Members of The Athletic’s NFL Team take a closer look at each playoff game this weekend and one way each team can win.
How L.A. can win: Score early. I don’t see how the Rams stop Saquon Barkley (255 rushing yards in their last meeting), since L.A. matches up so poorly against Philadelphia’s massive offensive line. But if the Eagles fall behind, that could force them to pass, which then matches their weakness against the Rams’ strong pass rush.
Key stat: The Eagles are 4-0 when Jalen Hurts throws fewer than 135 yards and 3-4 when they attempt more than 25 passes.
The Philly counterpunch: Keep running. The Eagles rarely played from behind this season (second-lowest time spent trailing, per TruMedia). But when they do, they never abandon the run. They lead the league with runs on 47.3 percent of plays while trailing. Not a good sign for Sean McVay’s team.
Player to watch: The bookworm A.J. Brown, who — playing without DeVonta Smith opposite him — previously had 109 yards and a TD against a Rams defense that ranked 26th on the year in DVOA against the pass, per FTN Fantasy.
Read more from Scoop City’s NFL Divisional Round Predictions here!
GO FURTHER
One way the Bills, Commanders and other NFL underdogs win this weekend — and how the favorites stop them
