After watching the Washington Commanders slowly march down the field on the opening drive of the NFC Championship, settling for three after converting on multiple fourth downs, the Philadelphia Eagles needed to make a statement to show their rivals to the southwest that they mean business.

Enemies clad in burgundy and gold bespeckled a buzzing sea of green at Lincoln Financial Field, here after schlepping up I-95 to support their unlikely Washington Commanders, the Eagles’ would-be saboteur whom nobody predicted to be in this spot when the season began.