PHILADELPHIA – Jared Verse might have started the talk, but Saquon Barkley and the rest of the Philadelphia Eagles ended up having the last laugh.
The rookie edge rusher for the Rams stirred things up earlier in the week by saying he dislikes Eagles fans. Before the NFC divisional round game on Sunday, which the Eagles won 28-22, Verse confidently walked around the edge of the field.
While walking, he ran into Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, and they chatted (Carter might have even tried to make a bet). After the game, Carter mentioned that it was all in good fun.
“That’s motivation, but it’s just a little conversation,” Carter explained. “It’s still cool; I really like his game. He’s a great player.”
Verse mentioned that stopping the run was the Rams’ top focus. Unfortunately, that plan did not work out, as Barkley rushed for 205 yards and scored two long touchdowns of 62 and 78 yards.
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“We can’t let them run freely on the field,” Verse stated. “He’s a tough running back, probably the best in the league at the moment… he’s been really strong. He’s a threat.”
During Barkley’s first touchdown, Verse chased him closely down the right sideline.
As Barkley approached the goal line, he slowed down and turned slightly to face Verse, but he did not share what they might have said to each other.
Verse showed off his speed on this play by running 21.6 mph while chasing Barkley. This was the second time this season that he has run over 21 mph while pursuing Barkley, according to Next Gen Stats. Earlier, he reached a speed of 21.48 mph during Barkley’s 70-yard touchdown in their Week 12 game in Los Angeles.
The Florida State player, who began his college career at Albany, now holds the records for the third and fifth fastest speeds by a defensive lineman or linebacker during a scrimmage play this season.
Right tackle Lane Johnson responded on social media after the game. He wrote on X, “Best verse: E-A-G-L-E-S (bald eagle emoji).” He added, “We have the best fans in sports! NFC Championship (soon emoji).”
At the start of the game, the Eagles’ stadium crew showed Verse sitting on the Rams bench on the big screen at Lincoln Financial Field. The crowd let out a loud boo, and he just winked back.
“That has nothing to do with me,” wide receiver DeVonta Smith said with a grin. “I don’t have to deal with him.”
Left tackle Jordan Mailata mentioned that there are plenty of other things to focus on during the week instead of worrying about what an opponent says.
“We have enough responsibilities on our side. If you start paying attention to that kind of stuff, you won’t be able to do your job properly,” Mailata explained.
“First, he can talk all he wants. Second, he’s a talented player. So you already have enough to think about.”
Despite the challenges during the loss, Verse had a strong performance. He recorded five pressures, four tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks, all in the first half.
After one of his impactful plays, the home fans began to chant, a phrase usually aimed at referees in that stadium. In response, Verse gave a thumbs down gesture several times.
Verse pointed out that the Eagles’ three big rushing plays—Barkley’s touchdowns and quarterback Jalen Hurts’ 44-yard run on the opening drive—hurt the Rams’ chances.
He noted that “football’s a game of inches” and ultimately depends on who makes the most plays.
Despite the challenges during the loss, Verse had a strong performance. He recorded five pressures, four tackles, three tackles for loss, and two sacks, all in the first half.
After one of his impactful plays, the home fans began to chant, a phrase usually aimed at referees in that stadium. In response, Verse gave a thumbs down gesture several times.
Verse pointed out that the Eagles’ three big rushing plays—Barkley’s touchdowns and quarterback Jalen Hurts’ 44-yard run on the opening drive—hurt the Rams’ chances. He noted that “football’s a game of inches” and ultimately depends on who makes the most plays.
Verse expressed his desire to turn the loss into motivation for upcoming seasons. He felt heartbroken seeing the pain in his teammates’ eyes.
“I don’t want to experience this again,” he stated. “I don’t want my teammates to go through this again.”
