The Eagles had this one in their hands and let it slip away in ugly fashion.
Philadelphia carried a 10-point lead into the fourth quarter against the Rams, then watched the whole thing unravel in a 24-20 loss. The offense never got rolling, the defense gave up touchdowns on the final two drives, and a team that once looked in control ended up staring at a second straight defeat. The Eagles are now 2-2.
The numbers tell the story as plainly as the scoreboard did. Philly finished with only 172 total yards, didn’t convert a single third down on 12 tries, and managed just 3.9 yards per carry while also taking four sacks.
That’s not just a bad night. That’s an offense that spent the game fighting uphill and never found a way to catch up to itself.
And yet there were a few bright spots, starting with Darius Cooper. He was a difference-maker with DeVonta Smith out, and he made the most of his two first-half catches by turning both into touchdowns.
One of them was especially impressive, with Cooper ripping the ball away from a Rams defender in the end zone for the score. Every time he’s touched the ball this season, he’s looked like he belongs in a bigger role.
The Eagles also had to deal with another wave of injuries, and that only made the night harder to survive. Saquon Barkley was hurt on the second drive.
Quinyon Mitchell left with a knee injury early in the third quarter. Jonathan Greenard and Cooper DeJean also went down in the third, though DeJean did return.
Tank Bigsby was injured in the fourth quarter. This group keeps getting hit, and it showed.
Lane Johnson’s absence loomed large, too. Johnson missed the game while dealing with something personal, and the Eagles clearly felt it. Markel Bell had an up-and-down night on the right side in his place, and the line’s issues showed up everywhere: sacks allowed, limited push in the run game, and no real rhythm.
The third-down drought was the most glaring problem of all. Philadelphia went 0-for-12, a staggering line for an offense that never found a reliable answer when it needed one. It’s become the kind of issue that can swallow a game whole, and that’s exactly what happened here.
There was at least one real pass-rush development worth noting. Nolan Smith Jr. had two sacks and now leads the Eagles in sacks this season.
He’s starting to look like the first-round pick the team has been waiting for, and if he keeps producing like this, a long extension could be part of the conversation in the offseason. The key now is staying consistent.
The defense, for its part, was strong for most of the night before the final collapse. Through three quarters, it held up well.
Then the fourth quarter arrived, and the Rams found the end zone on their last two possessions. Injuries to Mitchell and Greenard didn’t help, but the finish was still hard to excuse.
And if there’s one uncomfortable question hanging over this loss, it’s whether the offense was ever just a Kevin Patullo issue. The unit didn’t just stumble here - it looked broken.
With injuries piling up and key players missing, the Eagles still couldn’t move the ball, couldn’t sustain drives, and couldn’t do much of anything after halftime. The blame may not be that simple.
The bigger problem might be the way this group is playing as a whole.
In Other News...
Lane Johnson Update Leaves Eagles Fans With A Bigger Concern
Lane Johnson will sit out the upcoming game against the Los Angeles Rams because of a personal matter, leaving the Eagles without one of their most important and most reliable pieces on the offensive line. For a team that leans so heavily on stability up front, any absence from Johnson carries weight, especially given how central he has been to Philadelphias run in recent seasons.
Johnsons status also comes with a larger long-term backdrop after he announced plans to retire following the 2026 NFL season. He already dealt with a Lisfranc injury that cost him part of last season, so even a short-term update like this tends to invite bigger questions about what comes next for an aging cornerstone in the middle of another demanding year. [Read more 🡒]
Eagles Just Sent A Troubling Message About Their Backup Quarterback Spot
The Eagles are making a change behind Jalen Hurts, with Tanner McKee set to replace Andy Dalton as the backup quarterback for the game against the Los Angeles Rams, according to NFL Networks Mike Garafolo. The move comes after Dalton threw an interception in a recent game and after coaches offered mixed signals about how they feel about the depth of the quarterback room.
McKee, a sixth-round pick in 2023, has already shown enough in limited action to stay in the conversation. He has started two career games and owns a 99.5 passer rating, which gives Philadelphia a different look at a spot that suddenly feels worth watching a lot more closely. [Read more 🡒]
Saquon Barkleys Latest Injury Leaves Eagles Facing A Bigger Concern
Saquon Barkleys latest setback arrived during the game against the Los Angeles Rams, when a hamstring injury forced the Eagles to take him out for the rest of the afternoon. Philadelphia had already been managing his workload after he missed most of Week 2 with a stinger, and the timing only adds to the concern around a backfield that was built to lean on him early and often.
Tank Bigsby stepped in after Barkley exited, with Will Shipley also picking up snaps as the Eagles tried to piece together the running game on the fly. Barkley has still produced 174 rushing yards through the first four weeks, but the bigger worry now is whether this is becoming a pattern rather than a one-off, and how long Philadelphia can keep its ground game on track if he keeps getting dinged up. [Read more 🡒]