The Los Angeles Rams pulled off an incredible Week 4 comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles, and as the team leaves the East Coast with more questions about their team than answers, the fact that they're also departing with a victory helps quell concerns for another week.
Here are five takeaways from the Rams' 24-20 win at Lincoln Financial Field.
The Rams needed this win
Their work in the Sean McVay era against the Eagles has often served as a glimpse into the Rams' future, as the 60 minutes spent against Philadelphia often reveals the team's season-ending flaws. On Sunday, it was no different. The offense was a turnover machine, with Matthew Stafford struggling without his arsenal of tight ends. The defense had lapses in the first half, and the special teams continued
to create problems
Philadelphia was without virtually every playmaker it has on offense, and yet it was whooping Los Angeles. However, when push came to shove, the defense stood tall, the special teams did their job, and the offense won it in the end. There's a continual resiliency with this team, because their will to win should've expired long before.
The Rams had never beaten a Nick Sirianni-led team. They needed luck, weather, injuries, and a whole lot more to go their way. Doesn't matter. They locked in, got dirty, and got it done. That's the NFL sometimes, and the Rams revealed they have players built for the moment.
The men for the moment
On a day when they needed everyone, Kyren Williams and Byron Young separated themselves from the group. Puka Nacua was at his best, but when the offense needed production, it was Williams who got the job done. Accounting for two of the three touchdowns scored, along with 147 yards on total offense, Williams has established himself once again as the locomotive for the unit.
There's something rugged about his play that makes him so important to the Los Angeles offense. Almost as if he's a "break glass in case of violence" type of player, Williams provided the physical thumping that has limited the team's regression in the red zone.
No Myles Garrett, no Aaron Donald, no problem. Young's 2.5 sacks and two tackles for loss, along with his three quarterback hits, led the team in those categories. As the team's sack leader last season, and with 3.5 sacks through four games, keeping the outside linebacker after this season might be a bigger need than we're talking about. The team once re-signed Leonard Floyd, despite flashing their cash across the roster. The same situation has come once again, and Young appears to be on the verge of outproducing the Super Bowl champion.
New year, same special teams
Harrison Mevis missed a 48-yard field goal, while the kick coverage unit is inconsistent. I've tried to give the team grace as it's only been four weeks, but the issue is that new problems are occurring because of the same old problems. The lack of serviceable talent will doom the Rams again.
Good teams have untouchable special teams units. Mike Macdonald and the Seattle Seahawks literally won a Super Bowl off punts, kicks, and defense. It's not as if McVay refuses to be good; it's seemingly that he doesn't know how. When McVay was hired, he had the NFL's best unit already in-house, and ever since, when he has been asked to form his own operation, the product has gotten worse and worse.
McVay's Rams used to throw for first downs on special teams; now they surrender touchdowns to others.
It's not even as though Britain Covey was a surprise and his 41-yard return came out of nowhere. He was with the Rams for camp and preseason last year.
Red flags around Mevis
This is unfair to Harrison Mevis, but his two misses this year spell out massive concerns for their kicking game, as he could be the latest in a series of kickers the team has failed to develop. Joshua Karty was solid in 2024, and then the introduction of the knuckleball kickoff ended his career with the team.
Remember Lucas Havrisik, Brett Maher, and the practice squad signing of Mason Crosby for a week, despite Crosby having been over the hill? This has happened ever since Matt Gay left. Finding a solid kicker is difficult. There's no doubt about it. I believe Mevis will be that player; recent history, though, does not support that belief.
Better days are ahead
At the end of the day, the Rams are 2-2, and their schedule is about to get very winnable. For their next six games, only the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders have winning records. They play at home three times, travel to Vegas and Arizona, meaning their only East Coast trip is against the Washington Commanders.
The Rams will have an extended time off as they don't play again until next Monday. That should be the break they need to make their run towards a division title.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 5 takeaways from Rams' dramatic comeback win vs. Eagles
