Nobody really took the Rams seriously when they faced off against the Vikings in their wildcard matchup. Like a team that had just won 10 games in the regular season—what can they even pull off against a juggernaut like the Vikings, who had a 14-win regular season? Well, you already know what the Rams did pull off. They restricted the Vikings to just 9 points and completely shut them off from their red zone. So, with the Eagles up next, former NFL head coach Tony Dungy believes the Rams also have something up their sleeve for the Phillies.

Hopping on the Takeoff Podcast with John Clark, Dungy predicts former Eagles defensive coordinator Sean Desai could be the trump card for the Rams. “Whatever knowledge he has, you can bet rest assured he’s passed it on,” as per Dungy. See, here’s the thing: After a year as the Phillies defensive coordinator, Sean Desai was relieved of his duties. When the Eagles went on to lose 6 of their last 7 games in 2023, Desai was shown the door in Philadelphia.

Then, he went on to join the Rams this season as their senior defensive assistant. That’s why Dungy feels Desai must have some input on his former players before their playoff clash on Sunday. But when John Clark further questioned whether his inside information would really work now that Kellen Moore is in charge of that Eagles’ offense. Dungy reiterated his sentiment on Desai’s capabilities: “He knows some things about the individual players, about the offensive players and the defensive players what they do well. Some things that give them problems.”

Maybe Desai could help out a bit because of his prior experience in Philadelphia and a mostly unchanged Eagles offense. But what about Saquon Barkley? He wasn’t there last season. Barkley’s arrival has converted the Eagles into a force on the ground. They rack up 179.3 rushing yards per game. And it’s led by the Eagles RB’s 2114 rushing yards to date. Yeah, Barkley is a force to be reckoned with. But do you know the Rams have changed quite a lot since their week 12 matchup?

The Rams’ defense is only giving away 104.1 rushing yards per game. Just look at their game against the Vikes—Sean Desai’s defense gave up just 106 rushing yards. So, the Rams do have something the Eagles need to be wary of. If the running game comes to a halt, can the Eagles rely upon Jalen Hurts passing game?

Jalen Hurts cares about one thing, and that’s not numbers

Imagine a QB throwing just 131 passing yards, going 19 consecutive offensive snaps without completing a pass, and scoring just six first downs. How will this QB be judged? Most of you would say average, awful, or even calls of benching. But in the case of Jalen Hurts, it is a W, “Every game is different. I think you guys need to understand that I don’t play the game for anything other than to win. And my role in each game will be different.” See if you go about his stats—no one in Philly can point fingers at Hurts. Every time he has thrown for less than 135 yards, the Eagles have gone 4-0. So, he is clearly doing something right that can’t be questioned.

Now, besides Hurts’ struggles in the air, he continues to lead the Eagles with a steady arm. Since their bye-week, Hurts has a passer rating of 144.5 in the 4th quarter. He has given away the football only two times within that period: one INT and one fumble. While those stats may have clearly played a key role in the Eagles season so far, Hurts believes, “It truly is about winning. It doesn’t matter how it feels…Winning as a team is most important to me.”

So, what do you think will happen at Lincoln Field this week? Will Hurts continue to take a measured approach to his passing game? Or will the Rams produce another upset by stopping the Eagles en route to the NFC Championship Game next week? I feel it’s hard to call who will come out as a winner. Only the game will decide the fate of each franchise.