Saquon Barkley Wastes No Time, Scores 60-Yard Touchdown On Eagles' First Play Of NFC Title Game

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The Washington Commanders got off to a good start in the NFC Championship Game, but the Philadelphia Eagles got off to a perfect one.

The Commanders converted not one, but two fourth-down conversions on the opening drive of the game and took more than seven minutes off the clock before settling for a field goal. 

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The Eagles' first drive of the game was the complete opposite style thanks to Saquon Barkley's feet and ability to break tackles.

Jalen Hurts turned around, pitched Barkley the football, and like we've seen time and time again this season, the former Penn State star took it to the house. He showed off his speed before breaking a pair of tackles by Commanders defenders before finding the endzone. 

Heading into the contest, anyone who has been paying any attention at all this season knew that the only way it felt like Washington had a chance in the game was to keep Barkley relatively quiet. Giving up a 60-yard touchdown on the Eagles' first offensive play of the game does not fit that script.

Barkley found the endzone for a second time on Philadelphia's second possession of the game as well.

The 27-year-old led the NFL in rushing during the regular season with 2,005 yards in 16 games. The Commanders' rush defense was extremely susceptible to the run throughout the year, and unfortunately for them, they've lived up to that expectation early on against Philadelphia.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets, including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016, when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.