With the Philadelphia Eagles set to represent the NFC East in Super Bowl LIX we thought we’d have a look at what is and isn’t “super” about the division.
Washington Commanders | Jayden Daniels | Super
While many had the Commanders as a dark horse team to make the playoffs, no one could have predicted their appearance in the NFC Championship Game, or how Daniels would get them there.
Their rookie quarterback completed 69 percent of his passes for 3,568 yards and 25 touchdowns with 891 yards and six scores on the ground in the regular season, all franchise records for a rookie. He also set an NFL record by throwing five touchdowns in the final 30 seconds of regulation or overtime of games.
Daniels went 29-48 for 255 yards and a touchdown with 48 yards and another score on the ground against the Eagles in the NFC Championship Game, but it wasn’t enough to overcome seven rushing by Philadelphia touchdowns in a 55-23 loss at Lincoln Financial Field.
Dallas Cowboys | Jerry Jones | Not super
Although Jones’ heavy-handed approach hasn’t worked for years, the 82-year-old team owner appears to be set in his ways. His handling of contracts for quarterback Dak Prescott and wide receiver CeeDee Lamb over the summer were clumsy at best but nothing compared to what he did with the team’s head coach.
By prolonging Mike McCarthy’s exit, Jones missed out on early opportunities to interview head coach candidates like Aaron Glenn, Ben Johnson and Mike Vrabel. Handing the job to offensive coordinator Brain Schottenheimer may ultimately work, out but as long as Jones continues to moonlight as the team’s general manager, his team will always be one step behind.
Philadelphia Eagles | Saquon Barkley | Super
Had Barkley played in the team’s regular season finale, he likely would have broken Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards. Unfortunately, the game meant nothing for the team’s playoff chances and Barkley sat, finishing 2024 as the NFL’s leading rusher with 2,005 yards.
