Latest news with #NFCChampionshipGame
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
NFL WR Makes Bold Claim About The 2025 Commanders Offense
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Optimism is at an all-time high in the nation's capital as the Washington Commanders prepare for the 2025 NFL season. After a breakout 12-5 campaign and an appearance in the NFC Championship Game, the bar has been raised, and expectations have followed. Much of the excitement centers around second-year quarterback Jayden Daniels, whose electric rookie season breathed new life into the franchise. Now, with the offseason additions of All-Pro left tackle Laremy Tunsil and dynamic wide receiver Deebo Samuel, Washington appears poised to take another leap forward. While training camp is still weeks away, early projections for the Commanders have shifted from postseason aspirations to Super Bowl potential. NFL wide receiver Robbie Chosen Anderson believes Washington could have the league's top offense next season. Do you see the Commanders being a Top-3 offense in 2025?@chosen1ra thinks they could be number 1 😏 — NFL Network (@nflnetwork) June 26, 2025 "I love that offense. I think that they have the potential to be more than top-three. I think they could be the best offense in the NFL. I say that because they have the defense to help them do so. They didn't lose anybody. They've only had additions, and for what they did in one year, and what Cliff has done with the offense, that offense has the capabilities to let everybody do what they're great at and utilize everybody to their highest potential. So I think they have the potential to be one of the best, for sure." LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 22: Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders reacts following a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Landover, Maryland. LANDOVER, MARYLAND - DECEMBER 22: Jayden Daniels #5 of the Washington Commanders reacts following a touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles at Northwest Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Landover, currently a free agent, could be buttering up the Commanders to get a contract offer, but there is some truth to his statement. Washington ranked 7th in the NFL in total yards last year (369.6 per game) and was a top-five scoring offense, averaging 28.5 points per contest. Jayden Daniels could be the victim of a sophomore slump, however. Texans QB C.J. Stroud is the latest example, as he experienced a statistical decline in 2024 after winning the Offensive Rookie of the Year award. C.J. Stroud stats by year 2023 2024 Touchdowns 23 20 Interceptions 5 12 Yards/Game 273.9 219.2 Passer Rating 100.8 87.0 With offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury forgoing head coaching opportunities elsewhere to remain in Washington, Daniels won't have to learn a new offense. The continuity between a play-caller and quarterback is instrumental for player development, something that Kingsbury acknowledges heading into 2025. "It's huge," Kingsbury said. "I think you look traditionally through the NFL, the guys who've had a ton of success have been able to stay in those (systems) long-term. Just the comfort level, and then you being able to take the ownership of it and understand it inside and out, where now you're correcting people, you don't even need the coaches, and he's kind of getting to that point." After decades of inconsistency, the Commanders may finally have the roster, the momentum, and the leadership to make a legitimate run at the Lombardi Trophy.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Saquon Barkely Reveals Why Eagles Wanted Revenge vs Commanders
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. 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… — 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, 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.
Forbes
2 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
Where's Matt? Packers' Coach LaFleur Falls Out Of PFF's Top-10 List
Pro Football Focus ranked the NFL's top-10 coaches, and Green Bay's Matt LaFleur didn't make the ... More list. The bloom is clearly off the rose. Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur — who had tremendous success his first three years in Titletown — hasn't come close to matching those achievements the last three years. And his reputation across the NFL is slipping. Pro Football Focus ranked the NFL's top-10 coaches recently — and LaFleur missed the cut. That's in stark contrast to recent years when LaFleur was ranked No. 3 in 2021, and ranked sixth in both 2022 and 2024. Kansas City's Andy Reid, who's led the Chiefs to three Super Bowl championships, is No. 1 on PFF's top-10 list. Denver's Sean Payton, the Los Angeles Rams Sean Payton, Baltimore's John Harbaugh and Pittsburgh's Mike Tomlin round out the top five. Every coach in the top-5 has won at least one Super Bowl title. The next five are Jim Harbaugh of the Los Angeles Chargers, San Francisco's Kyle Shanahan, Philadelphia's Nick Sirianni, Detroit's Dan Campbell and Cleveland's Kevin Stefanski. Sirianni and the Eagles are the defending Super Bowl champions, while Shanahan and Jim Harbaugh have both led teams to the Super Bowl, but lost. Campbell and Stefanski are the only two coaches on the list that haven't been to a Super Bowl. LaFleur looked like one of the NFL's bright young stars when he led the Packers to a 39-10 overall record his first three seasons in Green Bay (2019-2021) and trips to the NFC Championship Game in both 2019 and 2020. Green Bay has gone 28-23 the last three seasons, though (.549). And the Packers have just one playoff win since reaching the NFC Championship Game in 2020. LaFleur's overall record of 67-33 is certainly impressive. But he's also coming off arguably the worst of his six seasons as Green Bay's head coach. While the Packers finished 11-7 in 2024 (including playoffs), they also went 1-5 in the NFC North and were 0-6 against the NFC's top three teams — Philadelphia, Detroit and Minnesota. LaFleur also struggled with clock management, challenge flags and his own emotions. During a Week 4 loss to Minnesota at Lambeau Field last season, LaFleur wanted a timeout, the officials didn't see him and he went irate. The result was a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty for his juvenile antics. 