PHLY Philadelphia Eagles Podcast - Philadelphia Eagles reaction: Saquon Barkley and co. welcome playoff rematch with the Rams

Episode Date: January 14, 2025

We’re reacting live to the wildcard round as Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and co. prepare for a rematch with the Los Angeles Rams after Matthew Stafford dispatched the Vikings. The first matchup between these two teams was a 37-20 throttling for the Eagles in Los Angeles, with Saquon Barkley running wild for 255 yards. Will that be the formula again?Join Fran Duffy, Zach Berman, Jamie Lynch and Bo Wulf as they react to the matchup and give their initial thoughts on how the game is likely to play out. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

And welcome to a special emergency reaction, P. H.LY. Eagles podcast presented by Bet365 and TrueMark. Download the Bet365 app and use code P.HLY365 when you sign up. Whatever the moment, it's never ordinary at Bet365 and visit trumark.com slash compare for full details and to apply today, TrueMark Financial federally insured by the NCUA Equal Opportunity Lender. And now it's set. We know that on Sunday at the link at 3 o'clock, it's going to be about 30, 35 degrees.

And the Philadelphia Eagles are going to welcome into the link, the pretty boy, Los Angeles Rams. Welcome to the cold. A rematch of the week 12 game in which the Eagles won 37 to 20 and Seekwon Barkley had over 300 yards from scrimmage. Zach, will it be that easy next Sunday? Well, it's never that easy. It frankly, wasn't that easy when they played each, when they played each other in L.A. He just made it look easy. But I think this is a favorable draw for the Eagles.

I think the Eagles are the better team. They're at home, more rest. As we said, L.A. flying west to east in cold weather. I like this for the Eagles. You know, any given Sunday, I get it. And you respect the fact that that's a team that's been the last team standing before, that coached that quarterback. but I like the Eagles in this matchup. Just to reset here, of course, that is Zach Berman.

I'm Bo Wolf. Also joined by Fran Duffy and Jamie Lynch and Jamie on the postgame show last night after the Eagles beat the Packers. This was the matchup. There were three potential teams. This was the matchup you wanted. How do you feel now after watching the Rams demolish the Vikings 27 to 9 and really dominate on both sides of the ball?

I feel pretty good. And the reason I feel good is just remember how I told you guys, like I feel like the Eagles just kind of own the Packers. I have the same vibes with the Rams. I just feel like the Eagles kind of own the Rams in both iterations of Doug Peterson and now Nick Siriani. Matthew Stafford's a Hall of Fame quarterback. Sean McVeigh's got some great packs. But I think just vibes alone, I love the Eagles versus the Rams.

Shout out to Colin, who was watching the watch along during the game. He says he's already got some pizza reheating on the stove and in the oven air fire and toaster oven. and he's going to do a little taste test. We appreciate that. All right, Fran. We got a whole week to talk about this matchup. And I'm sure we're going to get into the real nitty-gritty, but from an eagle standpoint, having already known the scheme of this matchup

and having done the prep for that week 12 game, what is the thing that you think is going to concern them most on both sides of the ball? I guess what are the two things? Yeah, I would say the most concerning thing offensively will just be the structure of this past game. They're looking at Sean McPay and what they do from a zone concept standpoint in terms of stretching, stress those defenders, namely in underneath zones and middle zones. So when you look at the linebackers, you look at the safeties, you look at nickel corner,

Cooper DeGine, those guys are going to be put under the heater here in this game. And so I think that's the big stressor there from that standpoint. It's not just a talent issue, but it's a scheme issue. with the challenges that Sean McVeigh and this offense present. And then when you go to the other side, I mean, guys, it's clearly the pressure. They've one of the best pressure teams in football. And obviously it turned into nine sacks here in this game against Minnesota. You know, we've seen the issues that prepped at times with this passing attack, you know, with Jalen Hertz.

The run game is going to be very, very important for this one. You know, that worked in the Eagles out in L.A. on the West Coast, Seekoine Barkley, had a big game that day. They will need a repeat effort here in this one. Rams defense on the season finished 26th in defensive DVOA, 25th against the pass, and 21st against the run. However, you saw the high upside tonight. Do you think, Zach, that this will be a game?

You know, we spent all day today, hemming and, you know, really breaking apart the Eagles passing game and is there hope for the passing game? Do you view this as a game in which they're not going to need to throw it that much because they're going to try to lean so heavily on Sequin Berkeley? Not necessarily now. I did say, I apologize. Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry.

Well, I always appreciate France insight. No, I think that. Zach likes when I ask him a football question. Yeah, seriously, as opposed to a question that makes me uncomfortable. I think that Sequin Berkeley is going to have ample opportunity to run against the ramps. That said, if you remember, I thought J-Wen was pretty efficient. in that game against the Rams. I thought you saw A.J. go over 100 yards.

