Jayden Daniels, Commanders Lose to Eagles in NFL Playoffs as Fans Call Out Mistakes

The Philadelphia Eagles are going to the Super Bowl for the second time in three years, while the Washington Commanders are left thinking about what could have been if they didn't make so many mistakes.

Philadelphia defeated its division rival 55-23 in Sunday's NFC Championship Game at Lincoln Financial Field to clinch a spot on the sport's biggest stage. Saquon Barkley ran for 118 yards and three touchdowns, while Jalen Hurts accounted for 246 passing yards and four total touchdowns.

Hurts' counterpart, Jayden Daniels, continued his excellent rookie season by throwing for 255 yards and one touchdown and running for 48 yards and a score. However, the Commanders turned it over four times and committed nine penalties, many of which proved particularly costly as the Eagles pulled away.

Social media called out Washington for the self-inflicted mistakes:

Logic dictated that Washington would have to play a nearly perfect game to win on the road in Philadelphia, but it was anything but perfect. In fact, self-destructing was the name of the game for the visitors from the early going.

Multiple defenders couldn't wrap up on clear tackle chances during Barkley's 60-yard touchdown on the first play from scrimmage for the Philadelphia offense. That wasn't the only mistake involving the defense and Barkley, as Mike Sainristil's late hit out of bounds on the star running back on a third down preserved a drive that ended in an A.J. Brown touchdown catch.

Throw in Marshon Lattimore's pass interference in the end zone to set up a Hurts touchdown run, Dyami Brown losing a fumble to set up Barkley's second touchdown and Jeremy McNichols losing a fumble on a kickoff return to set up a touchdown, and it was a marvel that the Commanders were down just 12 at halftime.

That is largely a testament to Daniels, who maintained his poise while many of his teammates didn't and used his arm and legs to consistently make plays against Philadelphia's defense. The high point was a touchdown pass to Terry McLaurin, but he also moved the offense into field goal range in the final seconds before intermission to build some momentum.

Yet halftime did nothing to change the pattern.

Daniels answered another Hurts touchdown run with a touchdown run of his own only for Austin Ekeler to lose a fumble right when the Commanders had the momentum and a chance to pull within one score.

Naturally, the Eagles parlayed that into another Hurts touchdown but only after the officials warned Washington if it didn't stop jumping offsides so many times at the goal line they could award Philadelphia with a touchdown.

Fittingly, the Eagles put the game away on their next touchdown when Barkley found the end zone again after yet another pass interference penalty moved the ball inside the Washington 10-yard line.

The 2024 campaign was a memorable one for the Commanders as they advanced to the NFC Championship Game for the first time since the 1991 season, but it will be a long offseason thinking back on all the mistakes they made Sunday.