'I'm absolutely embarrassed that I got an unsportsmanlike (conduct penalty),' LaFleur said that day. 'When you expect composure from your team and then you're doing that, that's a bad look. I think we all can be better, myself No. 1 at the forefront of that. This is a humbling league at times.' During Green Bay's 34-31 loss at Detroit on Dec. 5, LaFleur got into a verbal altercation with a Lions fan before the game. The fan was on the field to hold the flag for the national anthem, when he and LaFleur engaged in a lengthy, heated verbal battle. 'He was talking junk to our players, giving them the throat-slash sign, you know,' LaFleur said. 'You're trying to de-escalate it, and then he gets in my face.' The thing is LaFleur didn't de-escalate it. He made it worse. It was a bad look for both LaFleur and the Packers. And perhaps the greatest example of emotion trumping logic came on challenge plays, as LaFleur went 1-6 when throwing his red flag. Dating back to 2023, LaFleur is just 2-12 in his last 14 challenges. 'I'm gonna worry about winning games, and then we'll worry about getting the challenges right,' an irritated LaFleur said late last season. 'How about that?' On top of it, LaFleur and his Packers didn't match up with the elite teams in the conference. Not only did Green Bay go 0-6 against the NFC's top three teams, the Packers trailed by double digits in five of those games. The result is LaFleur's lofty spot on PFF's coaching ranking is gone — at least for now.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Saquon Barkley compares Eagles-Commanders rivalry to Auburn being little brother to Bama
Let this be a lesson to the Commanders. Revenge is still a dish that is best served cold. NFL stars and Philadelphia Eagles head coaches have long bored us with stories about treating each game equally. They've often told us they feel nothing when playing teams that gave up on them or told them their time was ending. Most of us have never doubted that Saquon Barkley wants to perform at an elite level against the New York Giants. While we understand the professionalism and the typical coach speak surrounding the issue, we would appreciate hearing someone confidently proclaim, "I told you so," much like a young Cassius Clay. Occasionally, we get a glimpse of our teams showing the same pettiness that we sometimes exhibit, and we have Nick Sirianni to thank for that. Although he would never admit it, few people hold a grudge quite like Philadelphia's head coach, which is one reason his players admire him. No one facilitates his players getting the 'last word' better than the man on the sideline in the visor. Philadelphia has not lost often under Coach Sirianni lately, but their most recent loss provided an opportunity to refocus, restrategize, and secure the last word in the NFC Championship Game. Remember that Eagles' loss to the Washington Commanders? It was a game that many will never forget. In Week 16, the Philadelphia Eagles faced the Washington Commanders. Jalen Hurts left the game early due to a concussion, and the Commanders made a remarkable comeback. They scored 22 points in the final quarter, leading to a stunning 36-33 defeat for the Eagles. Washington took the field and celebrated. They celebrated too hard. They stormed the field. Players flapped their imaginary wings. Few have said the following this way, but it seemed easy to wonder if that fueled the Eagles' performance vs. those same Commanders five weeks later at Lincoln Financial Field. The Eagles arrived to play in the NFC Championship Game, with a trip to Super Bowl 59 on the line. Standing in their way was Washington. However, Washington no longer had their biggest advantage: the element of surprise. They had already played that card over a month ago. To make matters worse for them, Philadelphia hadn't forgotten about the excessive celebration that had caused a stir earlier. You know something? Maybe this answers the previous question. This is why players skate around questions and their head coaches talk in riddles. Perhaps there is some truth to the theories about bulletin board material and 'poking the bear'. We appreciate Barkley for opening up. Hey, it gave us something to talk about, and here's a tip of the cap to Washington. Ignoring Barkley during free agency may have fired him up as much as the Giants did. Celebrating a Week 16 win like it was a victory in Super Bowl 59 helped give the Birds all the ammunition they needed to win the second Lombardi Trophy in franchise history.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Seahawks legend makes Pro Football Focus' \
Pro Football Focus recently compiled a list of 10 late-career NFL veterans who are still playing at a high level. Former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Bobby Wagner made the prestigious list. Wagner has extended his Hall of Fame-worthy career with the Seattle Seahawks. "Despite playing more than 14,000 snaps in his 13-year career, Wagner is showing no signs of slowing down," Ryan Smith wrote. "Offensive Rookie of the Year Jayden Daniels received a lot of the headlines amid the Commanders' impressive turnaround last season, and deservedly so, but Wagner's impact on the defense in his first year with the team should not go unheralded." "Wagner's 88.3 PFF overall grade ranked third out of 84 qualifying linebackers, and he led the position in PFF pass-rush grade (90.9) and ranked second in PFF run-defense grade (91.2)," Smith continued. "It was his third straight year of earning a PFF run-defense grade higher than 91.0." Wagner recorded 132 tackles for the Commanders this past season en route to helping them to a surprise NFC Championship Game appearance. Wagner returned to the Seahawks in 2023 after departing the team after an illustrious 10-season (2012-21) run with the franchise. In 2023, he totaled a career-high 183 tackles. Wagner is a 10-time Pro Bowler, six-time First-Team All-Pro selection, Super Bowl (XLVIII) winner, and future Seahawks Ring of Honor member. It's great to see him still playing at such a high level.
