Rams Played Super Bowl Champion Eagles as Well as Anyone Else

The Los Angeles Rams were a couple of plays away from beating the Philadelphia Eagles, which would've changed history if it had happened. How were the Rams the closest team to beating the eventual Super Bowl champs?

Jan 19, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Jared Verse (8) reacts after a play against the Philadelphia Eagles in a 2025 NFC divisional round game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl 59 against the Kansas City Chiefs in a win that hasn't been this lopsided since the Denver Broncos met against the Legion of Boom in the Seattle Seahawks.

Regardless of what the final score looks like, this game was over before halftime, and the Eagles have cemented themselves forever in history.

Looking back on the season they've had, it was almost a fairy tale ending, considering all the off-season moves they made in getting Saquon Barkley and drafting as well as they did. They deserve to celebrate their victory, but it's crazy to think how that all could've been for naught. The Los Angeles Rams were the closest team to knocking off the Eagles in the playoffs, losing their game to a score of 28 - 22.

The Rams had the ball, and they had a chance to win the game in the last few seconds, but their dominant pass rush found its way to Matthew Stafford and ended the Rams' season. If there was one thing they did well in that game, it was limiting Jalen Hurts as much as possible.

He only had 128 yards throwing the ball, and he got sacked seven times. However, what really killed the Rams was Barkley and their inability to stop the run. It was almost the opposite for the Chiefs, as they were able to contain Barkley, but Hurts stepped up in big moments and ultimately delivered the dagger.

Another reason the Rams were so close was that they were able to get pressure on Hurts. He was only sacked twice in the Super Bowl and repeatedly was able to scramble whenever the pocket was collapsing around him. He had similar rushing numbers in both games, but at least for the Rams, they had to account for Barkley's production, which made it harder to stop Hurts.

If the Rams had adequate run support defense, history could've been much different. The Chiefs dared Hurts to step up and beat them when they removed Barkley from the equation, and he rose up to that challenge.

However, the formula to beating the Eagles may be to try to contain Hurts as much as possible and leave it all up to Barkley. Barkley certainly has the means to call the game, as he has many times this season, but the Rams were so close, and with some improvements to their defense, I think they can.

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