Two days before Sunday’s game, Saquon Barkley saw snow in the forecast and called LeSean McCoy. After all, any living running back remembers what the Eagles legend did in the snow back in 2013. Give McCoy an assist because whatever tips he gave Barkley, they worked well on Sunday against the Rams.
Barkley exploded for 205 yards on 26 carries, including 72- and 62-yard touchdowns, and Jalen Carter’s timely sack in the final minute preserved a 28-22 divisional-round victory, sending Philadelphia to the NFC Championship Game for the ninth time in team history. The Eagles (16-3) will host NFC East rival Washington (14-5) next week at Lincoln Financial Field.
“The elements were great but the atmosphere was even better,” said Barkley, who surpassed Eric Dickerson (2,212 in 1984) for the third-most single-season rushing yards ever, including playoffs. “Our fans are amazing. That was a close one, but that’s playoff football, and at the end of the day, we got the job done.”
“It starts up front with those guys, and then when you have a quarterback that can take it 50 yards to the house, that helps open up stuff for you, too.”
Well, Jalen Hurts‘ game-opening touchdown run was officially 44 yards, but who’s counting? After all, Hurts was clutch when Philadelphia needed him. When he wasn’t gashing them for 70 yards on the ground, Hurts stood in the pocket – withstanding seven Los Angeles sacks, including a third-quarter safety – and gritted out the tough yards. His fourth-and-4 completion to A.J. Brown helped to set up Jake Elliott’s 37-yard field goal that gave the Eagles a 22-15 lead with 6:22 left.
And while that drive was hard, Philadelphia’s next possession was easy – one play. Cam Jurgens made a key block to spring the All-Pro back on his 78-yard burst, handing the Eagles a seemingly insurmountable 28-15 advantage with less than five minutes on the clock.
But Elliott missed an extra point for the second time and Matthew Stafford capitalized. He drove the Rams (11-8) 70 yards in 10 plays, hitting Colby Parkinson for a 4-yard touchdown to cut the lead to six points, 28-22. After his defense held Philadelphia to three-and-out, forcing a punt, Stafford got the ball back with no timeouts and 2:23 on the clock.
That’s when Carter, the eighth-overall selection in the 2023 draft, put the game away. Carter blasted through the middle of the Los Angeles line on third-and-2 from the Eagles’ 13-yard line and sacked Stafford for a 9-yard loss. Then, on fourth-and-11, he pressured Stafford to force a game-ending incompletion. Carter, who finished with six pressures and two sacks, also forced a Kyren Williams fumble on the first play of the fourth quarter. Teammate Isaiah Rodgers returned the loose ball 40 yards to set up a short Elliott field goal.
The win sets up a terrific NFC title game that features NFC East rivals who split their season series. Philadelphia took the Week 11 game at Lincoln Financial Field, 26-18, but Jayden Daniels led the Commanders on a furious comeback to steal the Week 16 rematch, 36-33.
Hurts, who left that loss after only 12 snaps with a concussion that sidelined him the ensuing two weeks, also injured his knee on Sunday against the Rams. The quarterback didn’t provide details afterward, noting only that he was able to finish the game. It’ll be something to watch as the team prepares for the Commanders this week.
For more information on the Eagles and Rams, visit the Philadelphia and L.A. Rams team pages at ProFootballPost.com.
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