The Philadelphia Eagles held off a determined Los Angeles Rams squad to win their NFC Divisional game 28-22. Most of the game was played in a driving snowstorm, which affected the long passing game and both teams’ ability to hang on to the ball. Every time the Eagles appeared to have the Rams on the outs, LA would come fighting back, led by a swarming front seven on defense and some magic from the old master quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Even when Saquon Barkley scored on a 78-yard dash around the left side with 4:36 left in the contest, the Rams did not lose their resolve. The game was not truly decided until a late-game sack by Jalen Carter on Stafford.
Eagles Take Lead in Seesaw First Half
Powered by two first-half touchdown runs, the Eagles raced to a 13-10 halftime lead. Keeping it on the ground on their opening drive, it didn’t take long for the maligned Jalen Hurts to make his presence felt. Early in the first quarter, on a second down and four from the Rams’ 44-yard line, Hurts rushed through a big hole on the right side to sprint untouched to put Philadelphia up 6-0. The Eagles kicker, Jake Elliot, missed the extra point: the first of two misses on the day.
But the Rams responded in kind. Head coach Sean McVay challenged a third-down ruling that tight end Tyler Higbee had dropped a pass from Stafford. The referee reversed the call, keeping LA’s drive alive. Ten plays later, Stafford hit Higbee for a short touchdown pass to give the Rams the 7-6 lead.
Then, late in the opening quarter, Hurts started the Eagles on a drive beginning at their own 17-yard line. Five plays later, Barkley would explode off the right side for a 62-yard touchdown run. LA’s kicker Joshua Karty would add a 30-yard field goal early in the second quarter, and the Eagles would head to the locker room with a slim 13-10 lead.
Second Half Starts Sluggish
Both defenses started to dominate the game in the second half, as extreme pressure was put on both quarterbacks in passing situations. The teams exchanged field goals, leaving the Eagles with a three-point lead, but Nevin Gallimore would shift the momentum in LA’s favor.
Late in the third quarter, on second and six from the Eagles’ eight-yard line, Gallimore swooped in to sack Hurts for a safety, cutting Philadelphia’s lead to 16-15. But two plays later, the Rams’ running back Kyren Williams had the ball stripped by Carter, and the Eagles recovered the ball at the 50-yard line with one quarter left in the game.
Wild Fourth Quarter
The Eagles then widened their lead to 19-15 after a 32-yard field goal by Elliot. And the Philadelphia defense cranked it up a notch. Nolan Smith Jr. sacked Stafford on a third down play, and Zack Braun recovered the ball at the LA 38-yard line. The Eagles converted that into a 37-yard Elliot field goal with 6:18 remaining.
After a Rams punt, Barkley appeared to put the game away with his long touchdown run, but the game wasn’t over yet. Elliot missed his second PAT of the game to the right, and LA went to work. Stafford quickly moved the Rams down the field on a 10-play, 70-yard drive, culminating in a Colby Parkinson touchdown reception, closing the gap to 28-22.
The Rams held the Eagles on the next series, and due to excellent use of his timeouts, McVay’s team took possession of the ball with 2:36 remaining on their own 18-yard line. LA gamely brought the ball down to the Philadelphia 13-yard line when Stafford was sacked for a nine loss by a hard-charging Carter. There would be one errant pass intended for Puka Nacua that would fall incomplete, and the Eagles would leave the field with an exhausting 28-22 win.
Final Thoughts and a Look Ahead
Barkley would end the game with 205 rushing yards and the two touchdowns. Stafford would go 26-44 for 324 yards and two scores. And both defensive fronts would put up some monster numbers, with the Rams racking up seven sacks and the Eagles with five of their own.
The Philadelphia Eagles will now host the upstart Washington Commanders for the NFC Championship Game next Sunday. The game will start at 3 p.m. EST.
