PHILADELPHIA -- Jalen Mills knew it was coming. He'd studied it. Prepared for it.

The play was one the Falcons liked. It wasn't a surprise they called it facing a fourth and goal at the two yard line, trailing the Eagles by five, with their season on the line. They needed a play, and this was the best they had.

So Mills got ready.

Once Matt Ryan got the snap, and rolled out to the right, the second-year cornerback pressed all-pro receiver Julio Jones. He knocked him to the ground, then stayed on him like glue once he got up. When Ryan floated the ball in their direction, he elevated with the 6-3 wideout, not giving him an inch.

And when the ball slipped through Jones' hands, sealing the Eagles' 15-10 victory, Mills erupted.

"To make a play? To end the game?" Mills said with a smile. "That's what you live for."

Mills, whom the Eagles drafted in the seventh round last year, saw an awful lot of Jones Saturday night. He stayed on the left side of the field, and fellow cornerback Ronald Darby the right. Wherever Jones went, he got one of the two.

And the Falcons tested the two. While Jones finished with 9 catches for 101 yards on 16 targets, Mills and Darby rose to the occasion when Philadelphia needed it most. Including on the final series of the game.

Before trying Mills on fourth down, he went at Darby. He lofted a fade route on first and goal at the nine. Darby, like Mills, got physical with Jones, and batted it away.

"I just faced it out," Darby said. "I was playing for a back-shoulder. I was going to try to undercut that. When I saw it went high, I just boxed him out. I played aggressive with him."

Studs and duds from Eagles' win

Getting physical with the 6-3, 220-pound Jones seemed to be the theme for Philadelphia's two cornerbacks, despite neither Mills nor Darby weighing more than 193 pounds. They weren't worried about defensive holding calls or pass interferences.

They didn't want Jones to get the impression the two could be bullied. If he wanted to get physical, they'd get physical, too.

And they did.

"This is playoff ball," Mills said. "This is big boy ball."

The stand to end the game highlighted a stellar overall defensive effort for Philadelphia. Ryan finished just 22 of 36 for 210 yards with a touchdown, while running back Devonta Freeman ran for 10 yards on seven carries.

Aside from Jones, virtually the only other player to find offensive success was Tevin Coleman. Freeman's backup totaled 93 yards on 11 touches.

With Nick Foles at quarterback, the Eagles will likely need a repeat defensive performance if they hope to beat the Saints or Vikings in next week's NFC Championship. And safety Malcolm Jenkins believes the unit is up for the challenge.

"You don't get it many times," he said. "This is my ninth year in the league, and this is only my second time getting to this level, this stage. So we'll enjoy it. We'll get back to work. Focus back on our grind and get ready to compete next week."

Connor Hughes may be reached at chughes@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @Connor_J_Hughes. Find NJ.com Jets on Facebook.