Jared Verse poked the bear.
On Sunday, the bear poked back. The bear, in this instance, being the Philadelphia Eagles and their fans. Greeted with boos in Philadelphia, Verse responded in Sunday’s divisional round playoff game with two sacks of the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts.
But the Eagles got the last laugh to secure a 28-22 win over Verse’s Los Angeles Rams to advance to the NFC championship game.
Jared Verse played well, but Saquon Barkley and the Eagles got the last laugh on Sunday. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
As his Rams prepared for Sunday’s game, Verse offered a candid assessment of his feelings for Eagles fans in an interview with the Los Angeles Times.
“I hate Eagles fans,” Verse said. “They’re so annoying. I hate Eagles fans.”
It was a bold move from the Rams’ rookie pass rusher, who made the Pro Bowl this season as a disruptive force in opposing backfields. Eagles fans, meanwhile, are notorious for being, well, Philadelphia sports fans. Verse’s comments were a direct invitation to said fans target him. Target him, they did.
They did so first with a billboard. Prior to Sunday’s game, a billboard was erected near the Eagles’ tailgate zone with Verse’s quote alongside a picture of a screaming Eagles fan. The message was clear. Give Verse hell.
Verse did not shy away from what was coming. He strolled the sideline ahead of pregame warmups and hammed it up with fans who showed up early and greeted him with a chorus of boos.
After warmups, Verse skipped to the locker room as the considerably fuller stands of Lincoln Financial Field let him hear it.
Verse was clearly eating it up.
Then, after kickoff, the video board crew got in on the action. They put Verse’s quote up on the board, then cut to a smiling Verse as he sat on the sideline.
Eagles fans responded accordingly.
The storyline carried over into the second quarter, with Eagles running back Saquon Barkley getting in on the action. Barkley, a former New York Giant, had previously questioned the wisdom of Verse’s taunt.
On Sunday, Verse gave chase as Barkley sprinted down the sideline for a 62-yard touchdown to give Philadelphia a 13-7 lead. As he approached the goal line, Barkley slowed down just enough to look back directly at Verse, who had no chance of stopping him.
It was a surely satisfying moment for Eagles fans, who’d found a new public enemy No. 1. But Verse was ready with a response.
On Philadelphia’s next possession, the Eagles drove into field-goal range. But Verse ensured that no points would be scored on the drive with a third-down sack of Hurts that forced a punt.
It also, of course, invited a loud chorus of boos from the stands.
Verse added a second sack to end the first half, preventing the Eagles shot at a Hail Mary.
In the end, Barkley and the Eagles prevailed. As snow wreaked havoc on the second half, the Eagles took control of the game with a 78-yard Barkley touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, then held off a late Rams rally for the win.
The Eagles advance to host the Washington Commanders in next week’s NFC championship game.
