Saquon Barkely Reveals Why Eagles Wanted Revenge vs Commanders
Going into the 2025 NFC Championship game, the Philadelphia Eagles probably didn't need bulletin board material—but they had it anyway.
The Washington Commanders can blame themselves for that, as Eagles star Saquon Barkley recently revealed that the way the Commanders celebrated their previous outing against the Eagles was stored in the back of their minds for their next meeting.
Unlike most seasons, the Eagles and the Commanders met more than twice. As Washington pulled off upsets in the 2024 NFL Playoffs against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Detroit Lions, they punched their ticket to the NFC Championship game.
Meanwhile, the Eagles took care of business against the Green Bay Packers, before hosting the Los Angeles Rams and squeezing out a tight victory there. One game away from the Super Bowl, the Commanders paid a visit to Philadelphia and struggled to make it three upsets in a row.
Read More: Eagles Named as Potential Landing Spot for Steelers' TJ Watt
Reviewing the Eagles' season, Saquon Barkley recently touched on the team's mindset going into the matchup.
"The mindset going into this game was the last time we played this team we lost, we kind of gave the game away," Barkley said. "That's why you got to be careful with what you do. We remember how they celebrated. If this was college, they would've stormed the field. That's what it felt like. That definitely was in the back of our mind."
How Saquon felt after seeing the Commanders reaction to beating them in Week 16:
'We remember how they celebrated. If this was college they would have stormed the field.'
Commanders acting like they just beat their big brother Bama and thought they were about to take the… pic.twitter.com/Wv0DnKcw4m — Fly Eagles Fly Bets (@Fly_EaglesBets) June 27, 2025
The Eagles were on a heater heading into Washington on December 22, 2024. After starting the season 2-2, the Eagles came out of their early bye week and rattled off 10 wins in a row. During the first half of the matchup against the Commanders, the Eagles were in complete control, looking like they were well on their way to 11 straight.
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles stands on the field in the NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Saquon Barkley #26 of the Philadelphia Eagles stands on the field in the NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field on January 26, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.However, the momentum shifted. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts went down with an injury early on. He was evaluated for a concussion, and found himself ruled out for the remainder of the matchup. The Eagles still had a handle on the game, building up a solid lead for themselves, but they collapsed late. The Commanders snapped the winning streak by winning 36-33.
The Commanders had a lot of confidence coming out of that game, but it didn't matter in the NFC Championship. The Eagles dominated Washington, sending them out of the playoffs with a 55-23 loss.
Read More: Ex-Eagles Star Takes Massive Shot at Commanders' Deebo Samuel
Although the Eagles got their payback, the rivalry should be heating right back up in 2025. With the Eagles and the Commanders recognized as two contenders in the NFC East, they'll have plenty of eyes on them for their two matchups against each other next season.
For more Philadelphia Eagles and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Bills Saddled With 'Super Bowl Or Bust' Expectations In 2025
Bills Saddled With 'Super Bowl Or Bust' Expectations In 2025 originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There's no time like the present, and for the Buffalo Bills, 2025 is the year when the franchise finally breaks through and wins its first-ever Super Bowl. Advertisement Or at least, that's the general opinion. With a roster that has MVP Josh Allen leading the offense, and the defense under Sean McDermott getting an overhaul with several key free agents like Joey Bosa, Larry Ogunjobi, and Michael Hoecht, along with a collection of draft talent (first five selections on defense), the Bills are loaded. Of course, we've heard this before, and the Bills meet the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs, and their season ends. But this year is different. This is the year when the Bills have to win it all. And Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer thinks so, too. "Super Bowl or bust, it's hard not to say that, " Breer said. "Is this the best team that Josh Allen's played on? He's obviously at the peak of his powers. The schedule's favorable, I don't know how you would look at this and not say they should have home-field through the playoffs. Based on what the other teams are dealing with, the top contenders in the AFC are dealing with, they should be the No. 1 seed in the AFC." Advertisement Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) runs the ball against New York Jets cornerback Sauce Gardner (1).Mark Konezny-Imagn Images Now, it won't be "bust" because if the Bills don't win the Super Bowl, they'll be back next year and will try to do it again, but we get it. Given that Allen is in his prime, has solid weapons (not great, but last year proved he doesn't need great pieces), James Cook at running back, Dalton Kincaid at tight end, and an offensive line that protected him as well as they could have last year, allowing just 14 sacks, offensively, the Bills are Super Bowl-caliber. But defensively is where many think Buffalo has an issue. Will all the new faces be able to mesh and come through when it counts? The unit struggled last year, as it was unable to get off the field on crucial downs and also failed to consistently get after the quarterback. Advertisement If the defense can improve, and Allen keeps the offensive standards at least the same, Buffalo has every tool needed to claim home-field advantage in the playoffs and win the Super Bowl. We've said that before, but it's officially gut-check time in Buffalo. Related: Longhorns' Arch Manning Reviews 'Dog' Factor in Josh Allen and Joe Burrow Related: Bills Coach Details James Cook Improvement; Key To New Contract? This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Breakout star tops short list of 49ers key free agents in 2026
