PHILADELPHIA – Sean McVay stood at the lectern, his face still pale from the three hours he and his Rams spent in the middle of a blizzard at Lincoln Financial Field. His eyes still wide as he processed the finality of the Sunday’s outcome, a 28-22, season-ending loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC’s divisional round.

“I didn’t see it going any other way than us winning that game 29-28,” McVay said, repeating some version of the refrain throughout his press conference.

Such a statement would have seemed ludicrous with five minutes left in the game. Two fourth-quarter fumbles, one by Kyren Williams and another by Matthew Stafford, had led to two Eagles field goals, turning a one-point deficit into a touchdown-sized hole. Then Saquon Barkley, the Eagles’ nightmare fuel of a running back, broke away for a 78-yard touchdown, extending the Philadelphia lead to 13.

Barkley thought the game was over, slapping his helmet on the way to the end zone. So did the 69,879 in attendance, throwing snowballs in jubilation.

But the Rams had faced similar odds this season. This was, after all, the team that started 1-4 only to rip off nine wins in 11 games. That batted away trade rumors in October to win the NFC West title. That evacuated their homes in the wake of the Kenneth fire only to win a relocated playoff game in Arizona just a week ago.

So Stafford got to work, driving the Rams 70 yards in 1:48 of game time, ending with a touchdown pass to Colby Parkinson. And the defense got to work, forcing an Eagles punt with the help of a Kobie Turner sack, the team’s seventh of the day.

And Stafford got the ball back with 2:23 to play, needing 82 yards to turn a six-point deficit into a one-point lead. Given Stafford’s history, with the fourth-most fourth-quarter comebacks in NFL history on his resume, the defense began preparing its plan in case he left any time for the Eagles.

“There was nothing you could tell me that wasn’t going to go down like that,” McVay said. “I felt like we had total control towards the latter part of that game. Momentum was in our favor.”

And with a 37-yarder to Puka Nacua, tapping his toes on the sidelines, the Rams were at the Eagles 21. But a miscommunication on 3rd-and-4 led to a sack. And Stafford’s fourth-down pass sailed wide of Nacua, whom some Rams believed was held by cornerback Darius Slay.

But the Rams didn’t spend much time dwelling on that non-call. Instead, their thoughts trailed to the mistakes that put them in that position. The three fumbles, two lost and a third that turned 1st-and-goal into a field goal. The three touchdown runs of over 44 yards they allowed to Barkley and QB Jalen Hurts, after giving up 314 rushing yards the last time these teams met. The drops in sloppy, frigid conditions, as the green grass was covered in snow by the end of the game.

“Obviously there are plays we want back in a game anytime you lose, that’s the way it goes,” Stafford said. “There were a lot of people at 1-4 that were talking about who was going to replace everybody on every position of our team, and should we sell the farm at the trade deadline, should we tank, all of that. So proud of our guys not listening to all that [expletive] and just going and playing and doing what we can do.”

What hit McVay and his players alike the hardest was that this was the last time this group would be together. Rosters turn over quickly in the NFL; only 13 players are left from the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI team. Some coaches will get new opportunities; some players will be wearing different uniforms a year from now.

But this Rams team will hold a special spot in the hearts of those who were a part of it.

“I’m just really sad that this journey is over. This was a special season, it’s as much fun as I’ve had, as much as you’ve ever wanted to do right for the people in that locker room,” McVay said. “The way that that group was able to stay together and some of the different things that we’ve gone through this year, love this team and it’s just hard because you didn’t want it to end. I just didn’t see it going any other way than us earning a couple more opportunities to play and that’s tough because you don’t get that.”