Eagles-Rams Playoff Edition: Players To Watch, Final Score, And More

Two wins away from the Super Bowl are all that’s left for the Eagles. Before getting that last one, they have to win Sunday’s rematch against the Los Angeles Rams.

The Eagles went to Southern California and thumped them pretty good, 37-20, on Nov. 24, with the Rams scoring a garbage-time touchdown to make it look closer. Some believe the Ram’s defense has improved since then. The Eagles will try to prove those people wrong.

Here’s a preview:

PLAYERS TO WATCH

DeVonta Smith. He is just six yards away from becoming the Eagles’ all-time leader in receiving yards in the playoffs. Just ahead is Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael who had 465 on 29 catches in seven postseason games. This will be Smith’s seventh playoff game. He has 31 catches for 460 yards.

Nolan Smith. The second-year pro has the team lead in sacks after getting two against the Packers. He has 8.5, a half-sack ahead of Josh Sweat.

Oren Burks/Jeremiah Trotter, Jr. One of them will start in place of the injured Nakobe Dean. Both could end up playing plenty of snaps, though the hunch is the Eagles will go with experience and lean harder in the direction of Burks.

Jared Verse. Maybe you heard. The rookie L.A. pass rusher hates Eagles fans? Need I say more?

Jalen Hurts. Man, the quarterback can’t win for winning, which is all he seems to do. He continues to get very little national respect, and while the passing game was out of sync last week against Green Bay, Hurts played another turnover-free game, something Justin Herbert (four interceptions), Jordan Love (three interceptions), and Baker Mayfield (costly fumble) weren’t able to do and is why their teams are planning for the offseason.

Hurts leads the NFL with a 16 to 1 touchdown-to-interception ratio since Week 6, including the postseason, and has the second-longest active streak without an interception of any QB remaining in playoffs. The Eagles are 10-0 this season when Hurts has an A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith available to throw to.

Matthew Stafford. Since joining the Rams, Stafford is 19-3 in December, January and February, the best record of any QB with 10+ starts in that span. He’s also 5-1 in the playoffs since joining L.A. in 2021. For what it’s worth, the QB will turn 37 two days before the Super Bowl.

THINGS TO KNOW

-The Eagles four takeaways against the Packers last week (three interceptions, one special teams forced fumble) were the most in a playoff game since Jan. 19, 2002, at Chicago.

-Saquon Barkley has moved into fifth in league history for most rushing yards in a season counting the playoffs. He has 2,124. Just ahead are Adrian Peterson who had 2,196 in 2012 and Eric Dickerson who had 2,212 in 1984. Terrell Davis holds the top two spots from 1997 (2,331) and 1998 (2,476).

PREDICTION

The loss of Nakobe Dean may hurt more against a veteran quarterback like Matthew Stafford, but the Eagles have had all week to prepare with whoever fills in, and the onus will fall on a defensive line to pressure the Rams QB. If Stafford has time, he will beat anyone. The Eagles’ offensive line is the key here. They are just bigger, stronger, and more experienced than a very good Rams front. In this line I trust.

Eagles 27, Rams 20

Season record: 11-7 (1-0 playoffs)