As the Washington Commanders prepare for their monumental NFC Championship matchup with the Philadelphia Eagles, their defensive game plan revolves around one primary objective: containing running back Saquon Barkley. The superstar rusher has been nearly unstoppable all season, finishing as an MVP finalist after racking up over 2,000 yards on the ground. And in two meetings with Washington, Barkley was especially dominant, amassing a whopping 296 rushing yards and 4 touchdowns.
“He does it against everybody,” admitted Commanders defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr. But despite Barkley’s consistent excellence, Whitt knows slowing him down is the key to pulling off the upset in Philadelphia. “You just try to contain him. That’s going to be our challenge, to be disciplined the whole game. He has the talent to break a run at any given point, and we need to make sure that doesn’t happen.”
A Daunting Task
Limiting Barkley is far easier said than done, especially for a Washington defense that ranked a dismal 30th in the NFL against the run. In their two regular season clashes with Philly, the Commanders allowed 417 total rushing yards, over 200 per game. Barkley did most of that damage himself.
In the first meeting, a 26-18 Eagles win, Barkley wore down Washington as the game progressed. After being held relatively in check for three quarters, he exploded in the fourth, gaining 90 of his 160 yards to salt the game away. When the teams met again a month later, Barkley wasted no time, gashing the Commanders for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the first half alone, including a back-breaking 68-yard score.
Washington did manage to pull out a 36-33 win in that second game after Eagles QB Jalen Hurts exited with a concussion. But they still surrendered 211 rushing yards and couldn’t find an answer for Barkley when it mattered most. If they have any hope of advancing to the Super Bowl, that has to change on Sunday.
More Than a One-Man Show
Of course, the Eagles offense is far from a one-dimensional attack. Hurts, who is battling a knee injury suffered in last week’s win over the Rams, still presents a major threat with his legs when healthy. The dual-threat QB burned Washington for 80 yards on 13 carries in just five quarters this year.
Philly also boasts one of the NFL’s most talented receiving corps, led by budding stars DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown. Behind an offensive line widely considered the league’s best, the Eagles can beat you in a variety of ways. The Commanders know they can’t sell out completely to stop Barkley.
“There’s issues all over there that we have to make sure we take care of,” said Whitt.
– Joe Whitt Jr., Washington Commanders defensive coordinator
Containing Hurts
While Barkley is priority number one, Washington has a clear plan for defending Hurts as well – hit him early and often. “We’re going to treat him like a running back and hit him that way,” declared Whitt. “So that’s their decision if they want to get him hit the way he gets hit. If they don’t, they’ll keep him in the pocket.”
It’s an aggressive strategy, especially considering Hurts’ injured knee, but one the Eagles anticipated. Head coach Nick Sirianni said every opponent tries similar tactics against his star QB. “We already are ultimately cautious with how we use him and how we think about each play because we know how important it is to have him out there,” Sirianni noted. “Jalen knows how to take care of himself, and we know how to help him do that as well as far as the way the scheme goes.”
Renewed Rivalry
While containing Hurts and his weapons is crucial, everything still comes back to Barkley for the Commanders. It’s a rivalry that dates back to the running back’s days with the Giants, when Washington defensive line coach Dan Quinn had to gameplan for him twice a year as the Cowboys coordinator.
In six matchups against Quinn’s Dallas defenses, Barkley averaged a pedestrian 49.3 rushing yards per game and never topped 81. But Washington got an up-close look at Barkley’s otherworldly talent in a new uniform this season. Now Quinn and his defense face their stiffest test yet with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
“It’s the explosive plays that he can create. He’s also got rare change of direction. He has this quickness of a smaller back and the size of a big back. It’s an unusual combination but it’s not the size alone of this guy that is so powerful. It’s both.”
– Dan Quinn, Washington Commanders defensive line coach
Despite studying Barkley for years, Quinn marveled at how the generational back looks faster and stronger than ever in midnight green. When asked if Barkley looked rejuvenated in Philly compared to New York, defensive coordinator Whitt didn’t hesitate. “He’s always looked good to me.”
Path to the Super Bowl
Good isn’t what Washington is hoping for on Sunday – they need Barkley to look mortal for once if they want to pull off the upset. In what’s expected to be a hostile Lincoln Financial Field environment, the Commanders have little margin for error against an Eagles squad with its sights set on the Lombardi Trophy.
But if they can finally solve the Saquon Barkley puzzle that’s confounded them all year, Washington just might crash the Super Bowl party. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET in this long-awaited NFC East championship rubber match. Will the Commanders find a way to ground Barkley and the Eagles’ high-flying attack? Their title dreams depend on it.
