Eagles-Rams observations: Did that comeback win really, actually just happen?

A furious second-half Eagles comeback was about to be for not, until Jordan Davis blocked another field goal and pandemonium ensued.

By Geoff Mosher
PhillyVoice Staff

Bill Streicher/Imagn Images

Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (98) during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field.

It was on the way to being arguably the worst loss for the Eagles since 2021.

They were hemorrhaging yards against the run, yet they couldn't find a single running lane. They were occasionally defending the pass, but they could't complete a forward pass. They couldn't even field a kickoff without looking clumsy and clunky.

The Eagles, defending Super Bowl champs who had won eight consecutive games going back to last year including the postseason, were trailing by 19 points in the third quarter at home and had already started hearing the boos well before halftime. It was almost surreal to see them so unglued and so emasculated in their own building.

But they suddenly woke up in the third quarter, on both sides of the ball and even on special teams.

Jalen Hurts threw touchdown passes to Dallas Goedert and A.J. Brown, defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter tag-teamed on a field goal block, and Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for another TD pass as the Eagles ripped off 20 unanswered points to storm ahead. And it still wasn't enough.

Let's get to some observations from a wild, circus-like win by the Eagles:

On their last drive, the Rams drove deep into Eagles territory and lined up for Josh Karty's 44-yard field goal. Amazingly, Davis blocked the kick, scooped it and ran the ball back 61 yards for the touchdown as time expired, the finishing touch (literally) on a 33-26 win that kept the Eagles (3-0) unbeaten and delivered the Rams (2-1) their first loss.

Jordan Davis, you are the man

Jordan Davis was already on his way to being an impact player before the block and touchdown return. He had already come up with two enormous defensive stops in the third quarter by chasing Matthew Stafford to the sideline on a 3rd-and-2 before Stafford could get to the marker, forcing a Rams punt, and by stuffing Kyren Williams on a 4th-and-1 run up the gut. 

Davis, who is still gigantic despite shedding about 25 pounds this offseason, chased down Stafford like he once did to Bills QB Josh Allen two years ago in the rain. The Eagles then executed a 13-play drive that ended with a touchdown to cut the LA lead to 26-21. On the Williams stop, he swam past Rams RG Kevin Dotson to stop Williams dead in his tracks. 

Davis then tag-teamed on a field goal block in the fourth quarter before going solo on the last one. Should he have just laid down on the football as time expired. Yes. Is it fun to see a big guy run untouched 61 yards the other way? Also yes. They'll cut him some slack.

Offense finally woke up 

Let's first get into the good about the offense. This offense was lifeless– again – until the second half, when they finally figured out how to beat the Cover 2 on first and second down that they've now seen mostly for the first three weeks. Hurts doesn't love throwing between the numbers, everyone knows that, but it's almost as if he and offensive coaches were avoiding the underneath middle altogether in both calls and attempts until the offense collectively snapped out of it after the break.

Hurts realized guys were wide open over the middle and started exploiting it – slant to A.J. Brown, 33-yard touchdown to Dallas Goedert, 16-yard deep dig on third down to DeVonta Smith. It kept on coming. That's an adjustment they didn't make well in the first two weeks and possibly something that carries over into Week 4.

This offense isn't different

Let's get into the not good about the offense. The Eagles talked all offseason about this new "iteration" that would take all of last year's concepts and sprinkle in some newer, fresher stuff to avoid being stale. There hasn't been anything new at all. Those digs, slants, mesh concepts and skinny posts were staples of their offense last year, too. Same with those fourth-quarter QB designed runs from a spread formation and the "Tush Push."  

Maybe this is just who the Eagles are, and they'll live and die with it. So far, they've lived way more than died.

Repeat run defense?

Last year, it was a Week 2 loss against the Falcons that the Eagles' run defense for some reason had no counterpunch to Atlanta's run offense. They even got ran over by the Packers in the season opener. This year, it came Week 3. The Rams went under center quite a bit and went downhill with Kyren Williams and backup Blake Corum, who we wrote about leading up the game as someone getting more involved in L.A.'s offense.

The Rams played a lot of three-wide formations – to make sure the Eagles stayed in nickel defense – but kept their receivers close to scrimmage on their inside and outside zone runs that got Williams and Corum flowing downhill fast. They totaled 160 rushing yards and averaged 5.2 per carry. Surely, something Vic Fangio will have to address during the week. 

Matthew Stafford is haunted by the Eagles

There's no way Stafford isn't scratching his head after this one. He took two losses in two tries last year against the Eagles despite coming 13 yards away from a win in the NFC Divisional Round at the Linc, and just took another despite only needing his kicker to make a 44-yarder as time expired.

But he also blew many chances to put his foot on the pedal against the Eagles. He left plenty points on the board on the last three drives of the first half, all leading to Rams field goals. Stafford overthrew an open Davante Adams in the end zone on a first-down play-action near the goal line. Next drive, he pulled the trigger way too quickly on a 3rd-and-3 pass to Adams that sailed despite Adams having a step. On the next drive, also on third down, he sailed one for Puka Nacua against a blitz despite having good protection and Nacua beating Cooper DeJean to the outside.

Add those to his opening-possession interception that set up the Eagles' first touchdown, and some other misses, and Stafford can look in the mirror for this loss.

Vic Fangio suddenly likes to blitz?

Eagles DC Vic Fangio felt very comfortable blitzing Patrick Mahomes last week without worrying about Chiefs receivers getting open downfield. Fangio surprisingly came with several pressures against the Rams. Some of them worked, some were carved up, but there's no question he made the Super Bowl champion QB uncomfortable.

Among the league's most accurate passers, Stafford completed just 57 percent of throws – his lowest through three weeks – and for the first time this season didn't crack 200 yards passing.

Saquon Barkley is struggling

It's hard to tell if a running back is "pressing" or trying too hard, but Barkley is doing a lot moving and sliding and maneuvering after taking the handoff as he tries to find some lanes or break one. He hasn't broken a run longer than 16 yards and didn't even get anything big against his favorite team to torment.

He ran for more than 400 yards total in both games against the Rams last year but managed just 46 yards on 18 carries, his lowest total since, ironically, the Rams held him to 39 yards on Dec. 31, 2023, when he was with the Giants.

Who got fleeced?  

Let's talk about the guys the Eagles up trade compensation for – swing OT Fred Johnson, wide receiver John Metchie III, and running back Tank Bigsby. Hoo boy, what a day. Johnson, a valuable reserve last year, for some reason wasn't first up at right tackle when Lane Johnson exited early from a neck injury. Matt Pryor got the call, and his signature moment was giving up a sack to Jared Verse with the Eagles backed up that led to Jalen Hurts fumbling possession and setting up a Matthew Stafford TD pass to Kyren Williams for the 26-7 lead. Lo and behold, Fred Johnson replaced Pryor on the next drive and the Eagles went down the field in less than two a half minutes and scored a touchdown. Feels like a real "duh" moment for the coaching staff there. 

Metchie and Bigsby are the two kickoff returners, and both took turns playing circus act on kickoffs. At least five were mishandled, including one by Bigsby that led to a rare 2025 touchback.

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