Los Angeles Rams Bold Predictions for 2025 Divisional Round vs. Eagles

When is it The Los Angeles Rams take the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, they’ll have more on their minds than just advancing to the NFC Championship Game.

You see, while the initial fire scares in Los Angeles have mostly died down since Big win for the Rams in Arizonawith Santa Ana winds largely absent and the five active fires across the county at least somewhat contained. But the level of devastation is still borderline unimaginable, with new stories emerging every day of people losing their homes, livelihoods and even their lives in the worst cases.

With more team members or they have to be evacuated from their homes or lose them entirely and everything from the Rams’ practice schedule to their fire-endangered travel plans, it would be understandable for LA to take this game down and call it a season. But in the Wild Card round, that didn’t happen. No, with the chips down and the odds down, the Rams marched into Arizona in what felt more like a Vikings home game than a neutral affair, and proceeded to absolutely dismantle Kevin O’Connell’s team to an incredible degree.

Sean McVayHis offense picked apart Brian Flores’ defense, leading some to question his scheme dominance. Chris Shula’s pass rush absolutely dominated at the point of attack, sacked Sam Darnold a record nine times. And speaking of Darnold, he played so ineffectively that some joked — and not really — that the play cost him his $100 million contract, as all his upside in 2024 went out the window in 60 more minutes.” watching” ghosts.”

Can Aries give Jalen Hurts similar experience in South Philly this week? Maybe yes, maybe no, but given the task at hand, LA will need to empty a bag full of tricks if they want another shot at the Detroit Lions and/or 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 down Nick Sirianni’s offense is to make him one-dimensional, taking Saquon Barkley out of the game while forcing Hurts to win the game through the air.

Unfortunately, that task is much easier said than done, as the last time the Rams faced the Eagles, they allowed Barkley to pick up 255 yards on the ground in one of the all-time greatest games in NFL history. The Eagles seem to understand that they’re the kind of team that wins on the ground, not through the air, as they’ve turned the pride of Oklahoma into a modern game manager, though he can handle RPO like a pro and easily transition to the ground if nothing is open on key downs .

That being said, one thing is Aries can make Hurts’ life a hell of a lot harder in Week 20 by freeing up the chamber from a defensive playmaking perspective, sending hitters all over the field, mixing reports to an incredible degree, and ultimately tricking the former Pro Bowler into real mistakes.

Since the Sunday bye, Hurts has only turned the ball over 14 timeswith five interceptions and nine fumbles, but in games where the 2024 has turned the ball over two or more times, the Eagles are 2-1, far worse than their perfect record with KB1 under center since October. But hey, if Hurts is under pressure like Darnold was in Week 19, which seems unlikely given the strength of Philly’s offensive line, he could return to his 2023 game, where the Eagles suffered tremendously because of his indecisiveness.

2. Eagles give Matthew Stafford treatment of Sam Darnold

While the Rams will almost certainly look to give Hurts the Darnoll treatment in the 2025 Divisional round. NFL playoffsdon’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.

2024 The Rams allowed Stafford get fired 28 timesplus two more against the Vikings in the playoffs. While 17 of those sacks came before the bye, when the Rams seemingly rolled out a new starting offensive line on a weekly basis, areas of concern emerged down the stretch, including Week 12, when the Eagles sacked Stafford for the season. five times at SoFi Stadium.

While the Eagles lost one of their best forwards, Brandon Graham, in that very contest and will be without Nacobe Dean in Week 20 after suffered 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 rushing alone.

That’s right, the biggest reason the Eagles defense was so damn good in 2024 and again in the NFL playoffs in 2025 is because Fangio has the back seven absolutely locked down, and the rookie cornerback duo of Quinjon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean are playing like absolute pros, and the perennial Darious Slay leading a veteran secondary which consistently gives even the best passes in attacks. Because the Eagles’ defense is so good and Jalen Carter is a certified power multiplier against the run and the interior pass, Philly’s front seven is often tasked with playing cleanup, with players like Nolan Smith and Zach Bown reaping the benefits.

Whether they end the game with one or ten, expect the Eagles’ defense to make Stafford incredibly difficult in Week 20, which hasn’t always been when he’s at his best.

3. The Rams will end their season in Week 20

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

The Rams have become more focused on the run in recent weeks, but the Eagles are one of the best run defenses in the NFL, ranking 10th overall during the regular season, thanks in large part to nose tackle Jordan Davis. LA also likes to stress opposing defenses with the dynamic duo of Puka Natsu and Cooper Kupps, both of whom line up all over the field. The problem is there? The Eagles rank second in pass defense and didn’t allow a 300-yard pass from Baker Mayfield until Week 4.

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

Who knows, maybe McVay has something special up his sleeve; perhaps the Rams have been saving some of their best plays for a game like this, and the typically dominant Eagles will find themselves up by double digits after halftime. But it’s entirely possible that Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell run out as the lyrics to “Fly Eagles Fly” echo through The Linc. Fortunately, the Rams were “never supposed to” be here, so any extra games they can play are the gravy of a great season.