The Los Angeles Rams have a tall task in front of them on Sunday afternoon when they face the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. PT. And where the matchup could be won or lost is Jared Verse and L.A.’s hungry defensive line versus the league’s best front five in the Eagles.
The Rams tied a postseason record with nine sacks in Wild Card Weekend against the Vikings, but the Eagles are a different beast up front with a much harder quarterback to take down. Verse and company will need to be schemed well and play out of their minds in order to have equivalent success.
Luckily, Verse doesn’t need any extra motivation to play his hardest. As he has already developed a deep dislike of the Eagles organization, color scheme and fanbase. He revealed this to Gary Klein of the L.A. Times:
“I hate Eagles fans,” Verse told The Times on Thursday. “They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans.”
“I didn’t even do nothing to ‘em,” he said. “It was my first time playing. Oh, I hate Eagles fans.”
Apparently the Eagles’ colors also are triggering.
“When I see that green and white I hate it,” he said. “I actually get upset. Like I actually genuinely get hot.”
And while Verse, a rookie, is not going to play outside what he has been coached to do, he knows that Sunday could be a very good game for him:
“I’m going to go crazy,” he said, adding that he would play within his role. “It’s going to be something.”
The Rams have proven themselves not to be afraid of anyone and that they are capable of beating the elite teams in the league. They already have a playoff win against a 14-win team under their belt this postseason.
But with all the Eagles have going for them on their offensive line, it will take that extra level of motivation. And Verse is more than ready for the challenge at hand.
Sean McVay discusses Rams matchup vs. Eagles
The Rams will have their hands full on Sunday as they look to slow down an Eagles team that has won 13 of their last 14 games dating back to Week 6, including a 22-10 victory over the Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card Round.
Philadelphia has a dynamic offense that is led by All-Pro running back Saquon Barkley and Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts and Rams head coach Sean McVay knows they are in for a tough test.
“They’re real. Obviously, we have a familiarity,” McVay said.
“I got a little bit of a jump on them this morning. This defense is outstanding. Their offense… we know how tough they are to defend in terms of the different things that they can present in the run game and how good they are offensive linewise.
“They have great skill. Obviously [Eagles RB] Saquon [Barkley] is probably going to win Offensive Player of the Year. We have a ton of respect for [Eagles QB] Jalen Hurts. I think [Eagles TE Dallas] Goedert… you look at him making a big play, catching a bubble for a touchdown and stiff-arming guys the other day. They’re in this position for a reason and we’re looking forward to the challenge to go swing though, I’ll promise you that.”
