The Philadelphia Eagles finally showed signs of life in several areas that had been concerns through the season's first three games. Unfortunately, the positive developments weren't enough to overcome another second-half collapse. The Eagles forced their first two takeaways of the season and got encouraging contributions from several young players. It still wasn’t enough. Philadelphia let a 20-10 halftime lead slip away and lost 24-20 to the Rams, dropping to 2-2 after another scoreless second half.
Philadelphia squandered a 20-10 halftime leadand lost 24-20 to the Los Angeles Rams. The result leaves the Eagles at 2-2 and searching for answers before next week's matchup. Here is the good, bad, and ugly from Sunday's loss.
The good things we saw from Philadelphia's loss
- The Eagles finally forced turnovers. Drew Mukuba recorded Philadelphia's first takeaway of the season with an interception deep in Rams territory. Cooper DeJean later added his first interception of the year, giving the Eagles two takeaways after entering the game without one.
- Makai Lemon continues trending in the right direction. Lemon's first two receptions both moved the chains, and he finished with three catches for 27 yards. The more the Eagles target him beyond the line of scrimmage, the more comfortable and effective he appears.
- Jake Elliott looks like Jake Elliott again. The veteran kicker connected from long range and is now 2-for-2 on attempts of 50-plus yards this season. Considering his struggles from distance over the previous two years, that's an encouraging development.
- Braden Mann keeps winning the field-position battle. Mann continues to rank among the league's best punters, especially when it comes to pinning the ball inside the opponent's 20-yard line.
- Drew Kendall remains a bright spot. The young center continues impressing as a run blocker and has helped stabilize one area of the offensive line despite the team's broader struggles.
The bad news from Philadelphia's loss
- The injury list keeps growing. Jonathan Greenard, Saquon Barkley, and Quinyon Mitchell all exited Sunday's game and didn't return. That came after Philadelphia already entered the contest short-handed without Dallas Goedert, DeVonta Smith, Lane Johnson, and Zack Baun.
- Questions about roster depth remain. Injuries continue exposing concerns at multiple positions, particularly safety and tight end. Philadelphia's depth has been tested repeatedly through four weeks.
- The passing offense never found consistency. Jalen Hurts completed 12 of 27 passes for 93 yards, posted a 78.2 passer rating, and absorbed four sacks. Too many drives stalled before they ever had a chance to develop.
The downright ugly
- Penalties continue sabotaging the offense. A Johnny Mundt holding penalty erased a prime scoring opportunity and helped turn a potential touchdown drive into a field goal attempt. Philadelphia's self-inflicted mistakes remain a recurring problem.
- The Eagles opened both halves with three-and-outs. Strong teams establish momentum early. Philadelphia did the opposite, repeatedly giving theRams additional opportunities.
- Missed tackles proved costly once again. The defense struggled to finish plays, and Kyren Williams' late touchdown run highlighted a problem that keeps resurfacing week after week.
- The failed fourth-and-goal sequence changed the game. Nick Sirianni wanted a timeout before a critical fourth-and-goal attempt, but the officials never granted it. The Eagles came away empty-handed, and the missed opportunity loomed large as Los Angeles completed its comeback. The Eagles had a chance to make it a two-score game late in the fourth quarter, but Sirianni kept the offense on the field on fourth-and-goal from the 2. Hurts’ pass to Darius Cooper fell incomplete, and the Rams drove 98 yards for a touchdown on the next possession. The decision will draw scrutiny because Philadelphia came away with nothing and gave Los Angeles a path back into the game.
The Eagles did some things
well on Sunday. They forced turnovers, received encouraging performances from several young players, and built a double-digit halftime lead. Philadelphia leaves the game with two takeaways and a few encouraging individual performances, but the larger issues remain. The offense finished with 172 yards, went 0-for-12 on third down, and failed to score after halftime. The Eagles are 2-2, and they’ll need healthier bodies and better execution before next week’s game against Jacksonville.
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles’ good, bad and ugly from another fourth-quarter collapse
