The NFL Divisional Round of the playoffs is set to be played this upcoming weekend. The Los Angeles Rams will go up against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field at 3 PM on Sunday.
These two NFC rivals met earlier in the season at SoFi Stadium in week 12. While the Rams were able to take an early lead, they went into their locker at halftime with a 13-7 deficit.
Saquon Barkley then made it a 2-touchdown lead for Philadelphia in the first drive of the 3rd quarter with a 70-yard run. The Rams couldn’t keep abreast of the Eagles’ rushing attack for the rest of the game. Barkley finished the game with a whopping 302 yards from scrimmage, including 255 yards rushing with two touchdowns!
On Wednesdays we think about @saquon versus the Rams 👀 pic.twitter.com/9QItoKHVmq
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 15, 2025
Philadelphia’s final winning scoreline of 37-20 was, if anything, not as close as it may seem.
With the game being telecast on NBC, you can expect their Sunday Night Football crew to be the voices you hear.
Announcers for Los Angeles Rams vs. Philadelphia Eagles
- Lead Play-by-Play Announcer – Mike Tirico
- Color Commentator – Cris Collinsworth
- Sideline Reporter – Melissa Stark
Mike Tirico has been working with NBC on NFL broadcasts since 2016 after his contract with ESPN expired. Tirico has been involved in football broadcasts since 1997, starting with ESPN’s Thursday night college football packages.
Cris Collinsworth, an NFL wide receiver during the 80s with the Cincinnati Bengals, has been working as a broadcaster since his retirement in 1990. Collinsworth started with NBC, before moving to Fox and broadcasting with Troy Aikman and Joe Buck for some years. He has been the color commentator on Sunday Night Football since the 2009 season.
While they had worked sporadically in the booth together since 2016, Collinsworth and Tirico were announced as NBC’s lead broadcasting duo starting from the 2022 NFL season.
Rams vs. Eagles Game Preview
- Location: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- Time: 3 PM ET
- Channel – NBC
The winner of this game will play the winner of the other NFC Divisional round game between the Detroit Lions and Washington Commanders. Whichever team holds the better regular season record will play host to the Conference Championship.
The Eagles started September off with some hiccups, going into their week 5 bye with a 2-2 record. However, they reeled off a 10-game winning streak on the other end, securing the NFC East division title with weeks to spare.
Since 2000, the average Super Bowl participant allowed a first down on 37.4% of third downs and a touchdown on 52.3% of red-zone trips during the regular season. The Eagles and Lions are the only two remaining NFC teams meeting both these benchmarks.
Philadelphia’s defense has been a consistent strength this season, with an average Defense+ grade of 79.9. The Eagles are an undefeated 14-0 when their Defense+ grade reaches 75 or higher, including an 81.8 mark in last week’s win over the Packers.
The Eagles’ running game has also taken a significant leap forward this year, led by Saquon Barkley. Philadelphia’s running backs are averaging 17.5% more yards per carry after first contact, compared to last season.
The Rams have played four games against playoff teams since their Week 6 bye — they’ve scored an average of 30.3 points in those games.
But on the darker side, the Rams had a -1.12 average point differential during the regular season. In the 21st century, the 2011 Giants are the only team to advance to championship weekend after posting a negative point differential during the regular season.
However, a close game won’t scare the Rams. They had 15 games this season decided by 10 or fewer points, the most in the league. This holds the same for the Eagles, who hold a 7-1 record in clutch games in 2024.
Based on 10,000 simulations run by the PFN Playoff Predictor, the Eagles have a 63.2% win probability heading into the game.