Sean McVay, head coach of the Rams, carefully considered how to stop Saquon Barkley, one of only nine players in NFL history to rush for over 2,000 yards, and the potential consequences if they didn’t manage to do so.
“If they get a beat on what you’re doing,” McVay, the Super Bowl-winning coach, said, “they will pound you and they will embarrass you.”
McVay and the Rams know this well.
One of the best performances of Barkley’s season came in November, when he faced the Rams. Barkley ran for two touchdowns, one from 70 yards and another from 72 yards, in the second half. He finished the game with 255 yards rushing, setting a new Eagles franchise record. His performance was the ninth-highest rushing yardage in a single game in NFL history.
He also had 302 total yards from scrimmage, making him the 12th player in NFL history to top 300 yards, and the first to do so for the Eagles.
Now, Barkley is gearing up for another strong performance against the Rams when the Eagles meet them again in the divisional round on Sunday.
This game will mark the second consecutive week in the playoffs where the NFC East champion Eagles face a team they’ve already played in the regular season. After defeating Green Bay for the second time last week, the Eagles are set to host the Rams, just seven weeks after Barkley’s big performance in a 37-20 win at SoFi Stadium.
“They will see stuff on tape that they will want to do differently,” Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni said.
The Rams’ defense, which ranks 22nd in the NFL against the run, would likely rather forget that game and not have to watch Barkley dominate them again.
Barkley broke several Eagles franchise records in that game. His 255 rushing yards surpassed the previous record of 217 yards set by LeSean McCoy in 2013. He also exceeded Duce Staley’s record of 296 total yards from 2000. Barkley’s 255 rushing yards were also the most ever gained against the Rams, breaking the record of 253 yards set by DeMarco Murray of the Dallas Cowboys in 2011.
The Rams couldn’t stop Barkley in their first matchup, and there isn’t much to suggest that they will be able to do so in the rematch. Los Angeles allowed 353.1 yards per game this season, including 130 yards rushing.
“I think when you have humbling experiences with the right kinds of people, those are where the real growth (opportunities) 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’ defense responded well to that humbling defeat. They adjusted and became one of the team’s strongest units as the regular season came to an end and into the playoffs.
Just ask the Minnesota Vikings.
In their wild-card win over Minnesota, the Rams not only sacked quarterback Sam Darnold nine times, but they also held All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson without a catch in the second half of their 27-9 win.
That performance sent a clear message to the Eagles.
“Any time guys play together, build cohesiveness, build connection, they are going to play better and better and better,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said.
In his playoff debut with the Eagles, Barkley rushed for 119 yards. Having spent his entire career playing in East Coast winters, the Pro Bowl back is no stranger to cold temperatures. With the game expected to be played in the teens with some snow, Barkley is more than ready for the challenge.
