The Philadelphia Eagles thwarted an intense comeback effort to hold on and beat the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 on a snowy Sunday afternoon.
The Rams were unable to overcome the poor weather conditions. LA’s pass-catchers had multiple key drops in this game. It also didn’t help that the Rams gave the ball away twice despite finishing the regular season with only 14 turnovers.
Additionally, Philadelphia running back Saquon Barkley once again proved too much for Los Angeles’ defense. After gashing the Rams for 255 rushing yards and two touchdowns in Week 12, Saquon ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns this time around.
Philly got things going with its explosive rushing attack. 55 of the Eagles’ 71 yards on the opening series came on the ground, including a 44-yard touchdown run by quarterback Jalen Hurts to take a 6-0 lead following a missed extra point. That was Hurts’ 15th rushing TD of the season and his first since Week 15.
Meanwhile, Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford did it all on LA’s first possession, throwing for 33 yards and running for another five to set up a four-yard touchdown reception by tight end Tyler Higbee and a 7-6 lead for the Rams. Los Angeles converted two third downs and a fourth down on that drive.
On Philadelphia’s next series, LA’s defense returned to its Wild Card Round form by sacking Jalen Hurts on third down to force a punt. In Los Angeles’ two playoff games, they sacked opposing quarterbacks 16 times, making them the first team in postseason history to record seven or more sacks in consecutive games.
Saquon Barkley broke off a 62-yard rushing touchdown to reclaim the lead 13-7. With that run, the Eagles became the first postseason team since 1963 to have two 40+ yard touchdown rushes in a single quarter. After being held to 119 ground yards last week, Barkley had 71 yards on four carries by the end of the first quarter.
SAQUON BARKLEY OH MY
📺: #LARvsPHI on NBC
📱: Stream on @NFLPlus + Peacock pic.twitter.com/bh3kTy2IqP— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025
Though Rams wide receiver Demarcus Robinson has been limited to just five catches since Week 14, his longest reception of the season – a 48-yarder to end the first quarter – resulted in a 30-yard field goal to cut the lead to 13-10 in the second frame.
A Philadelphia drive that made it all the way to LA’s 32 was derailed by a sack and fumble recovered by the Eagles for a 12-yard loss, forcing Philly to attempt a Hail Mary with three seconds left in the half instead of attempting a field goal. The prayer went unanswered as the Rams closed out the second quarter with their fourth sack of the afternoon.
Los Angeles tailback Kyren Williams had 105 total yards in this game. His 30-yard dash in the third quarter helped the Rams kick a field goal to tie the game 13-13.
Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert was Philadelphia’s biggest receiving threat after leading the team in receiving yards (56). The 31-yard catch-and-run he recorded in the third quarter led to a 44-yard field goal to put the Birds ahead 16-13. Jalen Hurts appeared to suffer a knee injury after taking a sack on the final offensive play of that series. Following the takedown, Hurts limped over to the sideline where he was examined by medical personnel. Thankfully, he returned to the game on the next drive.
It might have been a mistake to come back so quickly because Jalen Hurts was sacked for the sixth time of the evening for a two-point safety to cut the Rams’ deficit to 16-15 while giving LA possession of the ball to end the third quarter. However, Second-Team All-Pro defensive lineman Jalen Carter forced a Kyren Williams fumble (the game’s first turnover) which was picked up and returned 40 yards by defensive back Isaiah Rodgers to the Rams’ red zone.
sNO way? YES WAY! Our ball!@rodgers_isaiah | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/dfhhINYTd7
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 19, 2025
This is when Jalen Hurts’ injury and mistakes took a toll. Though Philly made it to Los Angeles’ two yard line, the team didn’t attempt its famous Tush Push until fourth down out of caution for Hurts. Despite successfully executing the play on fourth down, that touchdown was wiped off the board due to a false start by Pro Bowl offensive lineman Lane Johnson. Therefore, the Eagles settled for a field goal and a 19-15 advantage.
Another Los Angeles possession was cut short by a Matthew Stafford fumble, which was scooped up by Pro Bowl linebacker Zack Baun. After 22 straight drives without a turnover, the Rams gave the ball away on back-to-back possessions.
Even with his injuries, Jalen Hurts completed 15 of 20 passes for 128 passing yards, 70 rushing yards, and a rushing touchdown. Hurts connected with wideouts A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith for 16 yards, leading to another Jake Elliott field goal to extend the lead to 22-15 with 6:18 remaining in the fourth quarter. While Elliott missed eight field goals during the regular season, he made all three of his field goal attempts in this snowy matchup.
Saquon Barkley’s second touchdown run, which was for 78 yards, put the Eagles ahead 28-15 late in the fourth quarter. All four of the touchdowns that Saquon Barkley scored against the Rams this season were 60+ yards.
Los Angeles refused to go away. The Rams put together a 70-yard touchdown drive in 1:48 to make it a one-score 28-22 game with 2:48 left in the fourth quarter. The defense then forced a stop to get LA the ball back with 2:23 remaining in the fourth and a chance to win the game.
Superstar wide receiver Puka Nacua made an unreal 37-yard catch on the sideline to get the ball to Philadelphia’s 21 with 1:25 left in the game. Soon afterward, Matthew Stafford took an ill-advised sack, setting up a 4th and 11 at Philly’s 21 yard line. Unfortunately for the Rams, Stafford sailed his final pass of the game over the head of Puke Nacua, securing the win for the Eagles.
With that win, Philly will play host to division rival Washington next week in the NFC Championship Game with a trip to the Super Bowl on the line.
