The Philadelphia Eagles punched their ticket to the NFC Championship on Sunday by defeating the Los Angeles Rams 28-22. Although the game ended with 50 combined points scored, it was a low-scoring affair for three quarters. This resulted from tremendous defensive play from both teams.
That said, one of the many players on the Eagles' defense that stood out was defensive tackle Jalen Carter. Even though he has been wreaking havoc all season, questions about Carter's stamina remained from before the campaign began.
Suffice it to say, Carter put that conversation to bed in the Divisional Round.
Before the season, there were fair concerns whether Jalen Carter would be in good enough shape to play a high number snaps, but he made the two plays of the night on his 68th and 69th snaps in the 19th game of the season.
— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) January 20, 2025
Jalen Carter proves stamina is not an issue in the Eagle divisional round victory
Carter had an absolutely dominant performance against the Rams on Sunday afternoon, but his final two plays were the most impactful.
The first was a 3rd&2 sack for a loss of nine on Matthew Stafford.
THE BIG DAWG IS HUNGRY!
— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) January 19, 2025
JALEN CARTER SACK 😤#FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/xReEEiux7Y
The following play, Carter created pressure through the middle that forced an earrent pass from Stafford to Puka Nacua, ending the game.
The @Eagles deny LA on 4th down! pic.twitter.com/xnrObNlccp
— NFL (@NFL) January 19, 2025
While those may have been his two most pivotal plays, Carter consistently made his presence felt during the game. Carter finished the day with three tackles, two sacks, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Carter's forced fumble gave the Eagles the ball at the Rams' 10-yard line. Unfortunately, it only led to three points, as Philadelphia's offense couldn't cash in. Even so, the turnover ended up being an important factor in the Eagles' victory.
Carter's ability to make game-changing plays is vital to the Eagles' defense being Super Bowl-caliber. Failing to make a difference with his pass rush will give Jayden Daniels the time he needs to hurt Philly's defense in the NFC Championship.
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