Eagles-Rams: Birds advance to NFC championship with snowy win over Los Angeles

Jalen Hurts said he was confident he would be able to play next Sunday in the NFC championship game against the Washington Commanders despite an apparent injury to his left leg.

The quarterback was vague when first asked how he felt Sunday after the Eagles’ 28-22 win over the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional playoff game at Lincoln Financial Field.

Tim Logan and a crowd of family and friends were celebrating their 190th tailgate in South Philadelphia under an enormous tent in the lot across the street from the Linc, decked out with Christmas lights and serving quesadillas heated over propane grills.

This group has tailgated for colder games, Logan said: In 2018, the temperature dropped so low the propane tanks wouldn’t light.

While Saquon Barkley and Kenny Gainwell earned an A for their efforts on Sunday, Jalen Hurts didn't grade out as well in the snow.

Quarterback — C+

Neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night could keep the Eagles from reaching their destiny.

As it turns out, their destiny is the NFC championship game. They’ve been piloted there for the second time in three seasons, by the unlikely combination of Nick Sirianni and Jalen Hurts.

Jared Verse walked the perimeter of the field Sunday afternoon, greeting the Eagles fans who arrived to their seats early at Lincoln Financial Field. The Los Angeles Rams rookie linebacker created a stir earlier in the week by saying he hated Philly fans. And Verse made sure to face the music.

The fans jeered Verse all day, enjoying the last laugh against the latest visiting athlete to play the villain in South Philly. The stadium scoreboard flashed Verse’s quotes -- which he made to the Los Angeles Times -- early in the first quarter and then showed him sitting on the L.A. bench. Verse, who grew up in Berwick, Pa., smiled as everyone booed. He had no problem being the heel.

The snow never bothered Saquon Barkley anyway.

Barkley, the 2024 rushing title holder, plowed through a snow-covered Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, cruising for 205 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries in the Eagles’ nail-biter of a 28-22 divisional-round victory over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday. The star running back contributed a pair of explosive touchdown runs, including a 62-yarder in the first quarter and a 78-yarder in the fourth to solidify the Eagles win.

The snow is falling, and it’s finally having the impact we all thought it might.

After Nolan Smith forced the Birds’ second fumble of the day, Jake Elliott finished the drive with a 37-yard field goal to put the Eagles up seven – with a little help from his field goal unit clearing the snow for him.

The Eagles extended their lead with a 23-yard Jake Elliott field goal.

They got a game-changing forced fumble from Jalen Carter on Rams running back Kyren Williams that was scooped up by Isaiah Rodgers and returned to the Rams' 10-yard line.

The Rams cut the Eagles' lead to one point after Jalen Hurts was sacked in the end zone for a safety.

Hurts did not look very mobile after spending time in the medical tent.

The Eagles took a 16-13 lead on a Jake Elliott 44-yard field goal, but Jalen Hurts was on his way into the medical tent as the field-goal unit set up for the kick.

Hurts took a hit on a second-and-15 sack from Jaylen McCollough and Jared Verse. He appeared to be favoring his left knee.

The Eagles and Rams are tied at 13 after a 34-yard Joshua Karty field goal.

The key play on the eight-play, 58-yard drive was a third-down connection from Matthew Stafford to Cooper Kupp for 30 yards. The Rams picked on Isaiah Rodgers, who is in the game for injured cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

Tracy Root and Brian Heffron love McCusker’s so much that they got married here last spring.

Both were seated at the bar in this tiny corner taproom at 17th and Shunk Streets for the Eagles game Sunday. Heffron, a professional wrestler who performs as the Blue Meanie, says watching a game here is like being at home in his living room. A very loud living room, that is.

Rookie cornerback Quinyon Mitchell has been ruled out with a shoulder injury.

Mitchell left the game six-plus minutes into the first quarter and never returned.

The Eagles have a 13-10 lead over the Los Angeles Rams, but they ended the half with a curious sequence.

Jalen Hurts took a sack and fumbled on a second-and-8 play at the Rams' 32-yard line. The Eagles recovered for a loss of 15 yards, and with around 20 seconds left on the clock, allowed time to wind down instead of calling their final timeout to try to run a play to get back into field goal range.

Dominic DeFeo and Alex Cottone were at the tailgating lots early Sunday and scoffed at long lines outside XFinity Live, the massive bar in the South Philly sports complex. As the game kicked off, they were headed closer to home — SouthHouse at 13th and Shunk Streets, just down the street from DeFeo’s house.

Packed in near the bar, both were feeling optimistic about the game, though, turning away to speak to a reporter, they missed a Rams touchdown.

Quinyon Mitchell is questionable to return with a shoulder injury. The rookie cornerback tackled a scrambling Matthew Stafford halfway through the first quarter on the Rams’ opening drive.

After a lengthy visit to the medical tent, Mitchell headed indoors, favoring his right shoulder.

Tariq Reid, a bartender at SouthHouse, a sports bar on 13th and Shunk Streets in South Philly, crammed a cheesesteak hat over a green beanie and settled in to watch the game from the other side of the bar Sunday.

Reid, who grew up in South Philly, still lives in the neighborhood and comes to watch games here even when he’s not working. He said he’s particularly excited to see big plays from AJ Brown, his favorite player.

Rams rookie Jared Verse, a Berwick, Pa. native, made headlines this week for admitting to the LA Times that he hates Eagles fans.

“I hate Eagles fans,” Verse said. “They’re so annoying. When I see that green and white, I hate it. I actually get upset. Like, I actually genuinely get hot.”

The divisional round game between the Eagles and Rams is officially underway at the Linc, with the winner hosting the Washington Commanders in the NFC championship next Sunday.

