- WHERE: Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
- WHEN: 3 p.m. ET | NBC, Peacock, Telemundo, Universo, TeleXitos, NFL+
The Eagles welcome the Rams to the City of Brotherly Love for an intriguing Divisional Round showdown between a team most expected to be there (the Eagles) and an opponent that surprised the football world with a dominant victory over a 14-win club to reach this point (the Rams).
Matthew Stafford”>Matthew Stafford broke out of his offensive slump in the Rams’ win over the Vikings on Monday, powering an emphatic and wildly impressive opening drive that set the tone for the entire night. Los Angeles’ defense rose to the occasion, too, harassing the Vikings and limiting them to just nine points. When Jared Verse”>Jared Verse returned a fumble for a touchdown, the energy was palpable well beyond the confines of State Farm Stadium, and by the time Stafford found Davis Allen”>Davis Allen for a touchdown just before half, it felt as if the game had officially been decided.
They aren’t likely to find the going as easy this week. The Eagles have won 13 of their last 14 games and aim to add another tally to the win column Sunday. They’re on a bit of a memorable march themselves, winning 15 games (including playoffs) for just the fourth time in franchise history. Each time they’ve done so in the past, they’ve reached the Super Bowl.
The Rams stand in their way of making it happen again.
Here are three things to watch for in Sunday’s Divisional Round showdown at Lincoln Financial Field:
1) Defensive battle awaits? The Eagles enjoyed their defensive coming-out party way back in Week 7 when they suffocated the Giants in a 28-3 win in New York. That was way back in mid-October, 11 days before Halloween, but the Eagles’ defensive elevation wasn’t just a costume party. Their unit is the real deal, finishing the 2024 regular season with the NFL’s best group in total defense and passing defense, and the second-best scoring defense. Defense became the strength of this Eagles squad and once again proved to be an essential component of Philadelphia’s winning formula in a 22-10 win over the Packers on Wild Card Weekend. On the other sideline, though, another defense is rounding into form. Los Angeles shut down the explosive Minnesota Vikings in their Wild Card Round triumph, limiting the Vikings to nine points in a game in which they sacked Sam Darnold”>Sam Darnold nine times. In the last four games in which their starters played, the Rams allowed an average of 8.25 points per game, a perfect counter to an offense that encountered some difficulties in December. With the Eagles’ offense struggling a bit in recent weeks, are we setting up for a low-scoring, defensive showdown made for traditionalists?
2) Eagles need to spread their wings. We know Saquon Barkley”>Saquon Barkley is among the most valuable players in this matchup, and we’re well aware of how capable he is of closing a game emphatically. The rest of Philadelphia’s offense causes concerns, though. The Eagles rank 29th in passing, converted just 2 of 11 third downs last weekend and quarterback Jalen Hurts”>Jalen Hurts showed some signs of rust after missing a two weeks due to a concussion. At one point earlier this season, Lane