Devante didn't play in that game. They were still able to move the ball through the air. I like the match up both running and passing. I think they'll lean on their offensive line. They'll lean on their running game. It's a formula that's worked. You mentioned the pressure of the Rams now. Deagles didn't have many dropbacks in that first game,

but the Rams only had one sack in that first game. So I think that I just really like this matchup. If there's any, to me, if there's any reason for concern, it's that you're facing a Super Bowl winning quarterback and a Super Bowl winning coach. And they can, Eagles are, they're going to have changes on their defense. They're missing a key defensive starter who's in the middle of the field. So there is an adjustment trying to figure that out. That's the only thing.

But I think the Eagles are going to be able to score on the ramps. As you said, Jalen Hertz in that game, 15 of 22 for 179 yards and a touchdown, 109 of those 179 yards to A.J. Brown and another 47 to Saquine Barkley. Friend, you were going to answer that as well. Do you think that this will be a line them up and try to run it down their throat type game? Yeah, I think that's the big difference between what we saw this candy, Green Bay Packers versus this matchup against the Rams. The Packers have been a really good run defense for the majority of the game. this season and we saw that come to fruition in the game. We talked about the struggles that Saquan Barkley and the rushing attack had earlier today in our first

episode of three. But I think when you get this rushing attack going up against the Rams, I think the matchups a little bit more favorable. You know, they like to play in base defense. They play at base defense, one of the higher rates in the NFL. But I think that when you look at how that base defense is kind of how it's constructed, I think there are matches there that play in the Eagles favor. We'll get into some of them later this week. But I don't think that the Eagles will be scared of running the ball against this front. Now this emergency episode, of course, presented by True Mark Financial and Bet365.

And Jamie, during our watchalong, we guessed what might the line be? I've just gone to Bet365. They've already got this bad boy up. Do you want to have another guess? So I said five originally, right? And then I thought four and a half to five and a half, the Rams did play pretty. I'll stick with the five.

The Eagles are favored by six points. Oh, love it. Minus 280 to win this game. So that means they're the, only the third biggest favorite of the weekend, but six point favorites against the round. I like that. I think that's giving the Eagles a lot of credit.

Now, something to consider I hadn't thought about. Now, Zach talked about how it's advantageous for the Eagles to be the team on the full week here. They just mentioned at the end of the broadcast there. that the Rams are traveling back to Los Angeles, but they don't know if they can practice. Now, obviously, it's a tragedy, and I've been following it, you know, like every waking hour what's happening in LA,

but they don't know if they can practice. I really think they kind of screwed up by not planning to stay in Arizona. I think to go back and, you know, I know you want to be with your family. I know all of them. I don't know. I understand.

It's hard to like, but if they can. can't practice for another day or two on a short week of rest. They don't know if they can get in their facility. Like there's rehab. There's a lot of stuff. I'm not like roasting them for it. I'm just saying it's another thing on a short week that the Eagles, it's,

it's kind of in their favor a little bit. Yeah, I feel like they, they'll figure out a place to practice, you know. They're going to have tomorrow off anyway, most likely. I don't know. I mean, they got a long way to go. There's no doubt the deck is stacked against them. But yeah, I just think it's a number. other little thing. I'm not saying it's going to decide the game. I just think it's, you know,

you're already on a short week, you're dealing with your personal life on the side. And now, you know, where do they practice and how's the air quality? It's something to monitor. Zach, I don't know that anybody knows Nick Siriani's approach better than you do. How will he approach this matchup and, you know, given all of the distractions that the Rams have, what he's going to ask of this Eagles team this week? Yeah, well, first off, his big emphasis will be, this about us, right? And that they need to play their best ball. They need to have a strong week of practice.

They were in for work today. The players are off tomorrow. They'll be in Wednesday. I think that they'll really talk about the physicality that's going to require, you know, being the more physical team. But the reality is this. And I'm not saying this to puff up the Rams. Like, you know, we just spent a week with our viewers telling us that we puffed up

the Packers. the Eagles just need to show what the Rams just did to a 14-win team, right? You know, I mean, I understand they were the home team, but that's a neutral field game, and the Vikings had no chance. We thought we were going to be doing a simulcast on a real competitive game, and the Rams dominated them. But the reality is that, you know, I think that this is a confident football team.

The Eagles know that there's a lot they need to address with their passing game. I think this week's going to be more about the Eagles than it will be about the Rams. I think that will be Nick's messaging is like we need to play our best ball. We need to figure out, you know, but my guess is internally their message about the Rams is that a good, clean game will beat the Rams. I think that's right. And personally, I would feel bad. I feel better about this matchup than I did about that Packers matchup. I think if the Eagles do not win this game, it will be viewed as a disaster, given the stakes.

