The Philadelphia Eagles dismantled the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.
Philadelphia are into the Divisional Round, but which opposition presents the best opportunity to make the NFC Championship game?
Sam Darnold or Matthew Stafford? Justin Jefferson or Puka Nacua? Kevin O’Connell or Sean McVay?
All of these factors will be weighed up in the minds of Philadelphia fans as they await confirmation of their opponent in their Divisional Round match-up.
Nothing will change in the mind of Nick Sirianni and his coordinators. The Eagles will attempt to stay solid defensively and they will feed the explosive Saquon Barkley at every opportunity – rushing for another spectacular 119 yards against the Packers.
However, the Minnesota Vikings and LA Rams both have a range of weaponry that could demolish any opposition that stands in their way.
The challenge ahead
Sam Darnold has been nothing short of a revelation this season for Minnesota.
The quarterback position was highlighted as a stumbling block for the Vikings but Darnold has established a formidable partnership with the extraordinary Justin Jefferson – connecting on 10 touchdowns in just 17 games.
Minnesota’s star duo will undoubtedly look to target both of the Eagles’ rookie cornerbacks – Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean – as they set out to break down the NFL’s most resilient defense.
The Rams possess their own devastating quarterback and wide receiver pairing who may look to exploit the inexperienced cornerbacks – Stafford and Nacua.
Nonetheless, Vic Fangio may prefer a meeting with the latter as they have been less prolific in their connections – with Stafford finding only Nacua nine times in the endzone in 26 games.
The Vikings’ head coach, Kevin O’Connell, and the Rams’ head coach, Sean McVay, are both accomplished coaches in their own right. They both have the ability to cause Sirianni some major headaches.
Although, O’Connell is yet to win a post-season match-up in his short career as a head coach.
On the other hand, McVay is well seasoned when it comes to the post-season – tallying a total of seven wins.
There are no easy opponents when it comes to the play-offs and the Philadelphia Eagles will be very aware of the threat that both these talented franchises pose.
