Rams rollercoaster season comes to a dramatic end with 28-22 loss to Eagles in exciting snow-filled game in Philadelphia – NBC Los Angeles

Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!

As the dazzling white snow fell soft and fast from the sky like a flurry of feathers, the road to the Super Bowl was decided on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.

The journey to Super Bowl LIX in New Orleans runs through the City of Brotherly Love. 

Saquon Barkley ran for 205 yards and two touchdowns and the Philadelphia Eagles prevailed over the Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in the NFC Division Round game that turned into a snow-covered blizzard of epic proportions.

The two-seeded Eagles will now host their NFC East rivals the Washington Commanders next Sunday in Philadelphia. The Eagles lost the Super Bowl to Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs in a heartbreaker two years ago, and are now just one triumph away from returning to the big game and a shot at redemption.

For the Rams, their rollercoaster ride of a season comes to an end, but they have nothing to hang their heads about. In a year defined by devastation and resilience, the Rams defied the odds by winning the NFC West division and upsetting the 14-win Vikings on a neutral field in Arizona in the Wild Card Round. 

The game was moved from SoFi Stadium to State Farm Stadium in Arizona after the devastating wildfires swept through Los Angeles last week, leaving chaos, destruction, and ashes in their wake. 

Similar to their first meeting at SoFi Stadium in November, the Rams lead 7-6 near the end of the first quarter, before Saquon Barkley broke the game open with a 62-yard touchdown scamper and score. 

Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts opened the scoring with a 44-yard house call on Philadelphia’s opening drive.

The Rams responded with a 13-play, 67-yard scoring drive of their own when Stafford threw a touchdown pass to tight-end Tyler Higbee to give Los Angeles the lead. 

Playing in frigid conditions and on an icy playing surface, Rams’ quarterback Matthew Stafford was 26 for 44 for 324 yards and two touchdowns on the day. 

Just as he did in their first meeting, Saquon Barkley torched the Rams. On the Eagles third drive of the game, Barkley went untouched for a 62-yard scamper that gave Philadelphia a 13-7 lead. 

Barkley had two touchdown runs of over 70 yards in that first game, and two more of over 60 yards on Sunday. In his last two games against the Rams, Barkley has 460 yards and four touchdowns. 

The heavy accumulation of snow flakes made for a slippery and slick playing surface. This wasn’t a football game, it was a real-life snow globe full of enchantment and gleam, and it was ideal for Barkley. 

With the Rams trailing by seven points late in the fourth quarter, and the snow coming down like a heavy blanket in a winter wonderland, Barkley sealed the victory for the Eagles with a 78-yard touchdown run that punched Philadelphia’s ticket to the NFC Championship Game.

The Rams defense did everything they could to keep their team in the game, sacking Jalen Hurts six times, including for a safety at the end of the third quarter. 

Rams’ running back Kyren Williams finished with 106 yards, but his crucial fumble in the third quarter with the Rams driving into Eagles territory with a chance to take the lead turned out to be a game-changing play.

The Rams kept things interesting with a 10-play, 70-yard drive that cut the lead to 28-22 with 2:48 left in the game.

But in the end, Barkley was too much for the young and aggressive Rams defense. The weather conditions didn’t help much either. The Rams had a chance to tie or take the lead on their final drive, but Stafford overthrew Puka Nacua on 4th and 13 that led to a turnover on downs and a victory formation for Philadelphia.