One may be surprised to hear it, but the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles (or wherever they happened to call home) Rams have a playoff history that dates back 75 years. Maybe that's true because the Rams and Raiders have filled out a change of address form more than any other NFL team. Maybe it's true because, in those 75 years, these two proud franchises have only met three times.
Whatever the reason, a fourth meeting punctuated the 2024-25 season, and it promised to be highly-anticipated. Let's take a stroll down memory lane.
1949 NFL Championship Game: Eagles 14, Rams 0
The Eagles of the late 1940s were one of the greatest teams in NFL history. Seven decades of football did little to change that. The 1949 iteration featured one of the greatest defenses ever assembled, and it is hands down still one of the greatest teams ever.
That's the power of the Super Bowl era folks. It makes some forget that football preceded the NFL-AFL merger, but this team offered a great story. The Eagles came up short in the 1947 NFL Championship vs. the then-Chicago Cardinals, but they earned their revenge by then got their revenge by shutting them out 7-0 in a blizzard in the 1948 title game (the latter was played in Philadelphia).
In 1949, the Eagles met the Rams in the Colosseum. This time in a driving rainstorm with ankle-deep mud provided a back drop.
In a game littered with Hall of Famers, including a then-rookie named Chuck Bednarik and fellow future legend Steve Van Buren, the Eagles again pitched a shutout despite the conditions.
Philly became back-to-back champions for the lone time in their history. That's not too shabby, and that's a part of this team's history that we should discuss more often.
December 31, 1989: Rams 21, Eagles 7
Buddy Ryan's second of three-straight playoff losses came courtesy of the Rams. This one was played at home. It was a Wild Card Round matchup, one where the Eagles' offense failed to get much of anything going.
Philly's legendary defense did all it could to keep the Birds in the game. Future Hall of Famer Kevin Greene and his teammates on the Rams' defense had similar plans. The Eagles' offense failed to hold up its end of the bargain.
During the game, Philly's players wore helmets with a black stripe through the wing. This was a tribute to the passing of quarterbacks coach Doug Scevil.
That and some miracle wins the Eagles enjoyed along the way fueled theories that this was a team of destiny, but it wasn't meant to be. The dream of a Vince Lombardi Trophy would end in the postseason's opening round.
2001 NFC Championship Game: Rams 29, Eagles 24
Man, what a ride this turned out to be!
The 2000 Eagles surprised everyone by making the playoffs in Donovan McNabb and Andy Reid's second season, and boy, did they make a run. There was excitement that this team would take another step, and they made several.
Philadelphia reached the NFC Championship Game, their first since 1980 and second in franchise history. The then-St. Louis Rams were standing in their way.
Philly gave this one all they had against what was still being labeled 'The Greatest Show on Turf'. The Rams fielded one of the greatest offensive arsenals in NFL history, but Philly played them down to the wire.
To the shock of many, the Eagles were in this game from bell to bell, and they possessed the ball late with an opportunity to punch in a go-ahead score, but Rams Hall of Fame defensive back Aeneas Williams had other plans.
Williams picked off McNabb and sent the Eagles home. It was a punch to the gut but also a sign of hope. It was our introduction to one of the greatest eras of Eagles football.