3 Rams who need to be better to make a magical Super Bowl run

It's tough to find fault with the performance the Los Angeles Rams put together on Monday night. Matthew Stafford and the offense were as efficient as ever, and they didn't have to be too much more than that as L.A.'s defense swarmed Sam Darnold and the Minnesota Vikings in an impressive 27-9 win in the Wild Card Round. Combine that sort of defensive effort with a healthy Stafford, Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp, and you've got a formula that can go toe-to-toe with just about anyone else in the league over the next few weeks.

Now, though, the road gets a lot tougher. Next up for the Rams is a cross-country trip to face the No. 2-seeded Philadelphia Eagles, the same team that bullied L.A. in a 37-20 loss in the regular season. Philly's run game and defense present a unique challenge, one that McVay is all too aware of, and for as well as the team played against Minnesota, it'll have to raise the bar even higher next weekend to keep this magical run going. Here are three players in particular who will be under the microscope based on their performance against the Vikings.

3. LB Christian Rozeboom

While the Rams kept Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison largely in check, the same can't be said for Vikings tight end TJ Hockenson, who put up five catches for 64 yards and a score on Monday. Rozeboom was a major reason why: The linebacker was a liability in coverage all night long, struggling to keep up in space and missing tackles even when he did manage to put himself in the right spot at the right time.

You can bet that Kellen Moore was paying attention, and this Eagles offense will present a serious challenge both via the run and the pass. Dallas Goedert is among the best tight ends in the league, and Hurts' mobility combined with Barkley's explosiveness are enough to put any linebacker in a bind. If Rozeboom isn't better, L.A.'s defense could be in for a long night.

2. CB Darious Williams

Both Ahkello Witherspoon and Cobie Durant played great football against the Vikings, helping to put the clamps on one of the best receiver rooms in the league. But lost in Durant's ascension are the struggles of Williams, who continues to see less and less of the field. Against Philly, though, he's going to need to play and play well, and the fact that the Rams coaching staff clearly has less trust in him at this point in the season doesn't bode well. If and when Williams is on the field, expect the Eagles to pick on him at every opportunity.

1. TE Colby Parkinson

We're still not quite sure of Tyler Higbee's status, after the tight end was knocked out of Monday's game with a chest injury. It seems like L.A. avoided any worst-case scenarios, and McVay very much left the door open for him to play next weekend. But even if he does, he likely won't be at 100 percent, and that will put more of the burden on to Parkinson.

Which, based on his performance against Minnesota, might not be such a good thing. Higbee was on a roll before his injury, reeling in five passes for 58 yards in just the first quarter alone. Parkinson, by contrast, wasn't near the same threat in the passing game while also being a bit of a liability as a blocker. If Parkinson has to take the majority of Higbee's snaps next weekend, he needs to be a lot better.