Eagles, Rams battle on TSN features two franchises seeking sustained success

Both the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams are on the short list for most successful NFC squads at the midway point of this decade.

Los Angeles, with their victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI, are one of only three franchises (Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Kansas City Chiefs three times) to earn a Super Bowl title in the 2020s.

Philadelphia fell in Super Bowl LVII to the Chiefs on a failed Eagles Hail Mary attempt to end the game for a 38-35 final.

A victory in Sunday's Divisional Round showdown would provide a boost to both sides.

You can watch the Rams take on the Eagles LIVE on TSN1/4 and streaming on TSN.ca and the TSN App, with coverage starting at Noon ET / 9a.m. PT and kickoff scheduled for 3p.m. ET / Noon PT on Sunday.

Philadelphia finished the season 14-3, tied for their most wins in a regular season in franchise history and good enough to earn the second seed in the NFC. After their Week 5 bye, the team rattled off 10 straight victories and closed out the season with wins in 12 of their final 13 games.

Including playoffs, this is the fourth time the Eagles have won 15+ games in a season in franchise history, and the team went to the Super Bowl in each of the other three.

Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni has enjoyed historic success in his first four seasons at the helm in Philadelphia.

Including playoffs, his 51 wins (and counting) in his first four seasons rank second all-time among NFL head coaches.

The Eagles have had a lot of success at home in the Divisional Round in franchise history - their 6-0 record is the best all-time, and their average margin of victory at home in the divisional round is 13.5 points.

Philadelphia has been strong at home all season, which may prove a difficult hurdle to overcome for the Rams.

Their 9-1 record (including playoffs), 16.7 points per game allowed, 279.5 yards per game allowed and +9 turnover margin all rank in the top three in the NFL this year.

The Eagles also have no major weaknesses to exploit - the team finished in the top 10 in offensive and defensive scoring, were strong against both the run and the pass on defence and only ranked in the bottom half of passing yardage this season partly due to the fact the team ran the fewest passing attempts in the NFL (448).

Philadelphia's defensive prowess was on full display in their 22-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the wild-card round in which they forced four turnovers against a strong Packers offence.

Their main weapon, though, and a weapon the Rams know all too well, is running back Saquon Barkley.

Barkley became just the ninth player in NFL history to amass 2,000 yards rushing in a single season this year, finishing at 2,005 before resting in the season finale.

Philadelphia won the meeting between these two teams, 37-20 in Week 9, behind an otherworldly performance from Barkley.

The seventh-year veteran, who is in his first season with the Eagles after six years with the New York Giants, ran for a franchise-record 255 yards and two touchdowns, adding 47 yards receiving. His 302 yards from scrimmage also set a franchise record.

“[Barkley] is getting tough, hard-earned yards, and then you give him a vertical seam like he got a couple of times,” Rams head coach Sean McVay said after that game. “He has the explosiveness and long speed and the ability to finish. That is what opened and blew the game up for him. He was outstanding.”

Los Angeles has had a bit of a roller-coaster campaign. After a 1-4 start before a Week 6 bye, the team looked destined for a high draft pick. 

McVay and veteran quarterback Matt Stafford got things rolling from there though, and the team has won 10 of 13 since.

Stafford, wide receiver Cooper Kupp, offensive lineman Rob Havenstein and defensive back Darious Williams are the lone holdovers in the starting lineup that played in the Super Bowl LVI victory three years ago.

Stafford is one of just five active quarterbacks to have won a Super Bowl title, along with Patrick Mahomes (three), Russell Wilson (one), Joe Flacco (one) and Aaron Rodgers (one).

Stafford is the elder statesman of starting quarterbacks still in the playoffs, as his 16 seasons in the NFL dwarf the next-closest, Jared Goff of the Detroit Lions, who is in his ninth NFL campaign.

The veteran is the fourth quarterback in NFL history to make three or more starts with two different franchises in the playoffs after starting three - all losses - with the Lions across his first 12 seasons with that team.

The Rams will need Stafford to keep up his playoff magic if they're going to keep up with the Eagles on Sunday.

Stafford ranks fourth in NFL history for playoff passing yards per game (296.9), owns the third-highest passer rating in playoffs history (103.0) and has thrown for 200+ yards with at least two touchdowns in six consecutive playoff games, a streak exceeded only by Rodgers (nine games), Terry Bradshaw (seven) and Flacco (seven).

Where the Eagles have been strong on almost every front statistically this year, the Rams have been decidedly average. Some games they look like world beaters (a 44-42 victory over the Buffalo Bills in which they neither punted nor turned the ball over), some games they look lost (a 41-10 shellacking at the hands of the lowly Arizona Cardinals comes to mind).

The odds are stacked against the Rams, but if there's one thing they have in their corner, it's the ingenuity of their young head coach.

McVay, 39, already owns the record for most playoff wins by a head coach before turning 40. With two more, he will own the record for head coaches under the age of 45 - when he still has six years to work on that one.

Los Angeles dominated the 14-3 Minnesota Vikings to a 27-9 final in the wild-card round behind a playoff record-tying nine sacks.

The Rams are operating on a short week of preparation following that game on Monday night, and McVay is confident in the week of preparation the team has put forth.

"[Our players] got themselves refreshed and recharged. I think our guys have been able to handle short weeks, if you will,” McVay said on Thursday. “Our guys handled it really well today.”