Jalen Carter reveals what he said to Jared Verse before Eagles beat the Rams

The man had some added motivation, and boy did he use it.

Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Carter
Philadelphia Eagles, Jalen Carter | Cooper Neill/GettyImages

Before the Philadelphia Eagles would take on the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC Divisional Round on Sunday afternoon, there was an order of business to revisit just one more time for defensive tackle Jalen Carter.

Just a couple of days before the matchup, Rams rookie defensive end Jared Verse raised eyebrows when he made his feelings known about Eagles fans:

“I hate Eagles fans. They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans. When I see that green and white, I hate it. I actually get upset. I actually genuinely get hot.”

Of course, this sentiment was heard loud and clear by Eagles fans. Not only did the fans take this and run with it, but of course the players did as well.

Carter had one of the best games of his young career as Philly came out victorious, and after the game, he told reporters that he had a brief chat with Verse prior to kickoff. What did he say?

It was pretty simple.

"You know that's motivation to us," Carter told NFL Network's Mike Garafolo.

Motivation it was, indeed.

Jared Verse only fueled Jalen Carter en route to one of the biggest performances of his life

It's not like the Eagles needed any extra motivation. But, thanks to Verse, Carter had even more reason to come out aggressive in this game.

He was an absolute game-wrecker on Sunday afternoon, but no series of plays were as big as his final two on the field.

On a crucial third down for the Rams, driving into the red zone with just seconds remaining, Carter got through and sacked quarterback Matthew Stafford for a big loss. This caused Los Angeles to then have to line up for fourth-and-long with the game on the line.

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As Stafford took the fourth down snap, Carter once again came barreling through the offensive line to force the quarterback into a pressured throw. Carter drilled Stafford as he threw, and the pass fell out of reach for wide receiver Puka Nacua.

The game was over and Carter was a hero.

Saquon Barkley had himself a game to remember, going for 205 yards and two long touchdown runs. But, maybe even bigger than Barkley's game was Carter's. At least, fans will be talking more about Carter than Barkley, initially, because of the lasting imprint he made at the end of the game.

Carter ended the game with five tackles (three solo), two sacks, three quarterback hits and a pass defensed. It was one of those defining performances for a young player's career; one that could exponentially influence his career trajectory. And, that's a scary thought.

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