The Philadelphia Eagles carried star running back Saquon Barkley all year to a division title, and now they’re one win away from a conference championship. The MVP candidate, just the ninth player in NFL history to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season, continued his career year with another monster performance on Sunday.
Barkley ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns, mostly in the snow, to help the Eagles defeat the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 and advance to the NFC championship game. Philadelphia will host divisional rival Washington, a team that just defeated top seed Detroit in the divisional rounds.
Let’s take a look at how it all happened.
Before snow began to cover Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Sunday, the Eagles took an early 6-0 lead thanks to a 44-yard run by quarterback Jalen Hurts.
Jalen gets hurt on TD run
The Rams, however, responded a few minutes later in the first quarter. Matthew Stafford led a 13-play, 67-yard drive that culminated with a 4-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tyler Higbee.
Tyler Higbee’s TD catch
With the Rams leading 7-6 with 1:07 left in the first quarter, Barkley showed why he is the best running back in the league. He found a gap through the line and broke free for a 62-yard touchdown run that put Philadelphia ahead 13-7.
Los Angeles would kick two field goals and force a safety, while Philadelphia added three field goals of their own midway through the fourth quarter. But the Eagles, leading 22-15 with 4:36 left, decided the game with Barkley’s second score of the night, a 78-yard touchdown run.
Barkley’s second touchdown run
After the game, he and Hurts spoke with NBC’s Melissa Stark about the victory.
“The elements were fantastic, but the atmosphere was even better,” Barkley said. “Our fans are amazing. It was very close, but that’s playoff football. At the end of the day, we got the job done.”
Eagles defensive back Darius Slay said he is ready for Washington next Sunday. The Commanders defeated the Detroit Lions 45-31 on the road on Saturday.
“We’ll see them next week. It’s going to be a great battle. I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “A division rival. It’s going to be fun.”
Watch all the Eagles-Rams action here:
