PHILADELPHIA — Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay dissected the ways his team could potentially stop Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley — only the ninth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history — when he considered the consequences of failure.
“If they get a bead on what you’re doing,” McVay said, “they will pound you and they will embarrass you.”
McVay and the Rams should know that better than any other team. In a season full of splendid games for Barkley, there was none better than his November outing against the Rams.
Barkley ran for touchdowns of 70 and 72 yards in the second half and finished with 255 yards on the ground, an Eagles rushing record. It was the ninth-most rushing yards in a game in NFL history, and he had 302 yards from scrimmage, making him just the 12th player in NFL history to top 300 — and the first to hit that mark for the Eagles.
With the fourth-seeded Rams (11-7) visiting in the divisional round of the NFC playoffs Sunday (3 p.m. on NBC/Peacock), Barkley is ready for an encore.
For the second straight week, the second-seeded Eagles (15-3) get a regular-season rematch. A week after knocking off the seventh-seeded Green Bay Packers for a second time, the NFC East Division champions host the NFC West’s best just seven weeks after Barkley sparked a 37-20 win against the Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California.
“They will see stuff on tape that they will want to do differently,” Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni said.
The same applies to the Eagles. The Los Angeles defense, just 22nd in the NFL against the rush, would have been just as happy erasing the game video than being forced this week to watch Barkley run roughshod over them.
Barkley topped the Eagles’ franchise records of 217 rushing yards by LeSean McCoy in 2013 and 296 total yards by Duce Staley in 2000. He also had the biggest rushing performance ever against the Rams, exceeding DeMarco Murray’s 253 yards for the Dallas Cowboys in 2011.
The Rams couldn’t stop Barkley the first time, and there isn’t much statistically that suggest they’ll stop him this time. Los Angeles allowed 353.1 yards per game this season, including an average of 130 yards on the ground.
“I think when you have humbling experiences with the right kinds of people, those are where the real growth exist,” McVay said. “I think we had a lot of guys that really, as a team, you can look inward and you can say, ‘Is this really what we want to be about? Where are the things that we can adjust and adapt from a coaching perspective?'”
The Rams rebounded from the humbling defeat. Not only did their defense adjust, it became arguably the team’s strength down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Just ask the Minnesota Vikings. The Rams not only harassed quarterback Sam Darnold and his hapless blockers for nine sacks, they also held All-Pro first-team receiver Justin Jefferson without a catch in the second half of their 27-9 wild-card win over the fifth-seeded Vikings on Monday night.
That put the Eagles on notice.
“Any time guys play together, build cohesiveness, build connection, they are going to play better and better and better,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said.
Barkley ran for 119 yards in his Eagles playoff debut, and the Pro Bowl back who has spent his entire football career playing in East Coast winters should be up for the challenge in a game where temperatures are expected in the teens with some snow expected at Lincoln Financial Field.
A.J. Brown wants to add another successful chapter to the Eagles’ postseason run with a win over the Rams.
Launching a little-known self-help book to No. 1 on Amazon’s bestseller list was just a bonus. The receiver went viral when he passed time on the bench during last week’s game against the Packers by flipping through the pages of “Inner Excellence” by mental skills coach Jim Murphy.
The book hit No. 1 overnight because of Brown’s influence.
“Hats off to Jim. I talked him, he’s a great guy,” Brown said. “The book is amazing. For all who bought the book, check it out.”
He might also want the Eagles to open a book: a playbook that will call his number.
Brown, who topped 1,000 receiving yards for the third straight year, was held to one catch for 10 yards against Green Bay. He had six catches for 109 yards and a touchdown the first time out against the Rams, and he could be a helpful target for quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw a pair of touchdown passes but also for just a modest 131 yards against the Packers in his return from a three-week layoff forced by a concussion.
Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford threw two touchdown passes for 209 yards and completed his first 10 passes, including all six on the opening touchdown drive, against the Vikings.
Los Angeles — the football team, yes, but especially the city — had a tough week as wildfires have devastated large portions of the metropolitan area. Stafford played a key role in settling the Rams as they were forced to move their home playoff game to the home of the Arizona Cardinals.
“There’s an aura that he had about himself,” McVay said. “I could really feel that when we were practicing on Saturday at Arizona’s facility. I felt that really from our whole team, but certainly with him as the leader and being in a position where you’re naturally thrust into a leadership role. When No. 9 is feeling good, it sure makes me feel good, too.”