Tim McManus
Sarah Barshop
Shut
Sarah Barshop
ESPN Workers Author
- Sarah Barshop covers the Los Angeles Rams for ESPN. She joined ESPN in 2016 to cowl the Inexperienced Bay Packers for ESPN Milwaukee. She then moved to Houston to cowl the Texans. She got here to ESPN after working as a author and editor for Sports activities Illustrated. You’ll be able to comply with her on Twitter @sarahbarshop.
PHILADELPHIA — The Philadelphia Eagles rode into the NFC Championship Recreation on the energy of Saquon Barkley and the protection, knocking off the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 within the divisional spherical on Sunday.
In different phrases, nothing has modified.
Barkley proved to be the Rams’ kryptonite as soon as once more, dashing for a franchise-record 205 yards. He broke off two landing runs of 60-plus yards, together with a 76-yarder within the latter levels of the fourth quarter that set off a celebration at Lincoln Monetary Area, full with “MVP” chants and snowballs being thrown.
His efficiency was harking back to the Week 12 matchup in opposition to L.A. when he popped off for a franchise-record 255 yards.
When the sport was doubtful — and it was after quarterback Jalen Hurts was taken down for a security that closed the margin to 1 late within the third quarter. Former Georgia teammates Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith Jr. pressured fumbles on back-to-back collection to arrange a pair of subject targets that gave Philadelphia some respiratory room. Then Barkley performed nearer.
There will likely be some questions on Hurts’ well being (he appeared to injure his left leg within the second half) and whether or not the passing sport is as much as the take a look at heading into the NFC title sport in opposition to the Washington Commanders on Sunday (3 p.m. ET, Fox). However there isn’t any denying the effectiveness of the components that acquired them there.
Largest gap within the sport plan: Clock administration to finish the primary half. Coach Nick Sirianni’s dealing with of the state of affairs was questionable. After a Hurts sack moved the Eagles again to the Rams’ 45-yard line, Philadelphia might have taken a timeout with about 20 seconds left to attempt to run a play that might get them again into subject aim vary. As a substitute, Sirianni let the clock run down to 3 seconds to arrange a Hail Mary, which led to a different Hurts sack and nil factors for the Eagles.
Most shocking efficiency: Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers changed an injured Quinyon Mitchell within the lineup and got here up with one of many largest performs of the sport, scooping up a Kyren Williams fumble on the primary play of the fourth quarter and returning it 40 yards. It appeared like Barkley cashed in for his second TD of the day however was dominated quick, resulting in a Jake Elliott subject aim for a 19-15 Eagles lead.
Eye-popping stat: Barkley reached a max velocity of 20.78 mph on each of his TD runs. He has 9 dashing TDs on the season the place he reached 20-plus mph. Previous to this season, the Eagles had six such landing runs going again to NFL Subsequent Gen Stats debut in 2016. Los Angeles Chargers rookie vast receiver Ladd McConkey is the one ball provider who has hit a sooner max velocity (20.84) this postseason. — Tim McManus
Subsequent sport: vs. Washington Commanders, 3 p.m. ET, Sunday (Fox)
The Rams’ postseason run ended with the loss to the Eagles on Sunday, because the staff scored 22 factors with the snow coming down for a lot of the sport in Philadelphia.
The offense discovered the top zone twice: a 4-yard landing cross from quarterback Matthew Stafford to tight finish Tyler Higbee on the Rams’ first drive of the sport and one other to Higbee with lower than 2½ minutes remaining within the sport to make it a six-point sport.
Stafford accomplished 26-of-43 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. Stafford ends his third playoff run with the Rams with 15 passing touchdowns within the playoffs for Los Angeles, tying Kurt Warner for probably the most in staff historical past.
The groups traded possessions fairly evenly by three quarters earlier than the Rams struggled to guard the ball, with fumbles by operating again Kyren Williams and Stafford on back-to-back drives within the fourth quarter.
In line with ESPN Analysis, the Rams are the primary staff to lose a fumble on back-to-back drives within the playoffs for the reason that Dolphins within the 2016.
Eye-popping stat: Stafford’s first-quarter landing cross to tight finish Higbee had 0.4 yards of separation on the arrival on the throw. That is the fewest yards of separation on any Stafford passing landing as a Ram, in keeping with NFL Subsequent Gen Stats.
Promising development: The cross rush. Every week after tying a playoff report with 9 sacks, the younger Rams protection sacked Hurts seven instances, giving them a complete of 16 in a two-game span — probably the most over a two-game stretch within the playoffs since sacks grew to become official in 1963, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.
Largest gap within the sport plan: Stopping the Eagles’ operating sport. The Rams knew the problem of this after permitting 314 dashing yards — together with a franchise-record 255 by Barkley — of their Week 12 loss to Philadelphia. The Eagles’ first two touchdowns had been on rushes of 44 yards (Hurts) and 62 (Barkley) and Philadelphia completed with 285 yards on the bottom. — Sarah Barshop
