Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!
As the dazzling white snow fell soft and fast from the sky like a flurry of feathers, the road to the Super Bowl was decided on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
The journey to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans runs through the City of Brotherly Love.
Saquon Barkley ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in the NFC Division Round game that turned into a snow-covered blizzard of epic proportions.
The two-seeded Eagles will now host their NFC East rivals the Washington Commanders next Sunday in Philadelphia.
The Eagles lost Super Bowl LVII to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a heartbreaker two years ago, and are now just one triumph away from returning to the big game and a shot at redemption in the Big Easy.
For the Rams, their rollercoaster ride of a season comes to an end, but they have nothing to hang their heads about.
In a year defined by devastation and resilience, the Rams defied the odds by starting the season 1-4, but going on to win the NFC West division, and upsetting the 14-win Vikings on a neutral field in Arizona in the Wild Card Round.
The game was moved from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Arizona after the devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles last week, leaving chaos, destruction, and ashes in their wake.
“I’m proud to be associated with this football team,” said Rams’ head coach Sean McVay after the loss. “This game epitomized the resiliency, the grit, and the ability to overcome adversity that this team has shown.”
The snow-covered battle for home field in the NFC Championship began when their was still green grass visible on the field. Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts opened the scoring with a 44-yard house call on Philadelphia’s opening drive.
Similar to their first meeting at SoFi Stadium in November, the Rams responded with a 13-play, 67-yard scoring drive that gave them a 7-6 lead near the end of the first quarter. Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford capped off the drive when he threw a touchdown pass to tight-end Tyler Higbee.
Playing in frigid conditions and on an icy playing surface, Stafford was 26 for 44 for 324 yards and two touchdowns on the day.
Just as he did in their first meeting, Saquon Barkley haunted the Rams. On the Eagles third drive of the game, Barkley went untouched for a 62-yard scamper and score that gave Philadelphia a 13-7 lead.
Barkley had two touchdown runs of over 70 yards in that first game, and two more of over 60 yards on Sunday. He became the first player in NFL history with four rushing touchdowns of 60 or more yards against a single opponent in a player’s career, and he did it in just two games. In Barkley’s last two games against the Rams, he has 460 rushing yards and four touchdowns.
“Obviously Saquon was excellent today,” said McVay of Barkley’s big day. “It’s hard. I didn’t want it to end. The finality of it is tough for me to swallow.”
The heavy accumulation of snow flakes made for a slippery and slick playing surface. This wasn’t a football game, it was a real-life snow globe full of enchantment and gleam, and it was ideal conditions for Barkley.
With the Rams trailing by seven points late in the fourth quarter, and the snow coming down like a heavy blanket in a winter wonderland, Barkley sealed the victory for the Eagles with a 78-yard touchdown run that punched Philadelphia’s ticket to the NFC Championship Game.
The Rams defense did everything they could to keep their team in the game, sacking Jalen Hurts six times, including for a safety at the end of the third quarter.
“Football is a game of inches. We shot ourselves in the foot on all three of those big run plays.” said soon-to-be NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award winner Jared Verse, who had two sacks in the game. “I don’t feel like anyone on our defense was too affected by the snow. There might have been a play here or there where we slipped, but we had to push past it.”
Two crucial fourth quarter fumbles played a pivotal role in the outcome of the game. The first, came from Rams’ running back Kyren Williams, who struggled with taking care of the football at different points throughout the season. Williams finished with 106 yards in the loss.
Stafford was responsible for the second fumble that led to three more points for the Eagles, but he kept things interesting with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that cut the lead to 28-22 with 2:48 left in the game.
“Obviously, there are plays you want back in the game,” said Stafford of his fumble. “It’s disappointing for the game to end this way, but I’m proud of the way we battled.”
But in the end, Barkley was too much for the young and aggressive Rams defense. The weather conditions didn’t help much either. The Rams had a chance to tie or take the lead on their final drive, but Stafford overthrew Puka Nacua on 4th and 13 that led to a turnover on downs and a victory formation for Philadelphia.
“I would have loved to score at the end,” said Stafford of that final drive. “I felt like as an offense we had them on the ropes. They felt it too. We were moving the rock really well the last two drives. We just had a couple unforced errors there at the end and got behind the sticks. We had a chance to win it, just didn’t get it done.”
Despite having two years left on his contract, but his future with the Rams is shrouded in uncertainty. Stafford will be 37 years old at the start of next season, and his cap-hit is close to $50 million. Before the 2024 season, both sides renegotiated his deal to make it easier for both sides to part ways. The Rams could decide to move on from their Super Bowl winning quarterback, return to the negotiating table, or Stafford could chose to retire.
However, it sure seemed like Stafford wants to return if his smile when asked if he still had football left in him was any indication.
“It sure feels like it,” he said. “I’m proud to be associated with this group. As far as my future goes, it’s 30 minutes after the last game, so I’m going to take some time to think about it, but I feel like I was playing some pretty good ball.”
The Rams played some pretty good ball as well on Sunday despite the weather conditions, and will head into the offseason wondering what could have been had the game been played in normal conditions. For the cold-weather worn Eagles, another snow game in frigid conditions may have made all the difference in a close game that came down to the final possession.