The Los Angeles Rams have found themselves below the .500 mark once again this season after losing to the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday. It was only a nine-point loss, 23-14, but the Eagles were in complete control all afternoon and only failed to score on three of their drives throughout the game.
Few people expected the Rams to win this game, so it doesn’t sting as badly as their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 3, but the Rams had a 14-10 lead late in the second quarter and never scored another point.
Buy Rams TicketsHere’s what we learned from their loss to the Eagles at SoFi Stadium on Sunday.
1
Cooper Kupp didn’t miss a beat
There was no easing Kupp back into action on Sunday. He came out looking like his usual self, catching five passes for 56 yards on the first drive alone. Matthew Stafford wanted to get him involved early so that he could get in a rhythm, and it worked to perfection.
The Rams looked like their 2021 selves on that first drive, going 75 yards in 14 plays for the touchdown to tie the game. Kupp had several key catches on that drive, including a fourth-and-1 conversion that went for 12 yards to set up the team’s first touchdown.
Overall, Kupp had eight catches for 118 yards and played 52 of a possible 55 snaps on offense.
2
Derion Kendrick had a rough afternoon
It was not a good day for Kendrick. He was overmatched by A.J. Brown throughout the day, and the most critical sequence of the entire afternoon came right before halftime. Kendrick allowed a 36-yard reception to A.J. Brown over the middle and then proceeded to commit a horse collar tackle to add 15 yards, putting the Eagles at the Rams’ 14-yard line with 7 seconds to play.
On the very next snap, Kendrick was called for defensive pass interference in the end zone, giving Philadelphia one last play from the 1-yard line with 2 seconds left on the clock. The Eagles punched it in for a touchdown to go up 17-14, a lead they never surrendered after that.
Kendrick did make a couple of nice tackles on the outside but in coverage, he did not have a good day against Brown.
3
Tackling continues to be a major problem
One thing you have to do against a run-heavy team like the Eagles is tackle. The Rams did not do that very well on Sunday. Cobie Durant missed two crucial tackles on third down that allowed the Eagles to convert, and had he made those stops, the Rams would’ve gotten the ball back and prevented Philadelphia from extending the drive.
Whether it was on running plays or after the catch, the Rams couldn’t get Philadelphia’s ball carriers on the ground. It was a major reason Los Angeles lost this game, allowing the Eagles to convert third down after third down.
4
Eagles shut down Aaron Donald
Donald wasn’t a complete non-factor against the Eagles but he definitely wasn’t his usually dominant self. He finished with zero sacks and zero quarterback hits, only pressuring Jalen Hurts a couple of times.
He did have four tackles and drew his typical double-teams, but his impact as a pass rusher was not what everyone has been used to seeing from the perennial All-Pro. The Rams as a team only had one sack on Hurts and landed just two hits on him overall, so it wasn’t just Donald who struggled.
5
Rams couldn’t get off the field on third down
Third down killed the Rams in Week 3 against the Bengals when they went 1-for-11 on offense, and it was their Achilles’ heel on Sunday against the Eagles – this time on defense. Los Angeles allowed the Eagles to convert on 13 of their 18 third-down attempts, failing to get off the field at critical moments in the game.
It’s why the Eagles had drives of 12 plays, 15 plays, 17 plays and 10 plays. Only one of their drives had fewer than seven plays, and it was still a touchdown drive just before halftime.
6
Second-half struggles are becoming a concern
For the second week in a row and for the third time this season, the Rams were shut down in the second half. In Week 2, they scored six points against the 49ers in the final two quarters. Last week against the Colts, they scored three points in the second half before scoring a touchdown in overtime. On Sunday against the Eagles, they were shut out after scoring 14 points in the first half.
For whatever reason, they’ve faded in the second half this season and it’s starting to become a major concern. Sean McVay has to be better about his halftime adjustments on offense because the Rams’ opponents are doing a good job adjusting against them.
