Would the Commanders rather face the Eagles or Rams in the NFC Championship Game?

The Washington Commanders rode the brilliance of Jayden Daniels to a commanding 45-31 victory over the top-seeded Detroit Lions in the NFC Divisional Round.

It's hard to overstate how impressive the rookie quarterback has been this season. It's hard to fathom a 24-year-old as poised and precise as Daniels. He has all the live-wire athleticism and improvisational flourishes scouts want from a modern-day quarterback, but he also executes with the sharpness of a seasoned vet.

Now Daniels is 2-0 in the postseason. The Lions were beat up on defense, but the injury excuse does not apply to 45 points. Aaron Glenn is about to get a head coaching job, but Daniels carved his defense to pieces without even the slightest resistance.

At this point, the Commanders are emanating a strong 'Team of Destiny' vibe. The path won't get easier after Detroit, but this was a huge test, which Washington aced. Dan Quinn has been to the Super Bowl before. He knows what it takes to win on this stage. Kliff Kingsbury, for all his faults as a head coach, clearly ranks among the very best offensive coordinators in the sport.

Next up for Washington is the NFC Championship Game. The Comms await the winner of Sunday's cold-weather showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams.

So, the question now stands... who should Washington prefer?

Commanders should hope for Rams to upset Eagles ahead of NFC Championship Game

Not exactly a hot take, but this is rather obvious. The Rams are on the upswing — winners of five of their last six, including a 27-9 blowout of Minnesota in round one — but Los Angeles just does not measure up to Philadelphia on paper. With the cold weather and a strong home-field advantage, the Eagles are heavy favorites for a reason.

The Commanders will need to travel either way, but the Eagles' home-field advantage is a different beast. Washington can clearly handle pressure, but there's no point venturing into a hostile Lincoln Financial Field unless it's absolutely necessary.

Washington was the third-best rushing team in the NFL this season. Between Daniels and the one-two punch of Brian Robinson and Austin Ekeler, the Commanders' offensive success is rooted in a strong ground attack. The Eagles are a top-10 run defense. Los Angeles was 22nd in the NFL this season. Saquon Barkley and Jalen Hurts tore LA apart in the regular season, lest we forget. Barkley went for 302 yards from scrimmage in that game.

That is the defense Washington wants to face next week — not an Eagles unit hellbent on revenge.

There is a certain level of familiarity between Philadelphia and Washington as division foes. They split the season series, with the Eagles winning 26-18 in November and the Commanders winning 36-33 in December. It's worth noting that Washington's win came on a walk-off touchdown in a game where Kenny Pickett played the majority of offensive snaps for Philly. The Eagles were a simple botched pitch-and-catch away from sweeping the regular season matchups.

That loss to Washington is Philadelphia's only blemish since Week 4. The Eagles were mostly able to weather a multi-week absence from Jalen Hurts and now he's back. Hurts did not pass much in last week's win over Green Bay, but the Eagles' hellacious defense was all over Jordan Love, who threw three interceptions. If there's a defense left in the NFC capable of getting Daniels out of rhythm and on his heels, it's probably the Eagles. Jalen Carter, Zack Baun, Jordan Davis. Those are not the folks you want to see lined up opposite you.

Can Washington beat the Eagles? Oh, absolutely. Daniels has that 'it' factor. He's special. That said, there's no doubting who the tougher opponent would be. The Commanders' path to Super Bowl glory is much easier if the Rams eke out a victory in the snow on Sunday.