As was the case in Week 2 against the 49ers, the Rams did what they could to stay with the Eagles all afternoon on Sunday, but they just didn’t have enough to pull off the upset at home. The Eagles were methodical on seemingly every drive, keeping the ball out of the Rams’ hands and giving them very few possessions.
The ground game was very effective for Philadelphia, too, as the Eagles rushed for over 150 yards by leaning on Jalen Hurts and D’Andre Swift throughout. The result was a 23-14 loss, dropping the Rams to 2-3 on the year with the Cardinals up next.
Buy Rams TicketsThe Rams’ offense faded badly in the second half, getting shut out by Philadelphia after a productive first half. The halftime adjustments made by the Eagles helped slow down Cooper Kupp in the third and fourth quarters, while also neutralizing any other threats Los Angeles had on offense.
Here’s a recap of how the game went for the Rams on Sunday.
Final score: Eagles 23, Rams 14
Game notes
- Cooper Kupp didn’t miss a beat in his first game back, catching six passes for 95 yards in the first half alone – including a 39-yarder against Darius Slay thanks to a beautiful corner route. He finished the game with eight catches for 118 yards.
- Puka Nacua continued to get plenty of opportunities despite Kupp’s return, catching seven passes for 71 yards. He did have one drop but he gave the Rams a 14-10 lead in the second quarter with a 22-yard touchdown catch on a perfect throw by Matthew Stafford.
- The Rams got very little pressure on Jalen Hurts in the pocket, in large part because the Eagles were able to slow down Aaron Donald on the interior. Their edge rushers didn’t do enough to disrupt Philadelphia’s offense on a consistent basis.
- Ahkello Witherspoon shined again at cornerback, coming up with his second interception of the season – this one in the end zone on a pass intended for A.J. Brown.
- Stafford was sharp from start to finish, doing a great job of avoiding pressure and finding open receivers down the field. He was aggressive with where he targeted players, too, attacking the middle of the field, while also throwing deep when necessary.
- Bobby Brown III and Coleman Shelton both left the game briefly but they were able to return and avoid extended absences from the lineup. Witherspoon left in the second half, as well, and was replaced by Duke Shelley, who had a key pass breakup in the end zone to prevent a touchdown.
- The Rams had no answer for Dallas Goedert, who had over 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. He was a mismatch all day, and his biggest play came on a 49-yard catch with Michael Hoecht in coverage.
- A.J. Brown was a thorn in the Rams’ side throughout the game, too. He also had more than 100 yards and was wide open on deep passes all afternoon.
- The Eagles had four drives that went at least 10 plays, including two that went 15 and 17 plays. They dominated the time of possession, keeping the ball for the majority of the game. All but one of their drives were at least seven plays long, with the exception being their quick-strike touchdown before halftime.
It was over when...
… Stafford was sacked on back-to-back plays late in the fourth quarter on third and fourth down. The Rams were down 23-14 at the time anyway, so a comeback was always going to be tough, but those two sacks ended the drive and gave the Rams no chance of closing the gap on Philadelphia.
The first sack was allowed by Rob Havenstein, who was then sent off the field by the official and replaced by Warren McClendon Jr. On the very next play, Kyren Williams and McClendon combined to allow a sack on Stafford on fourth down.
3 stars of the game
No. 3 star: Puka Nacua – 7 catches, 71 yards, 1 TD
No. 2 star: Ernest Jones – 15 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss
No. 1 star: Cooper Kupp – 8 catches, 118 yards
Play of the game
Before halftime, Nacua caught a 22-yard touchdown pass that gave the Rams a 14-10 lead. It was a beautiful throw by Stafford and a great catch by Nacua against James Bradberry.
Unfortunately, the Rams couldn’t maintain the lead for very long because the Eagles came right down and scored a touchdown before the break.
PUKA BEFORE HALFTIME
📺: #PHIvsLAR on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxPWA pic.twitter.com/U7iFxjHLrP— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023
What's next?
The Rams will stay home in Inglewood for Week 6, their second straight contest at SoFi Stadium. They’ll host the Arizona Cardinals for their first matchup of two meetings this season, but it won’t be as easy a game as it looked like it might be before the season started. The Cardinals are a quality opponent, having already beaten the Cowboys this season.
