Barkley runs for 78- and 62-yard TDs in the snow and Eagles top Rams 28-22 to head to NFC title game

PHILADELPHIA — Saquon Barkley blew through a hole and ran untouched in the wintry mix, the Eagles' 2,000-yard rusher smacking his helmet with his hand on his final snowy steps of a 78-yard touchdown run.

The Rams had braced for gusty winds and a heightened chance of snow on a trip to Philadelphia.

They were blown over by Barkley.

Barkley waved his arms in celebration as he scampered along the back of the end zone before he slid into the snow — Slide, Eagles, Slide! — in the late-game playoff celebration.

Barkley dashed through the snow for touchdown runs of 78 and 62 yards and finished with 205 yards rushing, Jalen Hurts had a 44-yard scoring run and the Eagles held on against the turnover-happy Rams 28-22 on Sunday to reach the NFC championship game for the second time in three years.

''This is the reason why I came here,'' Barkley said. ''This was the best opportunity to play in a game like this.''

Barkley, who left the Giants in free agency to sign a three-year deal for $26 million guaranteed, ran for a 62-yard score in the first half and stretched the lead in the fourth on the 78-yard score that gave him four touchdowns of 60-plus yards in two games this season against the Rams.

Barkley gave Hurts a little heads up before the snap that a special play was about to develop.

''It was fun, It was a play that I asked for,'' Barkley said. ''It's a beautiful thing when stuff like that happens.''

These Philly Snow Birds had cause for celebration -- they will host the NFC championship game Sunday against Washington after the Commanders stunned No. 1 seed Detroit on Saturday.

The Rams kept the upset threat alive — caused in large part by two missed extra points by Philadelphia's Jake Elliott.

Matthew Stafford, who threw for 324 yards with sore ribs, kept the Rams in it with a 4-yard TD pass to Colby Parkinson that made it 28-22. The Rams got the ball back with two minutes left and Stafford completed consecutive passes of 11 and 37 yards to move the ball into Eagles territory.

But Stafford was sacked by Jalen Carter on third down and threw an incomplete pass on fourth down to end the threat.

That came after the Rams suffered from a flurry of fumbles in the fourth quarter, one by running back Kyren Williams that led to a field goal for the Eagles and a strip-sack of Stafford that led to another kick by Elliott to give Philadelphia a 22-15 lead.

The Eagles are set to host the NFC championship game for the fifth time since Lincoln Financial Field opened in 2003.

Eagles defenders frolicked in the winter mess and made snow angels in the end zone to celebrate the turnovers. Some brave frigid fans went shirtless — and yes, even Santa Claus was in the house, without a report of any snowball throwing.

Stadium workers used snow blowers to clear yard lines and hash marks, while Eagles scooped and kicked away snow to clear a circle for Elliott's field goal attempts.

Hurts threw for just 128 yards, his mobility hampered in the second half after he was fitted for a knee brace. He didn't miss any snaps, but was easily mauled on the safety. He was sacked seven times.

Hurts suffered a concussion that cost him in two games in a loss at Washington in December. It was the Eagles' only loss after they returned from the bye with a 2-2 record.

Hurts said he expected to play against the Commanders.

Barkley had 118 total yards at the break, but the Rams' defense — coming off a nine-sack effort against Minnesota — sacked Hurts three times in the half. Hurts was sacked on consecutive plays to end the first half, a total loss of 16 yards that knocked the Eagles out of field goal range.

The Eagles borrowed from the playbook used in their November win in Los Angeles when big plays — Barkley had touchdown runs of 70 and 72 yards — helped them cruise to a comfortable win.

Hurts rushed for the longest TD of his career, a 44-yarder on the fifth play of the game that sent a cold crowd still buzzing from the pregame theatrics into a frenzy. Elliott missed an extra point for the second straight playoff game.

After converting a fourth down on the drive, Stafford hit Tyler Higbee for a 4-yard TD that made it 7-6. Only six days earlier, Higbee spit up blood in the playoff win over Minnesota and was taken to the hospital with a chest injury.

Barkley scored on a 62-yard run for a 13-7 lead, but not before the 2,105-yard rusher slowed near the end zone and looked back to clown the trailing Jared Verse. Barkley had has fifth touchdown run of 50-plus yards of the season and was the first player with three TD runs of 60-plus against one team since Baltimore's Jamal Lewis did it against the Browns in 2003.

''Rain, sleet, or snow, he's been able to pound, pound, pound, and then take it off,' Hurts said ''That was fun. That was cute. Just being able to pop it out first for us.''

Verse got trolled by Barkley after the Rams rookie linebacker and Pennsylvania native said he ''hates Eagles fans.'' The first-round draft pick attended high school in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania, which is about 100 miles northwest of Philadelphia.

Verse egged on fans during pregame warmups and relished the boos that rained him on in the light snow. Once the game started, the Eagles showed on the big screen Verse on the bench and fans booed again.

Verse winked at the camera, stamping his name on the list of Philly sports villains.

''I think I'm up here pretty shocked because I know a lot of people didn't believe we could come in here, but we had the full expectation to come in here,'' and win, Rams coach Sean McVay said. ''I don't think anybody ever really expected the end of the season to be right now and the finality of it is tough for me to swallow.''

Injuries

Rams: DE Braden Fiske had a knee injury.

Eagles: CB Quinyon Mitchell suffered a shoulder injury.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL