Rams Defeat Eagles, 24-20: 5 Takeaways From Week 4
The Los Angeles Rams rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles on the road at Lincoln Financial Field, 24-20. While the Eagles appeared to be in control with a double-digit lead late in the game, they ultimately couldn’t hold on for the win. Here are my five takeaways from Philadelphia’s second consecutive loss.
Nick Sirianni Fell Short (Again)
Everyone knows that Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni doesn’t call plays. Yet where Sirianni is supposed to give the Eagles an advantage is on the margins, with his aggressiveness and ability to motivate his team. But against the Rams, Sirianni’s team seemed flat and fell short for the second consecutive week, with his decision-making largely contributing to the team’s undoing in the end.
While Sirianni was criticized for a fourth quarter touchdown attempt on fourth down, I thought that the play-call was worse than the decision to go for it. Yet on Philadelphia’s possession prior to that, Sirianni questionably went for it on fourth down from the 38-yard line. While Philadelphia’s defense bailed him out, it seemed like the Rams got a boost of confidence after that stop. It was another tough showing from Sirianni, that simply can’t happen.
Jalen Hurts Needs To Be Better
Following last week’s loss, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts told the media that he challenged the team with a question: “Who are we?” said Hurts. Well after another embarrassing performance, it’s clear what Hurts and Philadelphia’s offense are — downright bad. While I understand that the Eagles were without several key starters on Sunday, there was still enough talent on the field to do more than whatever the hell that was.
Hurts completed 12-of-27 passes for just 93 yards as he seemed hesitant to throw all game long. Even when pass catchers were open, Hurts was late or off target with several passes. The Eagles pay Hurts an average of $51 million per year to elevate the talent around him. Through the first four weeks of the regular season, it’s fair to say that Hurts has failed to do so — and it’s not only the play caller’s fault.
Sean Mannion Isn’t Ready
While Eagles first-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion isn’t entirely to blame for the team’s struggles, he certainly isn’t helping. When Mannion was initially hired, several of us took the bait as he was expected to help finally marry the run game and the pass game in Philadelphia. Yet through the first four weeks of the regular season, Mannion’s offense has struggled to do either one effectively, as he stubbornly tries to force an under center offense.
The Eagles somehow managed to go 0-for-12 on third down against the Rams, as Mannion struggled to put his offense in position to succeed. Despite the clear struggles of the offensive line against the blitz, Mannion continued to call long-developing passing plays that had no chance of succeeding. While he’s still a young, inexperienced play caller, it is getting late early for Mannion in Philadelphia.
Defense Showed Signs of Life
Following an embarrassing performance against the Chicago Bears in Week 3, Philadelphia’s defense did all that they could against the Rams. While Los Angeles finished the game with 415 total yards of offense and 24 points, it took them 77 total plays to do so. Similar to the offense, Philadelphia’s defense also missed several key players without Zack Baun and Marcus Epps for the entire game, while Quinyon Mitchell and Cooper DeJean also missed time.
The Eagles were able to force two early turnovers, which led to 10 points for the offense. Eagles new starting safety duo of Andrew Mukuba and Michael Carter II showed promise as well. Yet the dam eventually broke for the defense, as they allowed the Rams to gain 177 total yards and score 14 points on their final two drives. While the final box score doesn’t paint a promising picture, it was a solid day for Philadelphia’s defense.
Howie Roseman Deserves Blame
In a game where Philadelphia was undermanned due to injuries, Eagles general manager Howie Roseman deserved plenty of blame. The Eagles were forced to have just 47 players suited up against the Rams, as starting right tackle Lane Johnson was unexpectedly ruled out due to personal reasons. While many said that Roseman can’t be blamed for the unforeseen situation, I strongly disagree.
Philadelphia is inexcusably carrying four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, along with several other vested veterans that are injured or barely contributing on game day. Yet because of Roseman’s stubbornness, the Eagles were forced to play at a significant disadvantage against the Rams. If Roseman carried only three quarterbacks and placed someone like Fred Johnson or Hollywood Brown on injured reserve, then maybe the Eagles could’ve been in a better situation in Week 4.