While at times the Philadelphia Eagles’ lead felt insurmountable, the Los Angeles Rams come from behind for a 24-20 Week 4 victory. LA improves to 2-2 on the season. It’s their second win in the last three weeks.
The defense kept the Rams alive despite the offense hanging them out to dry over and over again. It’s impressive to see the defense hold the line and not break. A late fourth down stop in the red zone gave the offense one final chance—and they drove 99 yards before punching the ball into
the end zone. Williams scored his second touchdown on the ensuing possession.
One can hope that these final two drives exorcise the offense’s demons and put their early season struggles in the rear view mirror. It seemed a weight came off for a team that has faced significant adversity through four weeks.
Let’s analyze the individual performances that helped the Rams finish in the win column.
Winners
Kyren Williams, RB
Kyren Williams is on a tear. The last two games could possibly be the best stretch of play we’ve ever seen from the veteran running back. He has clearly taken a step forward as a receiver. He’s the focal point of the offense right now.
Williams rushed 16 times for 80 yards (5.0 average) with two scores. Matthew Stafford targeted him 13 times (!) and he hauled in 10 catches for 67 yards. That’s a complete effort.
Trent McDuffie, CB
At a time where nearly all of the Rams’ high-profile defensive acquisitions are injured, Trent McDuffie is the one newcomer who has been as advertised. He’s a physical tackler in the screen and run game. His coverage is sticky and he has a nose for the football.
Good things will happen over McDuffie’s tenure in LA. He fits the bill to the tee.
Josh Wallace, CB
Jaylen Watson’s absence was catastrophic last week. With a week of preparation for the Eagles, the Rams defense didn’t miss a beat in coverage with Josh Wallace. It helps, of course, that Philly was short-handed in terms of pass catchers.
Wallace deserves praise for the quick turnaround. He was from scapegoat to value add in the span of a week.
Puka Nacua, WR
Nacua earned a quiet 125 yards through the air on Sunday. He caught nine of his 12 targets and was an efficient part of LA’s passing attack.
With Nacua managing a soft tissue injury, it was a positive sign that he mostly looked like himself. The Rams must maximize both Nacua and Adams—at times it seems questionable whether they can co-exist and both be productive.
Losers
Davante Adams, WR
The Rams dropped five passes on Sunday when their passing game needed all the help it could get. The quarterback wasn’t sharp. The receivers also deserve blame for execution failures along the way.
Adams had at least two drops on his own, including a would-be touchdown on an amazing deep throw from Stafford. The veteran receiver continues to not be on the same page as his quarterback, as the duo missed again on a later deep connection with Adams open. It’s been a troubling and continuing trend through four weeks.
Special teams… again
The Eagles averaged 19.7 return yards on three punts. That’s pretty bad. Philly’s return man, Britain Covey, was waived by the Rams last year in favor of the now-released Xavier Smith. I bet LA wish they could have a do-over on that decision.
Kicker Harrison Mevis also missed a 48-yard field goal, which explains why the Rams rarely let him kick from beyond 45 out. He made a 40-yard attempt.
Between two offensive turnovers and poor punt coverage, the Rams handed the Eagles very favorable field position on a handful of drives. The defense did their part to stop the bleeding, but the other two phases failed to set them up for success often.
Blake Corum, RB
29 plays went in Williams’ direction between rushes and targets. Blake Corum earned just 7 opportunities. This used to be as close to a 50/50 backfield as it gets. Williams has led the charge over the last two weeks and Corum is an afterthought.
And, in fairness, Corum has done little in order to make the coaching staff question the rotation. He’s at risk of losing his role in the offense.
Matthew Stafford, QB
Let’s be honest with Matthew Stafford’s performance. We must be process oriented and not only focus on outcomes.
Yes, the Rams won and that is a positive. Stafford played better in the late fourth quarter. It was not a winning performance.
Stafford threw two interceptions and the Eagles scored 10 points off those turnovers. The Rams only managed 10 points through the first half, went scoreless again in the fourth quarter, and then did their best work with less than five minutes on the clock.
I’ve said recently that the defense is not the problem. Special teams and the offense are failing them, which is why their high rankings in yardage allowed does not match their lower rankings in points allowed. Football is a symbiotic game and the ultimate team sport. All three phases must work in coordination. Stafford is not playing complimentary football through four weeks of the season. This defense may be good enough for him to get by with a competent but not elite performance. They are not good enough to consistently win when he’s gifting points to the other team.
Hopefully the momentum the Rams built on the game’s final two drives will re-ignite their fire moving forward.
