearance since 2022.Ā
Saquon Barkley was once again the primary suspect, running all over the Commanders for 118 rushing yards and three touchdowns. As good as Barkley is, he has been the heartbeat of the offense.Ā
Defensively, the Eagles forced four Commanders turnovers, which was largely why the Eagles had such a lopsided win. The most important part was not just forcing the turnovers, but scoring on them as well.Ā
The defense and Barkley get A+ grades for Sundayās NFC Championship game as the Eagles await their AFC foe in the Super Bowl. But aside from the usual suspects, who else needs to step up for the Eagles as they look to win it all for the first time since 2017?Ā
Hereās who has to step for Philadelphia if they hope to be world champions again.Ā
3. Jalen Hurts has to improve as a passer if the Eagles want to win a Super Bowl
This is such a tricky one. You donāt want to take the ball out of Barkleyās hands. Heās been playing extremely well and has quite literally been the reason the offense has been so good this year.Ā
But the Buffalo Bills or the Kansas City Chiefs arenāt going to let Barkley run wild on them. Thatās why Hurts has to become better in the passing game in the Super Bowl. The Eagles offense has been one-dimensional in the playoffs.Ā
The Eagles were fortunate a late comeback effort by the Rams came up short in the red zone because Barkleyās phenomenal game was almost spoiled, largely because Hurts couldnāt impact the game as a passer.Ā
He looked better in Sundayās game, throwing for nearly 250 yards and a touchdown. But thatās his first game this postseason with 200 or more passing yards. He also had three rushing touchdowns in the game.Ā
Had the Eagles defense not blessed the offense with turnovers, Hurts would have had to have more of an impact. The defense has been clutch for Philadelphia. Itās masked the struggles Hurts has had, specifically through the postseason.Ā
Iām not saying heās not a good quarterback. But if Barkley doesnāt run for over 100 yards and three touchdowns, does Hurts lead the Eagles to a win still? Heāll have to do that in the Super Bowl.Ā
Barkley has been fantastic. But the Buffalo Bills have a top 15 run defense and the Chiefs have a top 10 run defense. Barkley wonāt have nearly as much ease as he did against the Commanders and throughout the playoffs. Thatās why Hurts has to be the difference-maker for the Eagles offense.Ā
2. Kellen Mooreās playcalling was bland against the Washington Commanders
The play-calling in Sundayās NFC championship game was simple: Feed Saquon Barkley. Thatās all good and fun, but neither the Bills nor the Chiefs are going to allow Barkley to have a field day on their defense.Ā
So Moore shouldnāt take the game out of Barkleyās hands, but he does need to utilize the passing game more. Before Sunday, Hurtsā last 200-plus yard passing game was on Dec. 15 against the Pittsburgh Steelers.Ā
This season, including the playoffs, Hurts has just five games with 30 or more passing attempts. While they started winning when they relied less on the pass, strategic play action calls and quick passing plays could be critical in having offensive success in the Super Bowl.
For context, Patrick Mahomes had just four games with less than 30 pass attempts in the regular season and Josh Allen had seven. Moore has to find a way to incorporate the passing game better for the Eagles.Ā
Theyāve gotten away with bland offensive play calling that features tush pushes, handoffs and designed quarterback runs. Maybe Moore didnāt want to get too fancy on Sunday because the defense gave them favorable field position.Ā
But the odds the Chiefs or Bills have even half the turnovers the Commanders had on Sunday is slim. Theyāll need more than Barkley to have enough offensive production to win the game. And that falls on Moore to figure out.Ā
1. Landon Dickerson has to be better as backup center if Cam Jurgens is still hurt
Landon Dickerson didnāt play bad on Sunday as backup center, but he certainly has to be ready in the event Cam Jurgens is still dealing with his back injury in a couple of weeks. There was a play where there was a miscommunication and pressure came right up the middle, resulting in a Hurts sack.Ā
Dickerson wonāt get complete credit for giving that up (especially since he was clearly hobbled in his own right), but itās something the offensive line has to clean up altogether. Though itās a minor adjustment, the tush push didnāt look as efficient as it usually does.Ā
Specifically the Eaglesā drive in the third quarter that was littered with penalties. Before the Commanders were called with three straight encroachment penalties, Hurts was stuffed twice on the tush push play.Ā
If thatās the one play thatās going to be a staple in the Eaglesā offensive game plan, they canāt falter on the goal line. Itās one of the hardest plays to stop and the Eagles offensive line just wasnāt getting the push it needed.Ā
Itās probably likely Jurgens returns for the Super Bowl with two weeks to get healthy and not rush through practice. If he is out though, Dickerson has to be better prepared.Ā