Rams team of destiny run might be cut short thanks to Matthew Stafford, Mother Nature

The Los Angeles Rams have won five of their last six games, including a 27-9 thumping of the Minnesota Vikings in round one of the NFL Playoffs. Los Angeles was not the most impressive postseason threat on paper — a 10-win team with an aging quarterback in a weak division — but momentum is everything in the playoffs. The Rams have momentum.

That said, the Rams' hot streak will be put to the test on Sunday against the Philadelphia Eagles. It will be a far more hostile environment on the road, with a rabid Eagles crowd and Mother Nature conspiring against Sean McVay's group.

The current forecast is a game-time temperature of 33 degrees with snow. The Rams are from sunny LA, where snow is seldom seen, and temperatures rarely dip below freezing. That alone is enough to sway the odds in Philadelphia's favor — not to mention the talent disparity and raucous fanbase, both of which are strong advantages for the Eagles.

More troubling for Rams fans, however, is Matthew Stafford's rocky history in cold-weather games. A two-time Pro Bowl quarterback and Super Bowl champ, nobody can doubt Stafford's bona fides. When it comes to playing in slushy weather, however, the numbers paint a grim portrait.

Matthew Stafford's snow game struggles could bite Rams in Philadelphia

There's a chance the Rams get lucky on the snow front, but Stafford is clearly not built for the tundra. A Florida native who spent his college career in Georgia, Stafford has never really been in a true cold-weather enviornment for long. Detroit gets frosty, of course, but the Lions play in a dome. The Rams are used to sun-soaked vistas and balmy nights.

Philadelphia won the only regular season meeting between these teams, 37-20, so history already does not favor the Rams. Saquon Barkley accumulated 302 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in that game. Los Angeles' defensive line, once a vaunted harbinger of doom, looked hapless against Philly's elite run blocking.

There's a good chance Barkley is held below 300 yards on Sunday, but the weather favors a heavy emphasis on the run game. If this comes down to which team can find more room between the tackles, odds are the Eagles will emerge victorious. Kyren Williams has enjoyed a solid season in LA, but Barkley is on the MVP shortlist. He's a different beast.

Jalen Hurts is also uniquely adaptable in these cold-weather situations. He can hit the power stick and drive straight through the defense like Derrick Henry, should he choose to. Philadelphia tends to protect Hurts well in the pocket, but if a few designed QB runs are what it takes to win Sunday's game, Hurts can get the job done.

Stafford has been to the mountaintop before, so the Eagles cannot discount him. He is still a tremendously gifted quarterback with one of the sharpest minds in football. The Rams are red-hot, and that may be enough to carry them through the snow and slush. Just don't count on it, though. All signs point toward Philadelphia.