Philadelphia Eagles place kicker Jake Elliott (4) lines up a field goal against the Washington Commanders during the second quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen will certainly do their part. And Saquon Barkley may have his own chapter in the Commanders’ defensive game plan. No one doubts the importance of Jayden Daniels’ role for Washington.
But the matchups in the games are set to determine which teams advance on Championship Sunday to Super Bowl LIin New Orleans on February 9.
We went through the critical issues in each game to determine five under-the-radar players who will determine the outcome this weekend. The first in the series moving Thursday-Saturday: Philadelphia Eagles kicker Jake Elliott.
Overall reliable and accounted for six field goals in the playoffs without a miss, Elliott’s 2024 season was not worthy of the Golden Toe award. He connected on 77.8 percent of his kicks. Compared to the 11 kickers with at least 15 marks who finished the season with a FG percentage of 90 or better, some might say Elliott is a concern in a do-or-die game.
The Eagles disagree.
Elliott, who turned 30 this week, has never missed a field goal in the playoffs (22 of 22).
The concern stems from two missed extra points last week in a six-point win over the Rams.
Snow and wind were not factors, according to head coach Nick Sirianni.
But there’s a simple explanation, according to Eagles special teams coordinator Michael Clay.
“You see No. 26 (Saquon Barkley) back there. He could take it 80 yards in an instant,” Clay said.
That’s right, the Eagles big back with an NFL-record six touchdown runs of 60-plus yards (including playoffs) puts special teams through a sideline fire drill when he goes the distance.
Clay said the adrenaline of the games against the Rams — Barkley broke a big play in the fourth quarter and quarterback Jalen Hurts sounded the alarm with a 44-yard sprint to the end zone in the first — put Elliott’s normal routine on fast-forward and ends in predictable results.
“I don’t think Jake really dwells on that. He’s the type of guy that has almost like a golfer’s mindset,” Clay said. “You’re going to hit a bad shot here as a golfer, but how do you bounce back from it?”
Elliott’s last missed extra point before the divisional playoff win was Nov. 14 in the first of two regular season meetings with the Commanders.
Barkley scored touchdowns of 39 and 68 yards in those two games.
–Field Level Media
