Los Angeles Rams bold predictions for 2025 Divisional Round vs. Eagles

When the Los Angeles Rams take the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, there will be more on their minds than just advancing to the NFC Championship game.

You see, while the initial fears of the LA wildfires have largely died down since the Rams' big win in Arizona, with the Santa Ana winds having largely been absent and the five active fires around the county all being at least some level of contained. But the level of devastation is still borderline unimaginable, with each day bringing to light new stories of people losing their houses, their livelihoods, and even their lives in the worst cases.

With multiple members of the team either having to be evacuated from their homes or losing them entirely and everything from the Rams' practice schedule to their travel plans being affected by the fires, it would be understandable if LA took this game off and called it a season. But in the Wild Card Round, that didn't happen. No, with the chips down and adversity swelling, the Rams marched into Arizona, which looked more like a Vikings home game than a neutral site affair, and went on to absolutely dismantle Kevin O'Connell's team to an incredible degree.

Sean McVay's offense picked apart Brian Flores' defense, leading some to question his schematic dominance. Chris Shula's pass rush absolutely dominated at the point of attack, sacking Sam Darnold a record-tying nine times. And speaking of Darnold, he played so ineffectively that some have joked – and not-so-joked – that the game cost him a $100 million contract, as all of his positive growth in 2024 went out the window for another 60 minutes of “seeing ghosts.”

Can the Rams give Jalen Hurts a similar experience in South Philadelphia this Sunday? Maybe yes, maybe no, but considering the task at hand, LA is going to have to unload its full bag of tricks if they want another shot at the Detroit Lions and/or the Washington Commanders next week.

1. The Rams keep Jalen Hurts on his toes all game long

When it comes to beating the Eagles, the easiest way to slow Nick Sirianni's offense down is to make it one-dimensional, taking Saquon Barkley out of the game while forcing Hurts to win the game through the air.

Unfortunately, that task is a whole lot easier said than done, as the last time the Rams faced off against the Eagles, they allowed Barkley to pick up 255 yards on the ground in one of the all-time great rushing games in NFL history. The Eagles, it seems, understand that they are the kind of team that wins games on the ground instead of through the air, as they have turned the pride of OklaBama into a modern-day game manager, albeit one who can run the RPO like a pro and pick up easy yardage on the ground if nothing is open on key downs.

With that being said, one thing the Rams can do in Week 20 is make Hurts' life a whole heck of a lot harder by unloading the chamber from a defensive playcalling perspective, sending rushers from all over the field, mixing up coverages to an incredible degree, and ultimately tricking the former Pro Bowler into making mistakes.

Since the Bye week, Hurts has only turned the ball over 14 times, with five interceptions and nine fumbles, but in games where he turned the ball over twice or more in 2024, the Eagles have a 2-1 record, which is a whole lot worse than their perfect record with QB1 under center since October. But hey, if Hurts is under as much pressure as Darnold in Week 19, which feels unlikely, considering the strength of Philadelphia's offensive line, he might regress to his 2023 play, where the Eagles suffered immensely due to his indecision.

2. The Eagles give Matthew Stafford the Sam Darnold treatment

While the Rams will almost certainly be looking to give Hurts the Darnol treatment in the Divisional Round of the 2025 NFL Playoffs, don't be surprised if Vic Fangio has a similar idea in Week 20, especially considering LA's offensive line isn't exactly on par with Jeff Stoutland's unit.

In 2024, the Rams allowed Stafford to get sacked 28 times, plus two more against the Vikings in the playoffs. While 17 of those sacks came before the Bye, when the Rams were seemingly trotting out a new starting offensive line on a weekly basis, areas of concern did arise down the stretch, including in Week 12, when the Eagles sacked Stafford a season-high five times at SoFi Stadium.

While the Eagles did lose one of their top rushers, Brandon Graham, in that very contest and will be without Nakobe Dean in Week 20 after suffering a season-ending knee injury against the Green Bay Packers, they still have more than enough talent to give Stafford, McVay, and company fits in Week 20. Why? Because Fangio doesn't get his sacks based on his pass rush alone.

That's right, the biggest reason why the Eagles' defense has been so darn good in 2024 and again in the 2025 NFL Playoffs is because Fangio has his back seven absolutely locked in, with the rookie cornerback duo of Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean playing like absolute pros, and the ageless Darious Slay leading a veteran secondary that consistently gives even the best passing offenses fits. Because the Eagles' passing defense is so good, and Jalen Carter is a certified force multiplier against the run and the pass on the interior, Philly's front seven is often tasked with playing cleanup duty, with players like Nolan Smith and Zack Baun reaping the benefits.

Whether they finish out the game with one sack or ten, expect the Eagles' defense to make Stafford's incredibly difficult in Week 20, which hasn't always been when he produces his best results.

3. The Rams see their season come to an end in Week 20

Look, as fun as it would be to see the Rams go on a Cinderella run and bring a parade back to Los Angeles as the ultimate feel-good story for fans affected by the fires, this is a really bad draw for McVay's squad.

The Rams have become more and more run-focused over the past few weeks, but the Eagles are one of the best-run defenses in the NFL, ranking 10th overall during the regular season thanks in no small part to supersized nose tackle Jordan Davis. LA also really likes to stress opposing defenses with the dynamic duo of Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupps, who both line up all over the field. The problem there? The Eagles rank second in passing defense and haven't allowed a 300-yard passer since Baker Mayfield all the way back in Week 4.

Factor in the presence of Barkley on the ground, who is in pursuit of Terrell Davis's all-time single-season rushing record, and the chances of Week 20's outcome looking very similar to that of Week 12 feels incredibly likely.

Who knows, maybe McVay has something special up his sleeve; maybe the Rams have been keeping some of their best plays reserved for a game like this, and the typically front-running Eagles will find themselves down double-digits coming out of the half. But it's entirely possible Barkley and Kenenth Gainwell are running out the clock as the lyrics of “Fly Eagles Fly” ring out through The Linc. Fortunately, the Rams “were never supposed” to be here in the first place, so any additional games they get to play are gravy on top of an overachieving season.