The 2025 offseason was a painful one for the 49ers with several key names leaving the Bay Area. A quick look ahead to the 2026 offseason shows a much easier path ahead for San Francisco with only a few exceptions. As of early July it's impossible to know exactly what the 49ers' 53-man roster will look like. We're making a handful of assumptions with their complete list of soon-to-be free agents from Over the Cap and picking out four key players San Francisco may have a tough decision on. WR Jauan Jennings It isn't really a tough decision. The 49ers should keep Jennings. However, his near 1,000-yard season in 2024 put him on the map as a viable top-two NFL wide receiver. That may inflate his market beyond what San Francisco can afford as they recalibrate their roster to open another Super Bowl window. If the team's injury issues persist in 2025 and Jennings continues to operate as one of the team's top two pass catchers, they may change their roster calculus to ensure they can add him on a long-term deal. If Jennings struggles to replicate his stellar 2024, or if he returns to his tertiary role in the 49ers' receiving corps, his market may deflate far enough to allow San Francisco to keep their 2020 seventh-round selection. RT Colton McKivitz We highlighted some of the potential difficulties that could come with retaining McKivitz if he continues improving after his strong 2025 performance. San Francisco may find themselves in the same place they were with Mike McGlinchey in 2023 where his market outpaced what the 49ers could or would pay their starting right tackle. The problem for the 49ers is left tackle Trent Williams could hang up his pads next year and open a gaping hole on quarterback Brock Purdy's blind side. Replacing Williams is going to require big-time assets. McKivitz's exit in free agency would also mean using significant financial figures or draft capital to replace him. Whether McKivitz returns could depend less on his performance and more on his cost. OL Spencer Burford This isn't a huge name, but Burford could prove to be an important piece of the 49ers' offensive line this season. He's at least in line to be their top reserve who can fill in at either guard spot or left tackle. He may also wind up winning the starting left guard job and putting himself in line for a pretty significant raise in 2026. San Francisco hasn't invested much in its offensive line depth during Kyle Shanahan's tenure as head coach. If Burford starts or plays significant snaps and performs well, he could quickly enter an area of the market the 49ers aren't willing to play in for a starting guard or reserve OL. DL Jordan Elliott It's easy to imagine the 49ers retaining Elliott given how their recent defensive line teardown went. They want to get younger in that group, and they don't want to have any bloated contracts. Elliott's experience could make him valuable for the young San Francisco D-line. If he starts and puts together a strong 2025 season, the 49ers may have to retain him to avoid needing to use more draft capital on the interior of the defensive line. More 49ers: 49ers badly need last 21st-round picks to reverse troubling NFL draft trend
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Top 10 NFL QBs - Where Is Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes?
Top 10 NFL QBs - Where Is Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes? originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was close to claiming the three-peat last season, but failed at the final hurdle against the Philadelphia Eagles. Advertisement Not putting up the big numbers we were acustomed to earlier in his career, some think Mahomes has regressed slightly from his ridiculous standards set, and with Kansas City now playing to Steve Spagnuolo's defense, instead of the other way around, some are cooling on the idea of Mahomes still being "the" quarterback in football. Yes, he still has the resume that is unmatched by current players, but when it comes to who is the best quarterback right now? That is quite the conversation. And for Fox Sports, in naming their top-10 quarterbacks entering the 2025 season, Mahomes has been knocked off his illustrious perch and comes in at No. 2, with MVP winner Josh Allen atop the mountain. "Mahomes enters 2025 with a chip on his shoulder after the Kansas City Chiefs got blown out in Super Bowl LIX. Mahomes is also coming off his least productive year as a starter as he threw for 3,928 yards — his first sub-4,000 season — and tied a career-low with 26 touchdowns," Fox Sports writes. Advertisement "But, in 2025, he should have one of the best supporting casts since Tyreek Hill left. Rashee Rice, who sustained a torn ACL last season, should be back by Week 1, while Hollywood Brown, who started just one game last season because of multiple injuries, will be at full strength, and 2024 first-round draft pick Xavier Worthy will have another year in the Chiefs' system." Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes during Super Bowl Burke-Imagn Images The last thing the NFL wants is a Mahomes who is seething and seeking revenge, and he has no shortage motivation with a host of publications and media personalities predicting that he and the Chiefs are about to fall off a cliff. Having been up for eight years, making at least the AFC Championship game in each season, naturally, a fall will happen, right? Advertisement Some think that will happen this year, and with Mahomes' form dipping from his usual high standards, the Chiefs will struggle. But he has Rashee Rice and Marquise Brown back, along with a healthy Isiah Pacheco and Travis Kelce, who wants to end his career on a high. Many are doubting Mahomes in 2025, and now he's been knocked off his No. 1 spot. Let the revenge tour begin. Related: Should Chiefs Sign 'Chain-Moving' Free Agent? Related: Raiders' Maxx Boasts He's On Same 'Heavenly' Level as Chiefs QB Mahomes This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
