Rams-Eagles on Divisional Round Sunday: What We Learned from Philadelphia's 28-22 win

FULL BOX SCORE

• REWATCH: Rams-Eagles on NFL+ Premium
• READ: Biggest winners and losers from Eagles' win over Rams
• READ: Stafford: 'It sure feels like' I have more football left
• READ: Hurts (knee) confident he'll play in NFC title game
• READ: Top flaw for 4 SB contenders; needs for losing teams

1. Saquon Barkley does it again. On a day in which the snowy elements played a major factor, the Eagles were able to rely on their superstar running back once again. It began in the first quarter when Barkley ripped off a 62-yard TD run that was executed so well up front, tackle Jordan Mailata didn't even need to block anyone downfield to get the job done. Barkley's performance certainly wasn't a bludgeoning, though. Of Barkley's 205 rushing yards, 140 came via two carries. On his other 24 carries, Barkley averaged 2.7 yards per attempt, and for a sizable stretch of time, the Eagles avoided handing it to Barkley. When the Eagles regained possession late in the fourth owning a seven-point lead, though, everybody watching knew it was time for Barkley to close another game. He did his part, taking his first carry of the series 78 yards through Los Angeles' defense for a touchdown that should have put the game away if not for the Rams' late comeback attempt. In the end, though, Barkley trotted off the field as the hero once again, continuing his incredible season with a signature playoff performance.
2. Weather dooms visiting Rams. With precipitation anticipated to arrive during Sunday's contest, much of the pregame discussion revolved around incoming weather. It arrived in the form of freezing rain and eventually evolved into consistent snowfall, creating difficulties with visibility and footing, clearly affecting the abilities of ball-carriers to reach top speed and cut effectively. Puka Nacua dropped an on-target pass in the second half because he attempted to catch it with his body instead of trusting his hands amid the cold. Even worse: the Rams struggled to hold onto the football once the snow intensified. Kyren Williams -- who ran at times as if he was trying to stay upright on a sheet of ice -- fumbled away possession in the second half when Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter punched the ball out of his grasp, and Matthew Stafford gave away possession on the next drive when his arm was hit while he was attempting to find an open target. Both turnovers led to Eagles field goals in what ended as a six-point game. The Rams deserve credit for finding a rhythm late and nearly pulling off a courageous comeback, but it was clear the elements hurt them more than the host Eagles.
3. Eagles win battle of wits up front. Philadelphia found itself in the middle of a legitimate dogfight with the visiting Rams on Sunday, desperately attempting to find an edge in what was a tie game midway through the third quarter. That's precisely when defensive coordinator Vic Fangio's creativity shined. With the Rams looking to throw the ball downfield in the second half, Fangio dialed up a number of stunts along the defensive line that gave Matthew Stafford false confidence he could step up into the pocket without issue. As Stafford did so, the second participant in these stunts would arrive just in time to cut off the open space and swallow up the quarterback for a sack. Fangio's calls had the Rams so concerned about additional stunts, they incorrectly anticipated another one on a key third down on Los Angeles' last-ditch drive in the final minute of the game. When the ball was snapped, center Beaux Limmer tried to pass off Jalen Carter to a teammate while sliding to his left in anticipation of a stunt that never arrived, producing a disastrous outcome: a sack that pushed the Rams back into a doomed fourth-and-11. Philadelphia's execution and design won the trench battles in the second half, undercutting the Rams' offense in the biggest moments to hang on for a huge win.
4. Jared Verse closes excellent rookie season with a bang. The likely Defensive Rookie of the Year, whose comments this week created their own pregame news cycle, was a menace on Sunday, frequently wreaking havoc as a pass rusher and tying for the Rams' lead in QB pressures with four. Both of his sacks came on third down and pushed the Eagles out of field goal range, contributing to a Rams rush that sacked Jalen Hurts seven times, one of which resulted in an apparent knee injury for the QB. Big plays proved to be the Rams' downfall, but on a per-down basis, Verse put together a fantastic game that is even more impressive when considering his rookie running mate, Braden Fiske, missed much of this game due to injury. Verse introduced himself to the NFL in 2024 and finished on a strong note, despite the loss, setting up for a bright future up front in Los Angeles.
5. Jake Elliott continues to mystify. The Eagles kicker has struggled with inconsistencies this season, devolving from a special teams weapon to a concern for a team that doesn't put a ton of points on the board easily. He missed an extra point after Jalen Hurts' 44-yard touchdown run to open the game, and once the snow increased in intensity, those inconsistencies produced significant worry for Eagles fans. That's when Elliott shined, though, watching his teammates clear snow from small patches of turf before nailing two challenging kicks, seemingly reversing the narrative regarding his performance. Those kicks were essential to the Eagles' six-point win, but when he lined up after Saquon Barkley's 78-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, he missed another extra point. On a day in which weather made most everything more difficult to accomplish, Elliott embodied the inverse of typical expectations for kickers: He converted the difficult tries, and struggled with the routine attempts. Philadelphia will hope he irons out his struggles before it faces another team that tends to make things mighty interesting -- Washington -- in the NFC Championship Game next Sunday.

Next Gen Stats Insight from Rams-Eagles (via NFL Pro): Saquon Barkley reached 20-plus miles per hour on both of his long touchdown runs, giving him 13 runs where he reached at least 20-plus mph this season, over two times more than any other running back (including playoffs). Barkley was most efficient rushing outside the tackles as he carried the ball 13 times for 163 yards and both of his touchdowns (12.5 YPA). On carries directed between the tackles, he carried the ball 12 times for just 42 yards (3.2 YPA).

NFL Research: Saquon Barkley is the first player in NFL history with 200+ scrimmage yards in a game against the same opponent in both the regular season game and a playoff game in the same season. Barkley had 302 scrimmage yards versus the Rams in Week 12.