The biggest storyline of Sunday had been the weather, but there was no snow on the field at kickoff, although that could change by the end of the game, as a few inches are still expected.

Some of the gear fans wore ahead of Sunday’s game included big puffer jackets, ski suits, and plenty of beanies and scarves as they prepared for the cold weather heading into the game.

Another outfit spotted among the crowd was a bit less expected: traditional belly dancing attire.

Still recovering from months of being the nexus of a national political battleground, the Philadelphia region evidently is going to be an atmospheric battleground on Sunday, when the boundary between heavy snow and not so much may be a metaphorical matter of inches.

Just how much falls across the region may well be decided during the Eagles-Los Angeles Rams NFL playoff game in South Philly, when the precipitation is likely to peak. It may start as rain — or that seasonal favorite wintry mix — especially from I-95 south and east, and snow totals would depend on how fast the changeover occurs.

Eagles fans don't need any extra motivation to boo opposing players, but Rams rookie edge rusher Jared Verse gave them just that.

“I hate Eagles fans,” Verse repeatedly told the L.A. Times in a recent interview. “They’re so annoying.”

The hype is real. Jennifer Slay’s banana pudding recipe is that good.

It was starting to feel like Slay’s legendary recipe was as powerful as the One Ring from Lord of the Rings — and so mythical it almost felt like it didn’t exist. Fans have been trying to get their hands on some for a while, and on Sunday they finally did, finding their way through the freezing cold and chilling winds of Lot H to their precious pudding.

The snow isn't the only obstacle the Eagles will have to deal with on Sunday. They'll also have to deal with a defensive front that registered nine sacks against the Vikings in the team's wild-card win.

In their last meeting, in the comfort of L.A.'s SoFi Stadium, Saquon Barkley ran for 255 yards, an Eagles franchise record. But offensive lineman Lane Johnson doesn't expect it to be quite as easy this time around — and not just because of the weather.

The Eagles know Sunday's weather, with 2-4 inches of snow expected before 5 p.m., will make conditions difficult at Lincoln Financial Field.

Prior to the game, head coach Nick Sirianni told NFL Network that the team needs to "make sure we’re wearing the right equipment." Namely, the right cleats.

A line formed early in front of Xfinity Live! as fans wait in anticipation to watch the Eagles divisional matchup with the Los Angeles Rams — and maybe catch a glimpse of Alex Cooper in the process.

Cooper, the host of the famous Call Her Daddy podcast, is showing love to her hometown team by hosting a pregame tailgate at the popular Philadelphia sports bar. The Newtown, Bucks County, native hasn’t been shy about her Eagles fandom, previously posting about the team on social media.

The snow has officially started falling in South Philadelphia.

It’s still just a light snow for now, so light that it’s hard to pick out on video but Eagles fans are expecting between two-to-four inches of snow at the Linc for the divisional-round game against the Rams.

Lamb chops, dinner dogs, veggie dogs — and camel? This was the menu in Lot M ahead of the Eagles divisional round game against the Rams at Lincoln Financial Field. While many fans may focus on the drinking experience of a tailgate, 38-year-old Dylan Marck puts more emphasis on the food.

Marck, a lawyer and self-taught chef, has been serving high-end cuisines such as lobster, pressed duck, and steak at Philly tailgates since 2022. And just as each week brings a new opponent for the Eagles, it also brings a new dish to the table. This week’s centerpiece: Camel.

When it comes to special teams, no announcer in the NFL studies harder than Mike Tirico, who will be calling today’s Eagles-Rams game on NBC.

Prior to calling a game, Tirico makes a point to talk to anyone he can — kickers, punters, special teams coaches — so he’s prepared for whatever might happen, such as the Washington Commanders’ “doink" win off the upright during the wild-card round.

Oren Burks started the Eagles wild-card game against the Packers with a bang, delivering a brutal hit on Packers returner Keisean Nixon that forced a fumble and set the Birds up for their opening score.

After the game, Nixon said he thought the refs missed two calls on that play, including unnecessary roughness on Burks for a helmet-to-helmet hit.

NBC’s Cris Collinswoth knows some Eagles fans are nervous ahead of Sunday’s playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. But snow isn’t the only factor that’s going to be on Philly’s side.

“This is a team that is build exactly how I would build a football team,” Collinsworth told The Inquirer ahead of Sunday’s game. “It's powerful at the running back position, the quarterback position, the offensive and defensive lines. And they've now got good man coverage.”

After a wild-card win over the Green Bay Packers, the Eagles turn their attention to the No. 4-seeded Los Angeles Rams in the NFC divisional playoffs.

Despite a 22-10 victory over Green Bay, there were concerns surrounding Jalen Hurts' performance. The quarterback finished 13-for-21 passing for 131 yards and two touchdowns. It wasn’t the sexiest stat line from Hurts, but it got the job done.

Lane Johnson's biggest memory from the last time significant snow fell during an Eagles game at Lincoln Financial Field?

“Nobody could grip on the field except LeSean,” he said of the day when LeSean McCoy set a franchise record — one Saquon Barkley broke this year — with 217 yards in a 34-20 Eagles win in a 2013 game dubbed the Snow Bowl.

Jayden Daniels and the nothing-to-lose Washington Commanders sent the top-seeded Detroit Lions to a stunningly swift playoff exit.

Daniels threw for two touchdowns and fellow rookie Mike Sainristil had two interceptions, dazzling performances that helped Washington beat Detroit 45-31 on Saturday night to reach the NFC championship game for the first time since winning the franchise's third Super Bowl 33 years ago.