Washington Commanders v Philadelphia Eagles (Sunday 3pm ET/8pm GMT)
Story of the season: Jayden Daniels is one recreation away from the extraordinary. A surprising seven-win rampage by the winter leaves Washington with simply Philadelphia to beat for the NFC championship and Daniels to turn out to be the primary rookie quarterback to guide his staff to a Tremendous Bowl. They want a second win in six weeks over an Eagles staff with the strongest roster high to backside within the NFL. However Philly’s stacked lineup, with Saquon Barkley at its nucleus, rang rings across the Commanders for a straightforward victory the groups’ different regular-season assembly, in November. The Eagles will likely be determined to spoil the rookie’s occasion whereas clinching this unlikely season-defining sequence.
What Washington have to do to win: The Commanders should keep the improved degree of protection they’ve achieved in these playoffs, whereas trying to maintain the ball out of Barkley’s fingers as a lot as doable with a methodical, time-sapping run recreation. Washington compelled solely 17 turnovers within the common season, however they generated 5 in opposition to the Lions final week and one other in opposition to the Bucs within the wildcard spherical. These turnovers led to a few touchdowns.
Very similar to the protection, if Washington can collect the identical manufacturing from working backs Brian Robinson Jr and Austin Ekeler as they did in opposition to Detroit, they are going to be tough to cease. The pair mixed for 128 speeding yards – simply 17 in need of their complete from the earlier three video games. Steering the script away from needing explosive passing performs within the face of elite protection from Quinyon Mitchell and Darius Slay is important.
What Philadelphia have to do to win: Mea culpa. The Eagles don’t have to go the ball. Within the wildcard spherical Jalen Hurts delivered the bottom probability of a passing try offering a constructive final result of any successful playoff staff up to now 10 seasons. Final week, Hurts had 65 web passing yards, the bottom of any staff in a postseason recreation up to now decade, win or lose. Sadly for Washington, with Barkley driving the Eagles offense the numbers matter little. When each ball the working again touches has the potential to go the size of the sector, so long as Hurts doesn’t flip it over in between handoffs, Philadelphia have a mighty higher hand.
The snow and ice had their half to play within the lack of air yards final week. It will likely be Washington’s weak run protection that might depart them stagnant on Sunday. Detroit’s runners stacked up 201 yards and three touchdowns in opposition to the Commanders final week, the Eagles will anticipate Barkley to do one thing comparable this weekend.
Key participant for the Commanders: Jayden Daniels, quarterback. The rookie is the explanation Washington have come from final within the NFC East in 2023 to the verge of the Tremendous Bowl. He has proven a capability to raise his teammates’ degree when it actually issues Take the lesser-spotted Dyami Brown. The receiver averaged 19 yards per recreation within the common season; within the two playoff wins since, he has 187 yards whereas receiving extra targets and outgaining Terry McLaurin. The Eagles will likely be nervous of throwing an excessive amount of consideration McLaurin’s means now Daniels has realised Brown’s potential.
Key participant for the Eagles: Jalen Carter, defensive deal with. After main a brutal onslaught on Matthew Stafford in opposition to the Rams final week, the go rusher will likely be eager to indicate Daniels just isn’t as resistant to strain as he seems. What might tip the scales is the damage to Washington’s proper guard Sam Cosmi. Alternative offensive deal with Trent Scott will need assistance to cease the disruptive Carter.
Prediction: Eagles over Commanders. Daniels is definite to make the Eagles work for it however with Barkley within the lineup Philadelphia will overcome Washington. Typically it feels that it isn’t a case of if he’ll break for a 60-yard landing however when. Commanders head coach Dan Quinn will likely be cursing the New York Giants for letting Barkley be part of their rivals.
Buffalo Payments v Kansas Metropolis Chiefs (6.30pm ET/11.30pm GMT)
Story of the season: Simply as in 2023, the Chiefs had been subpar for a lot of final 12 months, rolling within the decrease gears able to strike within the playoffs. They continue to be the best-coached and most well-prepared staff within the NFL. Their solely stumbling block: the Payments. Josh Allen’s game-sealing landing run on fourth and two when the groups met within the common season was a smudge on an in any other case pristine copybook. So can Buffalo do it once more? Can Allen lastly make a definitive mark after shedding to Mahomes thrice within the postseason? The strain is on in what is certain to be one other on the spot basic.
What Buffalo have to do to win: Run the ball. Kansas Metropolis’s protection has a weak spot that may be exploited by James Prepare dinner and Allen. The Chiefs have softened up considerably since limiting the Payments to a decent 104 speeding yards once they met in Week 11. Of their previous 5 video games, Kansas Metropolis have allowed a median of 150 speeding yards, whereas the Payments have persistently dominated on the bottom, averaging 170 yards within the eight video games since beating the Chiefs. Crucially, within the playoffs, the Baltimore Ravens and Denver Broncos – the NFL’s greatest and third-best run stoppers when it comes to complete yards allowed in 2024 – every gave up a season-high complete in opposition to Buffalo. If that’s the harm Prepare dinner and Allen can do to opponents who specialize in shutting down runners then the duo will probably trigger Kansas Metropolis severe hassle.
What Kansas Metropolis have to do to win: Put the ball in Xavier Worthy’s fingers. In head coach Andy Reid’s scheme, the speedy broad receiver can stretch Buffalo deep down the sector. That ought to give Mahomes an explosive goal to unlock a Payments secondary doubtlessly lacking star cornerback Christian Benford, who’s in concussion protocol. Reid must also work in artistic touches for Worthy when the Chiefs have the ball contained in the crimson zone. He brings a vital playmaking menace to assist the extra routine, environment friendly manufacturing of Travis Kelce. The Payments have struggled in tight video games within the postseason in latest season, and jitters had been evident once more final week as Lamar Jackson rampaged within the second half. Reid can depend on Worthy to be an X-factor a lot as Tyreek Hill was within the Chiefs’ epic divisional-round win over Buffalo in 2022.
Key participant for the Payments: Spencer Brown, proper deal with. Brown has had a unbelievable season defending his quarterback and run blocking. Allen has been sacked solely 17 occasions throughout his 19 video games this season whereas Brown and his offensive line helped Buffalo rating greater than 30 factors on 13 events. Most enjoyable for the Payments is that the 6ft 8in, 310lbs bruiser was lacking from their regular-season win over the Chiefs. When they should rating, they’ll depend on Brown to do the soiled work that makes Allen shine.
Key participant for the Chiefs: Jaylen Watson, cornerback. The distinction for Kansas Metropolis may very well be Watson returning to the secondary. The defensive again, who missed the regular-season loss to the Payments, loved a well timed warm-up in opposition to Houston. The Chiefs’ protection is phenomenal with Trent McDuffie alongside him. They need to enable Steve Spagnuolo to focus his protection on extra essential issues: stopping the run.
Prediction: Chiefs over Payments. This feels as near the toss of a coin because it comes. Which type could have the better affect on the result? The brute pressure of the Payments or the calm, rope-a-dope of the Chiefs? The three-0 file over Allen within the postseason offers Kansas Metropolis the boldness to beat the mighty Payments. Mahomes, as at all times, finds a means.
