
PHILADELPHIA — As the Eagles’ divisional playoff matchup with the Los Angeles Rams approaches, much of the region is abuzz about the possibility of a snow game.
Kickoff at the Linc is at 3 p.m. Sunday, and a wintry mix is in the forecast.
“We’ve practiced in it all week, practiced in it last week, the elements,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said Friday. “I know our guys are tough, I know our guys are physical. There’s different things you do in a snow game, depending on how the snow is, just like there’s different things you do in a rain game, just like there’s different things you do in a wind game. So, I know our guys will handle the elements, regardless of what they are this weekend.”
Predictions are varied on how much snow the Philadelphia area will get, whether it will be water-heavy or fluffy, and how quickly it will freeze. But the Eagles aren’t necessarily adjusting their game plan in advance.
“You have different things that you do in all these situations, just like you do if a guy goes down, just like you do if they play a different style of defense than you were anticipating,” he said. “You have contingency plans for everything.”
The Rams are a dome team, but they seemed to galvanize amid real adversity last week, thumping the Minnesota Vikings in a wild-card game moved from L.A. to Arizona because of the wildfires. Eagles cornerback Darius Slay downplayed any edge the Eagles may gain from snowy conditions.
“It’s not really too much of an advantage, we’re professionals,” Slay said. “You have to go out here and just go hard. I don’t believe in that kind of ‘weather advantage’ — not too much — unless it’s just really snowing and they just never see snow, as in the whole field’s covered up.”
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It has been an extra busy week for Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. Not only is he helping prepare the team for Sunday’s game, he has been interviewing for head coaching positions with Dallas, New Orleans and Jacksonville.
Sirianni isn’t worried about distractions, though.
“He’ll be in all the meetings and doing all his work, there’s no doubt, and he has been all week,” Sirianni said. “He’s done everything the way he’s needed to do it to get ourselves ready for this.
“I think there’s sometimes a misconception of coaches that the end of the week, you don’t get any time to relax,” he said. “There is time on Fridays and Saturday afternoons where you do that, and those are the times in these scenarios guys have earned the right to interview for jobs. We’re not the only ones in this position. There’s a lot of teams that are still going into this weekend that are having guys do this as well.
“Kellen’s ready, he has our team ready. He’s handled it big-time all week, which I never thought that he wouldn’t. He’s handled it like a pro.”
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The Eagles put up 481 yards of offense, including a franchise-record 255 rushing yards by Saquon Barkley, in a dominant performance against the Rams on Nov. 24. But the offense looked muddled last week against the Green Bay Packers when Jalen Hurts returned from concussion protocol.
“I’m hoping that the communication is better up front, making sure that we execute,” right tackle Jordan Mailata said. “I think every game starts with us, especially the run game. When we look back at last week’s film, probably that’s the one area we need to improve more — just the communication, because that leads to execution errors when you’re not sure what you’re doing. To have another dominant game, we have to continue to communicate, over-communicate, because that will lead to execution.”
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Rams edge-rusher Jared Verse — who graduated from Central Columbia High School in Bloomsburg, Pa., before attending Florida State — is a favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year, with 76 QB pressures and 4.5 sacks. He also has no love for Eagles fans.
“I hate Eagles fans,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans.”
Verse said he was heckled by Birds fans Week 12 at SoFi stadium.
“I didn’t even do nothing to ‘em,” he said. “It was my first time playing. Oh, I hate Eagles fans. … When I see that green and white, I hate it. I actually get upset. Like I actually genuinely get hot.”
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NOTES >> Eagles TE Dallas Goedert (illness) returned to practice on a limited basis Friday. DT Byron Young (hamstring) has been ruled out. … Sirianni has won three straight home playoff games, which ties Andy Reid (2000-03, 2005-07) and Dick Vermeil (1979-81) for the franchise record. … The NBC/Peacock main team of Mike Tirico, Cris Collinsworth, Melissa Stark and Kaylee Hartung will broadcast Sunday’s game.


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