Rams’ Fourth-Quarter Resilience Costs Eagles: Three Takeaways From LA’s 24-20 Comeback Win

The Eagles’ promising 2-0 start is already a distant memory after a painful 24-20 home loss to the Rams.

Jalen Hurts was asked to elevate a depleted offense with right tackle Lane Johnson, wide receiver DeVonta Smith and tight end Dallas Goedert inactive, while running back Saquon Barkley exited early with a hamstring injury. The passing game managed just 68 net yards on 33 dropbacks.

Rams miscues and a determined Eagles defense gave Philadelphia a double-digit fourth-quarter lead, but the home team could not protect it.

Here are three key takeaways:

1.

Stafford’s two Sunday interceptions were his fifth and sixth of the season. During his 2025 MVP campaign, he did not throw his sixth interception until Week 17.

If a primary reason can be identified for the Rams having to fight back to .500, it is the quarterback position. Stafford’s mistakes repeatedly handed Philadelphia the short fields its struggling offense needed to score and build a lead. They came a week after he threw a costly pick-six late in the loss at Denver and followed it with another interception on the final play. He also misfired in the season opener against the 49ers, swinging momentum in a game that defined early expectations. His errors have been costly.

Stafford still has notable weapons and delivered several impactful throws during the fourth-quarter rally, but he has often shown his age this season. He appears vulnerable when pressure gets him off his spot and has overthrown several passes due to timing issues. Both interceptions against the Eagles followed a similar pattern. He lofted a pass over receiver Konata Mumpfield and into the hands of safety Andrew Mukuba, setting up Philadelphia’s first score. He was intercepted again when he threw over receiver Puka Nacua and into the arms of cornerback Cooper DeJean.

Stafford did pick up his first win against Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio since joining the Rams in 2021, but the process was far from easy. Fangio’s defense is built to suppress the passing game and prevent explosive plays. A quarterback like Stafford can become impatient when chunk gains do not arrive, and sometimes that impatience ends with the ball delivered to the defense. That pattern has worked well for Fangio against Stafford, and Sunday was no exception despite the final result.

2.

Philadelphia’s offense struggled all afternoon and could not score without help from Rams miscues. Its four scoring drives totaled just 98 yards. The other nine drives produced only four first downs, and the Eagles finished 0-for-12 on third down.

Some of the problems were understandable given the injury pile. Smith missed the game with a hamstring injury, Johnson was a late scratch for personal reasons, and Barkley pulled up with a leg injury that cost him the first quarter.

Still, the offensive concerns have become more urgent now that the season is a month old. First-year offensive coordinator Sean Mannion has not found a consistent rhythm in the run game, and Hurts has looked uncomfortable in the new passing system.

Rams head coach Sean McVay and Jalen Hurts shake hands after Los Angeles’ comeback win. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)

The Eagles labored to produce 20 points. Philadelphia’s first passing touchdown came on a remarkable catch by Darius Cooper after a poorly thrown ball from Hurts. The route design created separation, but the pass was well short, allowing safety Quinten Lake to run underneath it. Lake mistimed his jump, and Cooper secured the ball for the score.

Los Angeles played well in coverage, yet Hurts had opportunities to deliver to open receivers and at times declined to make the throw. After an early third down, Tom Brady criticized Hurts for not taking an anticipatory throw to Dontayvion Wicks, who was open over the middle. That hesitation has been a recurring challenge for the Eagles quarterback throughout his career and can limit the passing game on days when Philadelphia lacks a talent edge and its targets are not winning one-on-one matchups.

With Smith likely to miss several weeks with a lingering hamstring issue and Barkley’s availability uncertain, Hurts will need to elevate the offense on his own. Right now, he does not appear to have that capability.

3.

Missing pieces on both sides of the ball are compounding the Eagles’ problems. The absence of Smith and Johnson was especially damaging in the passing game. The Rams attacked rookie right tackle Markell Brown with a blitz-heavy scheme on passing downs, and he struggled to identify and handle the pressure. Smith is often Hurts’ go-to target under duress, but without the No. 1 receiver, Hurts had to rely on unproven young players such as Cooper or veterans who are no longer at their peak, such as Zach Ertz. Barkley’s early exit also removed any realistic chance of producing explosive plays on the ground.

The problems extended to the defense as well. The Eagles lost both of their All-Pro cornerbacks when Quinyon Mitchell exited with a knee injury. Stafford immediately attacked his replacement, Jonathan Jones, and the situation worsened when Cooper DeJean also left with a knee injury.

With both the Cowboys and Giants taking wins on Sunday, there is no three-way tie at the top of the NFC East. Philadelphia will face both teams over the next month and could be missing five of its most important players in those matchups.

If the Eagles lose those games, they could find themselves in a hole that is difficult to climb out of.

3 1/2. What’s Next?

The schedule will not ease for Philadelphia. The Eagles are preparing for a trip across the Atlantic to face the Jaguars in London this week as they attempt to regain a .500 record. A home game against the Panthers in Week 5 will be followed by three consecutive NFC East games, leaving little time for players to return and the season to stabilize.

The Rams will face another serious test when the AFC East-leading Bills visit SoFi Stadium next week after a difficult loss to the Patriots. Los Angeles has little margin for error in a competitive NFC West. Buffalo’s defense appears vulnerable, and playing in a domed stadium should help Stafford, who struggled in misty conditions in Philadelphia on Sunday. Nacua made a strong return from injury, which suggests the Rams’ passing game could quickly gain momentum.

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