Rams Lose Unacceptable Heartbreaker in Philadelphia

The Rams' defense did their best, eventually getting the Eagles to 4th and two. The Eagles decided to use the controversial tush push play and were successful and achieved the first down.

Despite clear evidence that the Eagles' offensive line committed multiple infractions last week using the play and Sean McVay stating he would not only have a conversation with officials regarding proper enforcement of the rules, Eagles right guard Tyler Steen clearly false started and the refs either did not see or ignored a clear breach of the line of scrimmage before the ball was snapped. The Eagles would score a touchdown on the drive.

The Rams went to the ground early to start their next drive with Kyren Williams quickly advancing upfield. However a stuffed Blake Corum run followed by tight coverage by the Eagles would force a successful Joshua Karty field goal.

For some reason, the Eagles went with a pass-first approach on their second drive and the Rams defensive line made a point clear. When the Eagles' surrender a step on the line of scrimmage, they surrender the line. The pass rush put pressure on Hurts twice, with Poona Ford securing his first sack with the franchise, forcing a punt that Xavier Smith took to near midfield.

The Rams got their drive rolling with a Blake Corum first-down run. It appears the Rams have made an effort to get Corum more involved with more rotation and keeping him as the third drive running back. Stafford used that big game to hit Davante Adams for a downfield touchdown. If the Eagles are going to play tight coverage, the Rams made their response simple: my guy is better than your guy, and we're tempted by the mistress that is the downfield pass.

It's hard to intercept a missile destined for the All-Pro pass catcher.

On the Eagles next drive, they once again went to the air to no success with their drive ending when Chris Shula dialed up the blitz and Jaylen McCollough laid a vicious, clean hit on Jalen Hurts to force the punt. The Eagles finished the quarter with -2 passing yards.

Second Quarter

Kyren Williams continued to gain solid yards but Davante Adams achieved the critical first down by drawing a flag on the Eagles secondary. Williams continued to push forward with McVay rotating Blake Corum in often to keep legs fresh.

The Rams entered the red zone and to no one's surprise, the team stalled out in the most typical of ways. A forced pass to Adams that went incomplete, a run for a solid game, a touchdown run called back because now the refs want to enforce rules on the line of scrimmage before a Stafford throw-away that was almost intercepted forced a field goal.

The Rams defense took over, forcing a third straight three and out by the Eagles, frustrating both the team and the fans.

The Rams would close out the half with two more field goals and a fourth straight three and out. Rams entered the locker room with a 19-7 lead.

Third Quarter

The Rams did not have to force a fifth-straight three-and-out to open the second half...because they did not need three plays to force a turnover, only two. Jared Verse took advantage of the Eagles not having Lane Johnson due to injury and stripped-sacked Hurts for his first sack of the season.

Guess who recovered the ball? Nate Landman for his second straight week with a fumble recovery and that's three for three on weeks in which Landman has been involved in a turnover.

The Rams turned big-time defense into instant offense, playing complementary football as Stafford found Kyren Williams for an instant touchdown.

However this woke the Eagles up as they quickly drove downfield for a touchdown, their first score since their opening drive and their first score on the day on a drive that started in their own territory.

The Rams decided to play conservative on a fourth and two in Eagles territory and the Eagles made the Rams pay. Despite having third and ten, Shula uncharacteristically didn't blitz and Hurts was able to find a pass catcher to move the chains.

The Eagles advanced the ball into the red zone and on fourth and one, the Eagles successfully ran the tush push to convert. AJ Brown would score a touchdown on the next play.

The Rams decided that once Kevin Dotson went out with injury and with Beaux Limmer entering the game with a one on one matchup against Jalen Carter, the proper course of action would be to keep the ball in Stafford's hands as QB1 would proceed to get hit on back-to-back plays.

However, somehow Stafford got the ball to Nacua on third down and despite the play being called incomplete, McVay challenged the call and won. Stafford would find Nacua for another first down before Nacua was called for taunting because his shadow decided to grace the presence of an Eagles defender on his celebration that was clearly not directed at anyone.

Fourth Quarter

On third and one, McVay unleashed the deep bomb which would go incomplete and on fourth down, McVay then predictably went to the run. It was stopped miles in the backfield. The Rams appeared to be throwing away the game.

However, their defense stepped up once again, with Byron Young securing his fourth sack of the season. Near midfield, the Eagles went for it on fourth and six and Kamren Kinchens came up with a beautiful pass break-up. The Rams had the ball and they needed to score a touchdown.

The Rams would quickly advance up the field with a desperate Eagles' defense blitzing Stafford. To counter this, McVay would use the run to attack the outside with Puka Nacua slicing through the secondary.

And then despite having third and short, the Rams once again went deep to Adams and failed. Joshua Karty's fifth field goal attempt will be blocked. The offense lacks the killer edge. It would be up to the defense to once again win the game.

The defense would force the Eagles into a variety of third-down situations, and the Eagles would convert them by going to AJ Brown or DeVonta Smith. The Eagles would enter the red zone before converting their fourth third down of the drive.

The Rams would stop Barkley on fourth down, taking us to two minute warning.

The Final Two Minutes

The Eagles had second and goal, completing a quick hitter to Saquon Barkley before going to Brown on third. Hurts sailed the pass, setting up fourth and goal from the four.

The Eagles went five wide and then hit Smith for the score. After a failed two point conversion, the Rams trailed by one and Stafford would target Nacua repeadedly as they quickly advanced up field, setting up a field goal oppertunity after Kyren Williams grinded out tough yards for a 44 yard field goal attempt to win it.

Karty was 4/5 on the day with his only miss being a block. The Eagles proceeded to block Karty again for a 33-26 loss because Jordan Davis took the ball for a touchdown.

I hope the Rams have that video of Davis running away on repeat because it is a glimpse into the future of them watching the Lombardi Trophy run away because they couldn't close out games when it mattered.