Safety Quentin Lake and his Rams teammates know a key to beating the Eagles is trying to contain running back Saquon Barkley. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
It was an embarrassing defeat, a night when Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley dominated the Rams.
On Nov. 24, Barkley rushed for 255 yards and scored on runs of 70 and 72 yards in a 37-20 victory over the Rams at SoFi Stadium.
The defeat marked a turning point for the Rams.
Coach Sean McVay challenged his players to give their best effort over the final 39 days of the season. The Rams reeled off five consecutive victories before McVay rested starters in a season-ending loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
“When you have humbling experiences, with the right kinds of people, those are where the real growth [opportunities] exist,” McVay said Tuesday during a video conference with reporters, adding, “A lot of the scars that we’ve had as a team have been what led us to the point where we’re at.”
The Rams, coming off a dominating NFC wild-card victory over the Minnesota Vikings, are preparing to face Barkley and the No. 2-seeded Eagles in a divisional-round game on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia.
Read more: Rams’ young ascending defense shows Vikings it has come of age, but can it slow Eagles?
The Eagles advanced by defeating the Green Bay Packers, 22-10, on Sunday.
“They’re real,” McVay said of Eagles, adding, “They’re in this position for a reason.”
The Eagles feature Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts, receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, tight end Dallas Goedert and, perhaps most importantly, one of the NFL’s best offensive lines.
Vic Fangio coordinates a defense that gave up only one touchdown and intercepted three passes against the Packers.
But Barkley is the biggest star on a team full of them.
The seventh-year pro, in his first season with the Eagles, rushed for 2,005 yards and 13 touchdowns.
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley scores on a 70-yard touchdown against the Rams in the third quarter at SoFi Stadium in Week 12. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)
A good chunk came against the Rams.
So how must it be different on Sunday, when the Rams face a running back who rushed for 119 yards in 25 carries against the Packers?
“Our sense of urgency will be appropriate for the task at hand,” McVay said.
The Rams displayed an overwhelming pass rush against the Vikings — they tied an NFL postseason record with nine sacks — but neutralizing Barkley will be the key against the Eagles, Rams players said.
“Stopping Saquon and being able to get to some of the positions we were in tonight,” defensive lineman Braden Fiske said after the victory over the Vikings. “Getting to be able to rush the passer. I mean that’s what we got to do, get them into third and longs and keep them out of third and shorts.”
The Eagles offense, with Barkey and other weapons, “can really do damage at any time,” safety Quentin Lake said.
Read more: After resilient Rams make Vikings groan, they aim to show Eagles how they’ve grown
“We’re going to come up with a good game plan to make sure that we can limit the explosive plays,” Lake said. “Obviously, limit Saquon Barkley because we know how dangerous he is. And somehow, some way, find our opportunities to make plays on the ball.
“And if we do those things, we’ll have a good chance of winning.”
Etc.
Rams tight end Tyler Higbee, who suffered a chest injury against the Vikings, was released from the hospital and returned to Los Angeles on Monday night with the team. McVay said Higbee was taken to the hospital after spitting up blood. McVay had no other update but Higbee “has full expectation that he’ll be ready to go” on Sunday, McVay said. McVay had no update on cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon (hamstring). … Having left fire-ravaged Los Angeles for Arizona to prepare for their wild-card game, McVay said the Rams planned to remain in Southern California before leaving for Philadelphia on Saturday. “I’m very hopeful that we’ll be able to be here this week,” he said, adding, “All of our expectations for the time being are that we’re going to be able to have our preparation here.”
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.