PHILADELPHIA — Playing in harsh weather conditions, the Philadelphia Eagles relied heavily on their defense and forced two critical turnovers in the fourth quarter to defeat the Los Angeles Rams, 28-22, in a thrilling NFC divisional playoff game that ended with a crucial defensive stand.

In the last two minutes, the Rams had a chance to claim victory, but their drive faltered when Matthew Stafford was taken down on a third-and-2 play at the Eagles’ 13-yard line, and their fourth-down attempt was unsuccessful due to an incomplete pass.

Earlier in the game, the momentum seemed to shift towards the Rams late in the third quarter after a safety against Jalen Hurts, narrowing the gap to just one point. However, Eagles defensive lineman Jalen Carter forced a fumble from running back Kyren Williams on the following series, which was recovered by Eagles cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, bringing the ball to the Rams’ 10-yard line.

After a short field goal by Jake Elliott extended the Eagles’ lead to 19-15, Nolan Smith achieved a crucial strip-sack on Stafford during a third-and-10 play, giving the Eagles another opportunity deep in Rams territory.

The Eagles will host the NFC championship game for the second time in three seasons this Sunday. They will face their NFC East rivals, the Washington Commanders, who pulled off a surprise win against the top-seeded Detroit Lions on Saturday.

The game began with sleet and snow around noon in Philadelphia but cleared up before kickoff. However, by the first quarter, light flurries resumed, and soon a heavy, wet snow enveloped Lincoln Financial Field for the rest of the match.

The challenging weather was evident right from the start. Rodgers slipped before a Rams player could tackle him, which cut short his 22-yard kickoff return.

Despite the conditions, the Eagles got off to a quick start for the second consecutive game. Hurts showcased his speed with a 44-yard touchdown run, marking the longest rushing touchdown of his career. Left tackle Jordan Mailata executed a perfect pull to the opposite side without any defenders to block. Hurts narrowly avoided a tackle attempt from Neville Gallimore, showing great agility. This was the second consecutive week the Eagles began with an early touchdown, although Elliott missed another extra point—Hurts successfully connected on his first three passes before scoring.

Five minutes later, Eagles fans were momentarily quieted as Tyler Higbee caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Stafford, allowing the Rams to surge ahead 7-6 after the extra point.

Barkley, who previously rushed for 255 yards on 26 carries in their regular-season meeting, put on another impressive display with a 62-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. Right guard Mekhi Becton expertly blocked Rams linebacker Christian Rozeboom, while right tackle Lane Johnson celebrated as Barkley crossed into the end zone.

The running back also exchanged words with Jared Verse, a rookie defensive lineman for the Rams, who had a few words for Eagles fans earlier in the week and continued his antics during pregame warmups, before reaching the end zone.

In the fourth quarter, Barkley sparked a playful snowball fight in Lincoln Financial Field’s upper deck by scoring another touchdown, this time a remarkable 78-yard run. Barkley finished the game with an impressive 205 rushing yards on 26 carries.

Barkley now holds the record for the most rushing touchdowns over 60 yards in a single season, including postseason games, with a total of six.

A deep pass from Stafford to DeMarcus Robinson at the end of the first quarter should have resulted in an interception, but the receiver managed to outfight Rodgers for the slightly underthrown ball, which was thrown in place of the injured Mitchell. The Rams converted the opportunity into a field goal by Josh Karty, bringing the score to 13-10 after a holding penalty.

The scoring then slowed down as the snowfall intensified. Just before halftime, Rams linebacker Omar Speights caused a fumble from Hurts that Kenneth Gainwell recovered. Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni called a timeout with three seconds remaining to try for one last play, but Hurts was again sacked.

Verse accounted for two of the Rams’ four sacks in the first half. The Eagles amassed 171 rushing yards during the first two quarters, with 116 of those yards coming from three significant plays: the Hurts touchdown, the Barkley touchdown, and a 10-yard rush from Gainwell.