Yeah. Now, to Jamie's point about the Eagles owning the Rams, I believe the Eagles have won seven of the last eight games against the Rams. That makes me nervous. Now, as Nick Siriani would say, as Nick Siriani would say, you know, Jared Verst doesn't care what happened back in 2017, right? Braden Fisd doesn't care what happened in 2018. Matthew Stafford wasn't there, but the- Sean McVeigh remembers.

Sure. Farmer members. Yeah. But momentum, I always quote, Jayne Hertz, momentum could start and stop at any time. It's an illusion. Momentum is an illusion.

Vives are an illusion, right? It's about what you do tomorrow. No, no, vibes are not an illusion. Vimes are real. Moment. Both are. It's about what you do tomorrow. It's about what you do tomorrow, right?

You know, rents do every day, as Jaylon will tell you. The lamp is never full, my man. Well said. Agreed. All right. We have so much content to come the rest of this week. We're going to have a live show tomorrow at 2 o'clock to unpack this further. Zach is going to talk to the coordinators tomorrow morning.

We'll have Rich and Jamie on Wednesday at 2 o'clock. We're going to have the professor, DeNiz, with Fran. and Zach and myself on Thursday. We've got a whole swooper going on. And then Danes back in studio on Friday. So all angles covered ahead of this matchup before we close this out. Final thoughts, Fran, you feel first blush. You feel good about this matchup for the Eagles?

Yeah, first blush, certainly. I mean, I think when you look at the way that this Eagles team stacks up, you know, in terms of how they run the football, what they can do defensively to limit the Sean McVeigh offense. I do feel pretty good about it. one quick thing that I think just going perusing through some stats between shows here. The L.A. Rams disguised coverage at a higher rate than any defense in football in terms of, we're going to show two high before the snap and then we're going to go to one high or vice versa. We're going to go zero high, then go to two.

Whatever the pre-snap look was, they changed it up post-snap more than any defense in the NFL, more than what the Eagles did with Vic Fangio. So it will be a big mental test for Jalen Hertz, certainly going into this game. Jamie first plus you feel good feel great I feel really really good should we start looking at hotels in Detroit yeah I want to make that a road trip Ford Field looks nice

I have felt all season long like you know those two teams were on a collision course I thought yeah I said it on the show today I hope from a football fan standpoint that we get that match up Zach final thoughts from you the bet on the simulcast was that you would or would not get five hours of sleep.

We're going to close this bad boy up. I think you can get there. You can. 12 to 1, 1, 2, 2, to 3, 3, 4, to 5. Yeah, I'll get 5 and a half tonight. It's tired enough that he has to count. He has to break up 12 to 5 into one hour increments. Final thoughts here.

There's going to be a story coming out. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon, maybe Wednesday morning on Nolan Smith and all p.l.ly.com. I'm looking forward to reading that one. Got some good stuff I built up over the past. you know, a few weeks waiting for the right opportunity. I think the right opportunity is here. So there's going to be a story out on Nolan Smith. Also, if you want a Nick Siriani drinking game this week,

the amount of times that Nick Siriani talks about Chris Schua, who he worked with with the Los Angeles Chargers, Nick loves referencing guys he used to work with. There's going to be a lot of Chris Schua talk from Nick Siriani. If you don't know who that is, he's the defensive coordinator for the Los Angeles ramps. Don's son. He's not Don's son.

Don's father. He's not, he's Don's nephew. I believe. He's a grandson. He's a grandson, but I thought he was his nephew. Maybe grand, yeah, okay, yeah.

I'm sure Monday, I'm sure ESPN got right. Yeah. Brother. No, definitely not that. Okay. All right. Well, we'll get to the bottom of that. Grand son, according to a quick Google search.

Dan son. Okay. It's all the same. The son of Mike. Yeah, okay. Not the son of Mike, right? Mike's the offensive coordinator, South Carolina. It was the son of Don.

The grandson. No, is there a Don Jr? Don. Okay. Okay. This is our fifth show in, well, no, this is our seventh show. If you include halftime and pregame, in a 48-hour space. or thereabouts.

And we'll be back for more tomorrow. Yes. So looking forward to that. All right. And we've got another exciting thing to do tomorrow. Shout out to Julia. She does it all for us. Shout out to Julia.

Shout out to the sickos. We've got a lot more to talk about this week. But that is the initial reaction as the Eagles prepare for a rematch with the Los Angeles Rams. And they're going to have to prepare for Robert Woods, the best wide receiver in the NFL. For Fran Duffy, Jamie Lynch and Zach Berman. Julia. I'm Bo Wolf. We will talk to you tomorrow. And as always, we love you.