Eagles news: Jalen Hurts vs. the Rams; Sunday's referee has had some run-ins with the Birds; full playoff schedule

The 2025 class of the College Football Hall of Fame will have a little bit of an Eagles flavor to it.

Former Eagles Mike Vick and Haloti Ngata are are among the 22 players and coaches that will be inducted later this year. Other inductees include Michael Strahan, Nick Saban, Steve Slaton, and Urban Meyer.

Before Vick revitalized his career in Philadelphia, he electrified the nation at Virginia Tech. Vick posted a record of 22-2 as a starter, including a perfect 11-0 regular season in 1999, which earned the Hokies a spot in the BCS National Championship game. Vick also finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting that season and was named Big East Player of the Year.

The Eagles hit the grass Wednesday afternoon at Lincoln Financial Field for their first practice ahead of their divisional round game against the Los Angeles Rams.

A.J. Brown was not seen on the field during the portion open to reporters. Brown has been managing a knee injury and did not practice last Thursday before the Packers game.

DeVonta Smith, meanwhile, was on the field. Smith missed Friday's practice with a back injury before playing in the game.

The Eagles’ dominance in the run game will be imperative if they want to take some pressure off Jalen Hurts in his matchup against the potent Rams pass rush. The group has been dominant all season long, ranking No. 10 in the league in quarterback pressure rate (35.6%), according to Next Gen Stats.

Verse, the No. 19 overall draft pick out of Florida State, has led the charge as a rookie. He generated 76 pressures in 2024, according to Next Gen Stats, which is the second-highest total by a rookie since 2018 (Nick Bosa had 81 in 2019). Braden Fiske, his Florida State teammate who was selected in the second round (39th overall), also has been an effective pass rusher this year. He recorded a 10.9% pressure rate, the second-highest clip among qualifying rookie defensive tackles in a season since 2018.

The Rams were one of just three teams to have four players generate at least 40 pressures this season (Verse, Byron Young, Turner, and Fiske), according to Next Gen Stats. That depth was on display in the wild-card game, when eight players from every level of the defense combined for nine sacks of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson might want to bring some duct tape to Sunday's game

The Eagles have drawn referee Shawn Smith for its divisional round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. During the Eagles Week 16 game against the Washington Commanders, Smith ejected Gardner-Johnson from the game after calling two unsportsmanlike conduct penalties.

Smith is in his 10th season as an NFL official and seventh as a referee. A quick look at the numbers reveals the Eagles are 5-2 in games where Smith has been the head official.

I have a hard time talking myself into a scenario in which the Rams end up winning, aside from the obvious random chance variables (fumbles, injuries, officiating).

That being said, when a team has a head coach with the mind of Sean McVay and a quarterback with the arm of Stafford, the old truism reads more like Many Given Sundays.

Rather than bore you with all the reasons the Eagles should beat the Rams, let’s try to envision the alternate reality. If they don’t, how does it happen?

The Eagles will host the Los Angeles Rams at 3 p.m. on Sunday in the divisional round of the NFL playoffs. The game will air on NBC, with Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth in the booth.

Here's the full schedule for the divisional round of the NFL playoffs:

Saturday