In Week 12 against the Rams, Eagles running back Saquon Barkley ran for 255 yards and had 47 receiving yards. His total of 302 yards from scrimmage was the best of his career and the best in the NFL in 2024.
On Sunday, Barkley gets another chance against the Rams in the divisional round of the playoffs.
Rams coach Sean McVay spoke this week about that 37-20 loss to the Eagles and why the Rams took a hard look in the mirror afterward.
“When you have humbling experiences, with the right people, that’s where the real opportunities for growth are,” McVay said. “On our team, a lot of guys looked inward and said, ‘Is this really what we want to do?’ Where are the things that we can adjust, adapt, from a coach’s perspective, and then where is the sense of urgency that will be necessary for coaches and players to be able to execute the way we want ? What type of work should be done throughout the week? What should we do? How do we want to act, interact and react accordingly with the way we move forward? “That humbling night, when you have the right people, a lot of the scars that we’ve had as a team are what got us to the point where we are.
McVay said Barkley is a special player, but he also thinks the Rams’ game plan and execution could have been better.
“Saquon is probably going to win offensive player of the year,” McVay said. “There are some things where we could have put our guys in better positions.”
The Rams will need to be in better positions against Barkley on Sunday.