The Rams are playing their best football at the best time of the year

At one point this season the Los Angeles Rams were 1-4 and it felt like the playoffs were a pipe dream. The Rams began to improve, though, and the return of wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua was instrumental in their turnaround. Including Monday night's 27-9 Wild Card Round victory over the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles has won six of its last seven games, the one loss coming in a meaningless Week 18 game.

The most dangerous thing come playoff time is a team playing its best football of the season, and that's exactly what Los Angeles is doing. Against Minnesota, the Rams tied an NFL playoff record with nine sacks of Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold.

The Rams defense tied an NFL Playoff record with NINE sacks tonight 😤 pic.twitter.com/LRn4OEHsd4
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) January 14, 2025

Stafford has been playing exceptionally well during this stretch. Since December, he's averaging just under 200 yards per game, but has protected the football, throwing seven touchdown to only one interception, doing enough to get the Rams the win each time. Additionally, the defense has shone. Setting aside allowing 42 points to the Buffalo Bills -- who hasn't allowed that many points to a Josh Allen led team -- the Rams defense is allowing just under 13 points per game since December.

Los Angeles will head to Philadelphia for a Divisional Round showdown with the Eagles on Sunday and revenge is hanging in the air. The Eagles dismantled the Rams 37-20 in Week 12 in Los Angeles but Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford outplayed his Eagles counterpart Jalen Hurts in that matchup, throwing for 243 yards and two touchdowns.

It was the Rams rush defense that struggled, like all teams this season, to stop Saquon Barkley. Barkley set his season high in rushing yards in the Eagles' win, finishing with 255 yards and two touchdowns. The Rams, though, lost only one more game after playing Philadelphia.

Now they have a chance for revenge over an Eagles team that was the last to beat the Rams when they played their starters. The problem? The Eagles have also been playing their best football. Philadelphia has won 13 of their previous 14 games. Something's gotta give, and we'll find out Sunday afternoon.