The Philadelphia Eagles are set to play in the NFC Championship Game against the Washington Commanders and are the heavy favorites to win and represent the conference in the Super Bowl.
Running back Saquon Barkley has had a phenomenal season and is a big reason the Eagles are a Super Bowl contender. As a result, Philadelphia has also prioritized running the ball, which has resulted in inconsistent play from quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Three-time Super Bowl winner Julian Edelman recently said, however, that the Eagles’ reliance on their running game might not be enough for the team to win the Super Bowl.
Julian Edelman Highlights Concern Over Eagles’ Chances To Win Super Bowl
Edelman recently appeared on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” where he was asked whether Philadelphia can run its way to the Super Bowl. The New England Patriots legend doesn’t believe that’s possible and highlighted how the passing game will have to step up when the Eagles face whoever wins the AFC Championship Game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Buffalo Bills.
“They can run their way to the trophy. I don’t think they can get the trophy just running it,” Edelman said. “I think they should be able to beat the Washington Commanders… So, this team, pound for pound, should win this game and run their way into the Super Bowl.
“But once you get there, and you’re either going to play, you know, [Steve] Spagnuolo and the Chiefs, who can stop the run, who have been in this situation where they’ve played a run-heavy team in the Super Bowl like it’s going to be a different thing.
“You’re going to have to come up with some situational throws that you’re going to have to be able to execute on,” Edelman continued.
“If you play against the Bills, God forbid you, you know, jump out and not have a lead and let these guys go out and put it on you where they have to get into their dropback pass game, which we’ve seen over the last few weeks, hasn’t been there. So, I think they can run their way into the Super Bowl. I don’t think you can run your way to win a Super Bowl.”
Philadelphia averaged 179.3 rushing yards per game in the regular season and has averaged 227.0 in the two playoff games so far. The team is expected to have similar production against the Commanders. In two games against Washington in the regular season, Barkley averaged 148.0 rushing yards per game and scored four rushing touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Hurts averaged just 193.5 passing yards per game in the regular season, his career low since becoming the Eagles’ starting quarterback. There have been growing concerns about his relationship with wide receiver A.J. Brown, and if the team fails to win the Super Bowl due to inconsistency in the passing game, the situation will likely worsen.
Jalen Hurts Could Be Required To Step Up
The Eagles are expected to win against the Commanders comfortably, but so were the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round. Jayden Daniels and his team surprised everyone with how they played against the Lions, and they have the poise to do the same against Philadelphia.
The Eagles’ defense is better, but since the Commanders have nothing to lose, they’ll play fearless football, which could be tough to contain. If Washington jumps to a lead as they did against Detroit, Hurts and the offense will be forced to shift from running to passing the ball. Since the Eagles have little experience winning games on the strength of their passing game, this could pose some questions in the NFC Championship Game.
Hurts, who is dealing with a knee injury, must be ready for anything that might come his way against Washington. The star quarterback has faced criticism for his inconsistent play this season, but nobody around the franchise is unhappy since the team is winning games.
Nevertheless, if the Eagles lose and Hurts fails to answer the call, things could look quite bad for the two-time Pro Bowler, who will likely be heavily scrutinized by both the national and local media.
