The Eagles have won 7 in a row and were riding high after Saquon Barkley’s historic night. Unfortunately, the celebration was short-lived.
Beloved leader Brandon Graham informed the media shortly after the game ended that his season was over after sustaining a torn tricep. BG, 36 years old, was playing like a man ten years younger and leading the defense to the number one ranking in the NFL. He will be sorely missed on the field, but I know he will be with the team from the side, encouraging his teammates and continuing to contribute in any way he can to will this team to a Super Bowl. All of Philadelphia wishes him well.
Eagles Offense
Philadelphia struggled early, as they have all season, and they still did not score a touchdown in the first quarter, but they did get their second field goal.
Philadelphia has won their fourth straight game on the road by 17 or more points.
The Eagle’s offensive line dominated the Rams in the running game during the second half. Early in the game, the Rams DLs led by Jared Verse and Braden Fiske were causing problems, but the offensive line physically and mentally wears you down. Jeff Stoutland has built the best OL in the NFL.
The offensive line, coupled with dynamic playmakers behind them, is difficult to slow down. A strong running game travels well, and it is not affected by elements such as bad weather.
Jalen Hurts started the game 5 for 5 and seemed to be getting into a rhythm early, but as the running game took over, he only had ten more completions on the night to finish with 15. Hurts and the Eagles have also eliminated their shortcomings from last year versus the blitz. He finished the night 6 of 9 for 93-yards when blitzed.
Jalen is playing within himself and the offense. He is not putting the football in harm’s way. A lot of QBs would want more pass plays to pad stats, not QB1 Jalen Hurts All he cares about is winning, and the Eagles are lucky to have him
“Winning is the only thing that really matters. Everybody has their own opinion, but it’s the only thing that matters. Everything else is subjective to how they see and want the position to be played”
Saquon Barkley: I do not even know where to start! He had an unbelievable 302 yards from scrimmage. He opened the second half with a 70-yard touchdown scramble and finished his game with a 72-yard touchdown run. He finished the game with 255 rushing yards, a career-high.
Barkley also has 1392 rushing yards on the season, also a career-high. He has six games to add to that. He is leading the NFL in rushing yards, with over 200 more than the RB in second place. and it was his seventh 100-yard game of the season. He’s one away from tying Wilbert Montgomery (1981) for the franchise single-season record.
He is firmly entrenched in the MVP conversation. He is also quickly entering the conversation for one of the top acquisitions in Eagles history.
Kenneth Gainwell made the most of his weekly five carries, good for 22 yards and a TD. He continues to be effective in spelling Saquon Barkley for short periods.
A.J. Brown continues to impress and make difficult catches while running through tackles to convert first downs and get yards down the field. He caught six of his seven targets, good for 109 yards and a touchdown. The impact he has on the offense can not be overstated. He wins the battle for the ball despite being double-teamed often.
Jahan Dotson had his weekly one target, even with DeVonta Smith missing the game with a hamstring injury. There is still time to integrate him into the offense this season, but it is fair to wonder if it will happen.
Dallas Goedert made four receptions for 19 yards, a relatively quiet night. Many thought he could have a big game due to Ram’s defense being vulnerable to tight ends this season.
Jake Elliott returned to form after a rough game against the Commanders by converting all three field goal attempts and four extra points. It was nice to see Jake being Jake again. The Eagles will need him for a deep run to win the Super Bowl.
The Defense
A lot had been made about how difficult it is to sack Matthew Stafford, but Fangio and his defense got to him three times in the first half and added two more sacks to finish with five throughout the game. He is dialing up pressure at the perfect time, and both the coverage unit and defensive line are working in tandem to benefit one another. It has been a joy to watch the maturation of the defense.
The Rams had 111 total yards, 70 rushing and 41 passing, at half. They finished with 290, but the Eagle defense only allowed 22 rushing yards in the second half. They were also 0-8 on third-down conversions.
Brandon Graham played very well in his all-time team-leading 206th game at age 36 before leaving due to injury. He was causing havoc and pressure all night. He came around the edge on a big 3rd downplay to make a sack after swinging the hands of the Rams OL, where the tackle appeared to faceplant on the turf as BG passed by on his way to sacking Matt Stafford. He finished the game with two tackles for loss, a sack, three QB hits, and a pass defended. I hope this is not the last time we see him take the field.
Josh Sweat appeared to hurt his right leg and went into the blue medical tent but was able to return. This is great news, considering how thin the Eagles are at edge rusher. Sweat finished the game with 1 TFL, and 1 sack.
Nolan Smith had 2 QB hits in the game and played 39 snaps. With Graham out for the year and Huff on IR, a lot more action playing time could be in Nolan’s future.
Zack Baun had a relatively quiet night. He only had one tackle in the first half and finished the game with three. He did make a nice pass breakup in the red zone to end a Rams drive late in the game.
Nakobe Dean led the team with eight tackles, two TFLs, and a sack and recovered a fumble. He has a nose for the ball. His progress is one of the bigger factors in the Eagles having the number one defense.
Milton Williams is having the breakout season he was banking on and again very disruptive in the game. He finished the night with 2 sacks, 2 TFLs, and 3 QB hits. Just as important, he is working so well with fellow DT Jalen Carter.
Big Play Slay left the contest after sustaining a concussion. He has played very well this season, and they will need him back to finish the year where they want to be.
Isaiah Rodgers caused a fumble after coming into the game for an injured BP Slay.
Trsitin McCollum came in for Reed Blankenship when he left banged up for a few plays. He is listed as the free safety, and Sydney Brown as the strong, but many were surprised to see him take the field ahead of Brown.
The Coaching
Kellen Moore: If there is a criticism of the offense, aside from slow starts, they appear to play for the 4th down tush push too frequently. Far too often, the offense is in 3rd and four-yard situations after designed short-yard gain pass plays or runs on second down. From the outside, it would be nice to see Kellen be more aggressive down the field. Not with multiple vertical routes but with slants, crossing routes, mesh concepts, and other pass plays designed to move the ball more than a few yards.
It would seem prudent to call fewer designed QB draws to take some of the wear and tear off of Jalen Hurts as well. When the offense aligns in an empty backfield, and the down and distance is second and five or six, they are likely about to attempt that play. It has become easier for defenses to diagnose and stop.
Nick Sirianni took advantage of the officiating crew or exhibited some gamesmanship on a 3rd down penalty call after the ref stated the penalty was declined and that it was 4th down with three yards to go at the Eagle’s 14-yard line.
It was unclear if the ref assumed that the Eagles had declined the penalty or if Sirianni changed his mind after he saw the Rams keep their offense on the field to attempt the short 4th down conversion. Either way, very late in the process, Nick accepted the penalty. That decision led to a Nakobe Dean sack forcing the Rams into a field goal attempt, which was missed.
Looking Ahead:
The 9-2 Philadelphia Eagles are in first place in the NFC East with a commanding three-game lead. They face what many believe could be a Super Bowl preview versus the Ravens in Baltimore next Sunday.
I want to finish this column the way I started it with Brandon Graham. His good nature and the smile on his face through adversity is inspiring.
“At the end of the day, if I had to go out like this, I gave it everything I had on the field. And all I know is, they ain’t done with me yet, so just make sure I go out there and be the best leader I can be, like I always do. Keep bringing the energy and let people know how lucky they is that I am out.”
Everyone knows how lucky they are to watch you, and opponents know how difficult you are to contain. Best wishes B.G.!
As always, Thank you for reading.
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Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
