I guess all that hype about the NFC North being the greatest division in NFL history turned out to be fake news. The conference championship will indeed feature two division rivals, but they come from the NFC East.
The last time that happened was during the Ronald Reagan administration. The Washington Commanders are hoping for better weather and a better outcome than 1986 when gusty wins and a devastating New York Giants defense resulted in a 17-0 defeat.
This year's edition of the Commanders will travel to the Philadelphia Eagles for the 2024 rubber match. A trip to the Super Bowl, which seemed ludicrous when the season began, is on the line.
Normally, a third meeting between the same teams would mean few surprises. But neither team is the same as they were earlier this year. Injuries play a large part in that. So does confidence.
And in figuring out the problems to solve, we can dispense with the standard list.
For instance, if one team has a truly dominant player, shutting them down is crucial. In this case, it would mean the Commanders need to find a way to stop running back Saquon Barkley.
Everyone knows that to win against a strong opponent, you have to limit mistakes. There’s no way the Commanders can beat Philadelphia if they turn the ball over and commit a lot of penalties.
Everyone also knows that time of possession is crucial in tight games. You need to hog the ball. It keeps the opponent’s offense off the field. It wears down their defense. You see the results in the fourth quarter.
The only problem with that analysis is Washington failed to do any of that and still beat these same Eagles in Week 16.
Barkley ran wild — 150 rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Commanders committed five turnovers and six penalties totaling close to 100 yards. And the Eagles had a 12-minute advantage in time of possession.
Washington still managed to win. How did they do it? And how can they repeat that performance in the NFC Championship game?
Here’s what is essential…
Problems the Commanders must solve in NFC Championship game
Commanders' plan for wide receiver involvement
This stat comparison is absurd. In the first game — the Philadelphia victory — the Washington Commanders' wide receivers were targeted 11 times. They caught just four passes for 28 receiving yards. It was the position group’s worst performance of the year.
In the second game, won by the Commanders, those same receivers caught 17 balls for 214 receiving yards and five touchdowns. It would seem fairly obvious that to have success, Kliff Kingsbury and pass game coordinator Brian Johnson need to devise a way to get the ball downfield to Terry McLaurin and his teammates.
Johnson knows the Eagles defense very well. He was their offensive coordinator last season. Starting cornerback Quinyon Mitchell says he is fine, but he had to leave their game against the Los Angeles Rams with a shoulder injury. You can bet the Commanders will test him early to see if can make tackles with that shoulder.