Sean McVay dissected the ways the Rams could potentially stop Saquon Barkley — only the ninth 2,000-yard rusher in NFL history — when he considered the consequences if they did not.

“If they get a beat on what you’re doing,” McVay, the Super Bowl champion Rams coach said, “they will pound you and they will embarrass you.”

McVay and the Rams should know, better than any other team.

In a season full of splendid games, there was none better for Barkley than his November outing against the Rams.

Barkley ran for scores of 70 and 72 yards in the second half and finished with 255 yards rushing, an Eagles record. It was the ninth-most yards rushing in a game in NFL history, and he had 302 yards from scrimmage — the 12th player in NFL history to top 300, and the first Eagles player to hit that mark.

Against L.A. today in the divisional round, Barkley is ready for an encore.

For the second straight week in the playoffs, the NFC East champion Eagles get a regular-season rematch. A week after knocking off Green Bay for a second time, the Eagles host the Rams just seven weeks after Barkley sparked a 37-20 win at SoFi Stadium.

“They will see stuff on tape that they will want to do differently,” coach Nick Sirianni said.

The same applies to the Eagles.

The Rams’ defense, just 22nd in the NFL against the rush, would have been just as happy erasing the game video than being forced this week to watch Barkley run roughshod over them.

Barkley topped the Eagles franchise records of 217 yards rushing by LeSean McCoy in 2013 and 296 total yards by Duce Staley in 2000. He also had the biggest rushing performance ever against the Rams, exceeding DeMarco Murray’s 253 yards for Dallas in 2011.

The Rams’ defense rebounded from the humbling defeat. Not only did it adjust, it became arguably the team’s strength down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.

Just ask Minnesota.

The Rams not only harassed Sam Darnold and his hapless blockers for nine sacks, they also held All-Pro receiver Justin Jefferson without a catch in the second half of their 27-9 wild-card win over Minnesota.

That put the Eagles on notice.

“Any time guys play together, build cohesiveness, build connection, they are going to play better and better and better,” offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said.

FALCONS hire dc >> The Falcons brought Jeff Ulbrich back to Atlanta, naming their former assistant as defensive coordinator on Saturday night.

Ulbrich, who spent much of last season as the New York Jets’ interim coach, takes over a defense that earned criticism from first-year coach Raheem Morris for the team’s 8-9 finish. Coordinator Jimmy Lake was fired a week ago.

The Falcons ranked 23rd in total defense and in points allowed. A late-season surge wasn’t enough to prevent a seventh consecutive losing season.

The Falcons interviewed Ulbrich on Wednesday, four days after firing Lake and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.

Ulbrich was 3-9 as interim coach after the Jets fired Robert Saleh.

Ulbrich interviewed for the Jets’ full-time head coaching job on Monday.

The hiring of Ulbrich creates a reunion with Morris. During his six seasons with Atlanta, Ulbrich served as linebackers coach (2015-19) and assistant head coach/linebackers (2020). He was elevated to interim defensive coordinator when Morris served as Atlanta’s interim coach for the final 11 games of 2020.