It was an unforgettable week that none of us would wish on each other ever again.

What the Rams did was inspiring.

What Los Angeles did – and continues to do – together, was heroic.

A month into their season, at the midway point, and even into November, it did not seem that this football team had found its identity, its common purpose, its ethos.

There's no denying that it has now.

The Rams represent a resilient city. One that's far from finished with its current crisis.

But Los Angeles is built for this. And so are its Rams.

Rams House Money

One of the topics we covered on Between the Horns this week was how the win over the Vikings was a total team effort – the Los Angeles Rams as an organization triumphed over tragedy well before the game kicked off.

Thankfully, the coaches and players delivered an on-field victory, too. And with it, the Rams have secured a successful season by any measure.

A sweep of San Francisco. An NFC West crown. A playoff win.

Now, they're heavy underdogs going into the Divisional Round. On the road, likely in foul weather, coming off an emotional rollercoaster, it's a short week, against one of the best rosters in the NFL.

All the excuses are built in.

Check out this episode with D'Marco Farr and Stu Jackson to hear why they believe none of that matters, because of the shared purpose that the 2024 Rams have found.

Run It Back

As with last week's Wild Card collision with Minnesota, this clash with Philadelphia is a rematch.

And it's a great measuring stick opportunity to test how far the defense has come and whether they're ready to right a few wrongs inflicted by Saquon Barkley, Jalen Hurts, and A.J. Brown.

In the last four games that starters have played full snap counts (read: ignore Week 18), the Rams have given up fewer than 10 points.

And in particular, they've been sharpening their iron against opposing rushing attacks since getting humbled by the Eagles. From Week 13 forward, LA is 15th in run defense success rate and seventh in rushing yards per game allowed, according to TruMedia.

Kobie Turner and Jared Verse have been two of Pro Football Focus' most stout run defenders, ranking No. 9 and No. 13 in the league, respectively, in run stop percentage, as reported by the Philadelphia Inquirer.

And the last rushing touchdown they've allowed? The three that Josh Allen put on them in Week 14. So they've played five games without allowing one as they head to Barkley's building.

Thanks for reading an entire section on run defense. I realize it's not the most enthralling material. So why not reward yourself, take a break, and watch Verse Mic'd Up?

Inner Excellence

Okay, back to our reading.

Both the Rams and Eagles are top-five red zone defenses, allowing their opponents to score touchdowns on only half of their trips.

And speaking of standing tall in the RedZone, Scott Hanson was this week's guest on Ricky's Ram Jam!

What Happened To Sunny In Philadelphia?

Though both were daunting challenges, the contrast between Monday versus Minnesota and Sunday in Philadelphia is really something to behold.

Just to name a few…

Sam Darnold was making his postseason debut. Jalen Hurts has been to a Super Bowl (and was one penalty marker away from likely winning it).

Kevin O'Connell is now 0-2 in the postseason. Nick Sirianni is vying to become the third head coach in league history to reach multiple Super Bowls in his first four seasons – the others are Hall of Famer Joe Gibbs and Mike Tomlin.

The Vikings probably had the worst offensive line in the playoffs. The Eagles have the best in the NFL.

Minnesota ran the football reluctantly and with mixed results this season. Philadelphia runs it with conviction, more often and more effectively than anyone.

While both defenses had stifling seasons, the Vikings accomplished it with relentless aggressiveness and pressure. The Eagles tend to sit back and seldom blitz. Minnesota was veteran and savvy, especially in the secondary. Philadelphia has young stars.

And as if the challenge could get any more distinct, the Rams go from the enclosed environment in Arizona with a pro-LA crowd to arguably the most hostile venue in the league, outdoors in the snow.

Similar, but Different: Rams on Offense

The Rams have changed quite a bit since falling to the Eagles in Week 12. They've only lost once since, and that was while resting select starters against Seattle in the regular season finale.

Notable differences when the Rams have the football begin with right tackle Rob Havenstein. The Jenga piece in the offensive line will start Sunday. He was unable to do so at SoFi Stadium against the Eagles. It did not go well for his replacement against Philadelphia's veteran defensive end Brandon Graham, who generated four pressures, a sack, and two tackles for loss. However, Graham tore his triceps in that game and is done for the season.

Last week against Green Bay, green-dot middle linebacker Nakobe Dean was also lost for the remainder of the playoffs with a knee injury. Against the Rams in Week 12, he delivered three pressures, a sack, and two tackles for loss.

Similar, but Different: Rams on Defense

On the other side of the football, the Eagles are in better shape than when they visited Inglewood.

Standout wide receiver DeVonta Smith missed Week 12 with a hamstring issue. This weekend, he'll quickly become the all-time leader in postseason receiving yards in Eagles history (he only needs six to pass Hall of Famer Harold Carmichael's 465).

