Eagles Block Back to Back Field Goals to Assert NFC Dominance
In Week Three, the Los Angeles Rams sought to take down the defending champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, but did not find success. After a tough playoff loss in January, the Rams returned to Lincoln Financial Field with revenge in mind. Heading into the game, fans knew this would be the toughest challenge for each team so far this season. After a hard-fought game, this early test of NFC dominance resulted in an Eagles win with a final score of 33-26.
Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford looked to mix his offensive strategy this game through lots of run attempts and a blend of short and long passes. He threw for 196 yards, completing 19 of 33 pass attempts. Davante Adams and Puka Nucua continued to help Stafford rack up his passing yards this week. Adams notched 56 receiving yards, and Nacua earned 112. A key contributor to their offensive success is their ability to use their wide receivers in the run game. However, Kyren Williams was the most utilized Rams running back by far, finishing with 94 yards rushing, but Blake Corum contributed another 53 yards for Los Angeles. Overall, though they had a great first half, the offense only put up one touchdown in the second.
Early in the first quarter, the Eagles lost a critical piece to their offensive line, Lane Johnson, who left the game with a neck injury and did not return. Just after this, Jalen Hurts pulled off his first designed run of the season on a fourth and two, to gain 18 yards and the first down. The drive ended in a touchdown off of their signature—yet controversial—tush push, but the Birds couldn’t find another first down until the third quarter. Hurts barely threw the ball in the first half, but in the second, he brought his wide receivers to life. AJ Brown collected 109 receiving yards, scoring one touchdown. DeVonta Smith also saw some action in this game, putting up 60 receiving yards and scoring the late touchdown to put Philly ahead. The offensive change in strategy resulted in 226 passing yards for Hurts, and it was just enough to catch up to the Rams.
The Los Angeles defensive line was able to apply steady pressure on Hurts after his first successful drive. Their pass rush was exceptional last week, sacking Cam Ward five times, and today they found similar success in taking Hurts down four times, once forcing a fumble for a turnover. The last time these teams faced off, Saquon Barkley torched the defense for 205 rushing yards. However, today, Los Angeles defended him well by limiting him to 46 yards over 18 carries. In the first half of the game, the Rams' defense completely shut down the Eagles.
The first drive of the game resulted in an interception by linebacker Zack Baun, which successfully put the Birds in scoring position. In the first half, Philly struggled to stop the run game and to pressure Stafford. The Eagles' secondary was expected to be tested in this game with a strong passer in Stafford, who also has Nacua and Adams in his arsenal. The secondary struggled with the long ball, giving up a 44-yard touchdown from Adams early on. The pass rush was weak in the first half, but once the Eagles' offense started picking up speed, the defense was able to apply more pressure on Stafford.
Joshua Karty came through for the Rams' special teams this afternoon, making four field goal attempts, helping Los Angeles post a total of 12 points when they couldn't execute a touchdown. Karty also helped the Rams find success with his kick-off tactics, which the Eagles' special teams struggled to field, placing them in poor field position to score. On the other side of the ball, the Rams landed in great field position with each punt, making it much easier for the offense to get into scoring position. However, Karty would be unable to win the game for LA.
As the teams entered the witching hour, the tone of the game switched completely. The Eagles stopped focusing so heavily on the run game, and Hurts started to mix in some passes. The Rams' defense struggled to adjust to the change in pace, letting up four touchdowns in the second half. Meanwhile, the adaptation of the offense allowed the Eagles' defense to step out more confidently to shut down the Rams' offensive strategy. Jalen Carter came up big for the Eagles to block a field goal in the fourth quarter, and on the last drive, Jordan Davis blocked another and returned it for a touchdown with zero seconds left on the clock.
To say this NFC showdown was a nailbiter is an understatement. What looked like a Rams shutout in the first half quickly changed when the Eagles came out as a new team in the second. The adaptability of the Eagles' strategy is what won them the game—that and the back-to-back blocks on the field goal attempts. Philadelphia leaves Week Three undefeated, and the Rams walk away with a hard game to stomach. The Eagles have shown today that they should never be counted out, and next week they look to prove this again when they play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
