When the Los Angeles Rams take the field against the Philadelphia Eagles in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs, it will mark the second time the two teams faced off this season.
Will the Rams play better than their first showdown against Philly's finest? Hopefully so… because they can't play much worse.
Now granted, the Rams weren't horrible or anything in Week 12, especially considering they were still trying to figure out their roster after being decimated by injuries earlier in the year, but they did famously allow Saquon Barkley to rush for 255 yards on the ground in an all-time great rushing performance and *spoiler alert* the pride of Penn State is still going to be the focal point of the Eagles' offense in the Divisional Round
Asked how Week 12 could inform the Eagles' decisions in Week 20, Sean McVay noted that their first game against the Eagles was an incredible learning experience, as he hopes they can use that October knowledge in January.
“I think when you have humbling experiences with the right kinds of people, those are where the real growth ‘ops' exist. 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? Where's the sense of urgency that's going to be required for coaches and players to be able to execute the way that we want, and what kind of work needs to be put in throughout the course of the week? What do we need to do? How do we want to act, interact, and respond accordingly with how we move forward?'” McVay told Rams reporters.
“That humbling night, when you have the right people…it's just like I've told you guys. I think a lot of the scars that we've had as a team have been what led us to the point that we're at. I know the greatest growth opportunities that I have ever taken part, with myself in particular, are when it's the most challenging times. You're thinking… man, I don't like this at all, and you look back on it, and you say, ‘I can't imagine where you would be without some of those adverse times.' I think that was one of those nights that because we have the right people, the response was in alignment with what we want, but I also think there is a respect and an understanding of what's going to be required if we want to continue to earn some more time. What a great challenge. We love it.”
While the Wild Card Round proved to fans in Los Angeles that the Rams rush could be among the NFL's best when they are cooking, Chris Shula's unit still allowed over 100 yards on the ground, which feels hard to believe, considering how often Aaron Jones and Cam Akers were stuffed at the line of scrimmage.
Unfortunately, the Eagles' offensive line is so much better than what the Vikings trotted onto the field in Arizona, and Barkley has used their effectiveness to pick up 3.8 yards before even being contacted. If the Rams can slow down Barkley, then yeah, maybe they have a chance, but if the NFL rushing leader averages 9.8 yards per carry once more, it's going to be a long afternoon.