One Key for Rams Defense is to Contain Eagles RB Saquon Barkley

The Los Angeles Rams will head to Philadelphia to face the Eagles in the Division Round of the NFL Playoffs. The Rams defense will have their hands full with Eagles running back Saquon Barkley.

Nov 24, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley (26) runs past Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (right) during the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images | Alex Gallardo-Imagn Images

The Los Angeles Rams are one of the hottest teams in football, and Sunday's playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles will show just how much the Rams have grown this year under head coach Sean McVay and his talented staff. But will that growth be enough to win?

The Rams are a different team since their Week 12 meeting with the Eagles. The young defense has matured and are playing their best football of the season. The offense also showed in the Wild Card game what they are capable of when they have it rolling. The team comes into the match-up against the Eagles as the hottest team in the National Football League.

One Eagles player who had a great game in the first meeting was running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley run for over 250 yards in the Week 12 match up.

The Rams defense does not have to stop Barkley completely but they do have to contain Barkley to have a chance to win this game and advance to the NFC Championship game.

"The Rams defense against Saquon [Barkley]. They got to treat Saquon like teams try to treat Derrick Henry," said ESPN NFL Analyst Dan Orlovsky on First Take. "You have to make him stop his feet. You have to try to get him to slow down in the backfield. Saquon has, this is one of the most remarkable numbers in the NFL this season, 1,440 yards rushing before contact. That is a season's worth of rushing yards before a person touches him."

"If the Rams want any chance in this football game, they have to sit there and say, defensive line, second level, we got to get Saquon down on the ground. We have to minimize the run game. If they can do that, I think they can have a good matchup. I think Ahkello Witherspoon matches up decently with AJ Brown physically wise. It is about Saquon."

The Rams defense comes into the matchup playing their best football of the season. Last week in their Wild Card win they had their best performance of the year. They will need a similar one to come out on top against the Eagles on Sunday.

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