So with dual WR1s to contend with, thankfully the Rams just showed that they can have success with Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant on the field, teaming with Darious Williams. Witherspoon only played 38 snaps in first meeting with the Eagles and is on a heater right now. Sean McVay expects him to play Sunday despite a leg injury of his own that cost him practice time. Let's see if the Rams can snap Jalen Hurts' streak of 161 consecutive pass attempts without an interception.

It's also a rookie redemption opportunity for a handful of Rams defenders who graded out poorly in their first flight with the Eagles – Omar Speights, Kamren Kinchens, Tyler Davis, Jared Verse. I'd contend that each has grown up on the job considerably in the past two months.

Hat Trick Higs

Tyler Higbee's three-touchdown performance in Philadelphia in 2020 was called to mind this week.

And the Rams got good news on their injury report when Higbee, along with Witherspoon, Alaric Jackson, and Bobby Brown III were all deemed likely to play in this divisional round.

I thought Cooper Kupp had a remarkable answer when asked about how important the franchise's most prolific tight end is to the offense and the team.

"What coach was talking about what being a Rams football player is. I don't know if there's a better example than Tyler Higbee," Kupp told the media on Thursday. "He's a special football player. He's a really special dude. If we had a lot of Tyler Higbees, we'd be a real good football team."

Same goes for you, Coop. Same for you.

Refillable Kupp

Kupp has just five receptions over his last four games, the most significant drought of his brilliant career. It is puzzling considering how prolific he and Puka Nacua were side-by-side in their return to action midseason. Kupp was averaging more than nine targets, six catches, and 72 yards per contest in the seven-game span from Weeks 8-14.

What happened?

"It's been strange," Matthew Stafford attempted to explain this week. "The ball that I ended up throwing to Puka's feet the other day, [Kupp's] sitting there wide open.

"We were re-watching the first time we played the Eagles earlier this year… and [Kupp's] open on another one and I get hit right as I'm throwing it, too. He's like, 'It's kind of been the way it's gone.'"

We're not oblivious to the reduced snap count Kupp played on Monday (55 percent). But that's actually in line with the reps he took against Minnesota in October, too. So perhaps it is a combination of game plan design and untimely breakdowns in protection

Regardless, my broadcast partner D'Marco Farr insisted on Between the Horns that Kupp has to have far more than just one target/catch on Sunday for the Rams to upset the Eagles, and that sure seems like a fair expectation no matter the weather.

Kupp needs 79 receiving yards to pass Isaac Bruce for the most in franchise playoff history. Stafford can pass Hall of Famer Kurt Warner (five) for the most QB wins in Rams postseason history, too.

Elite Eight

Finally, here are my favorite eight research nuggets in anticipation of the football's best weekend, the Divisional Round. (All courtesy of NFL Research unless noted otherwise.)

The Eagles and Rams are the two youngest defenses remaining in the playoffs: Philadelphia defenders average 25 years, 307 days; Los Angeles defenders average 26 years, 9 days.

Eight different Rams contributed to the nine sacks of Darnold, most by any team in a playoff game since individual sacks became official in 1982. Rams' rookies have now combined for 14 sacks this season, twice the total of the next closest franchise.

With a sack and an interception, Cobie Durant joined Mel Owens (1983) and Jack Youngblood (1975) as the only Rams to deliver both such splash plays in the postseason. It was the third time in any game – regular season or playoffs – that Durant has accomplished the pick-and-a-sack trick, joining Todd Lyght (1997-99) as the only defenders in franchise history to double-dip in rush and coverage. Thanks to Pro Football Reference for this history lesson.

The Rams are 4-7 on the road in the Divisional Round; only the Colts franchise has more such road wins (5).

Teams to win a Monday Wild Card game are just 1-3 in the Divisional Round since the MNF Wild Card game was brought back in 2021; the only victor was LA, beating Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in Tampa on their way to Super Bowl LVI.

Jalen Hurts needs two more rushing touchdowns to join legends Steve Young (8) and Tom Brady (7) as the only quarterbacks with at least seven in a postseason career. First, that's hilarious that Young, one of the most mobile QBs of all-time, is just ahead of TB12, one of the least. But it makes sense when you consider Young played 22 playoff games while Brady started 48! What's remarkable is that Sunday will only be the seventh playoff game for Hurts, who is already reeling them in. (And we should note that Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes also have five playoff rushing scores.)

Stafford has authored six straight playoff games with multiple passing touchdowns while completing at least 65 percent of his attempts, tied with Mahomes (2021-22) for the longest streak in NFL playoff history, according to ESPN.

No team in NFL history has defeated multiple opponents in a single season who had 14-or-more regular season wins entering the game. Minnesota was 14-3; Philadelphia also went 14-3. So the Rams can accomplish a first.

And if they do, perhaps the 15-2 Detroit Lions will be waiting next.