Say, What A Game!

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Bright and balmy fall weather coated the confines of Southern California on Sunday, the picture-perfect, Hollywood visualization acting as the backdrop for the prime-time showdown between the Philadelphia Eagles and Los Angeles Rams.

After a slow start, it was the visiting Eagles who cruised to a 37-20 win thanks to two 70-yard touchdown runs by Saquon Barkley, who rushed for an astonishing 255 yards.

Leading 13-7 coming out of the break, Barkley once again broke the dam, running for 70 yards and a touchdown on the first play coming out of the break.

The Rams responded with a 2-yard touchdown strike from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver DeMarcus Robinson, but were unable to keep pace with an Eagles team that seemingly revved up its offensive engine in time to pull away, with running back Kenny Gainwell scoring from 13 yards out to widen the gap to 13 and with Barkley sticking the dagger in late in the fourth, churning out a 72-yard touchdown run to give the Eagles a 37-14 lead.

The Eagles (9-2) have won seven straight games after their 2-2 start and gained another game lead on the Commanders (7-5) in the NFC East race as Washington fell to Dallas on Sunday.

The Rams got off to a fast start offensively on its opening possession and appeared destined to punch it in for the game’s first score, but cornerback Isaiah Rodgers, replacing an injured Darius Slay, forced a fumble on running back Kyren Williams and linebacker Nakobe Dean recovered.

The Eagles managed a field goal.

Jalen Hurts completed 15-of-22 pass attempts for 179 yards and a touchdown, while adding another 39 yards on the ground. Running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 255 yards and a pair of touchdowns. On the defensive side, linebacker Nakobe Dean led the way with eight tackles (two for loss), a sack, fumble recovery and quarterback hit. Rookie defensive back Cooper DeJean was next in line with six tackles and two passes defended.

GETTY IMAGES: Eagles RB Saquon Barkley scored three rushing touchdowns Sunday night in a blowout of the Rams.

Let’s get to the observations.

* Eagles inactives: WR DeVonta Smith, QB Tanner McKee (3rd QB), CB Eli Ricks, OL Nick Gates, OL Darian Kinnard, OL Trevor Keegan. S Tristin McCollum was active for the first time in three weeks, and the Gates deactivation left the Eagles thin in terms of a true backup center.

* Even in a win, the Eagles suffered a great loss, as EDGE Brandon Graham told reporters after the game that he’s out for the rest of the season after suffering a torn triceps. We’ll have more on this throughout the week. It’s a huge loss for the Eagles, who were getting a great year from the 36-year-old veteran who had one of the defense’s five sacks. Graham has been one of the team’s most consistent pass rushers and the Eagles were already without EDGE Bryce Huff, who underwent wrist surgery last week and isn’t expected back soon.

* Not exactly a prototypical start for the Eagles defense, allowing a 15-yard Matthew Stafford run and 27 more on the ensuing play to RB Kyren Williams, on a play in which CB Darius Slay and S Reed Blankenship exited after being shaken up. The defense came up with an opportunistic takeaway on the next play, however, when CB Isaiah Rodgers, Slay’s replacement,  forced a Williams fumble that was pounced on by LB Nakobe Dean.

The Eagles drive covered 80 yards in 12 plays, resulting in a 21-yard K Jake Elliott field goal. But the larger story here is just how prepared Rodgers always seems to be whenever pressed into service, and he may have an extended workload upcoming as Slay, on a separate injury later in the game, suffered a concussion. The 26-year-old corner has now had a hand in two turnovers this season.

* Interesting that it was S Tristan McCollum – not Sydney Brown or even Avonte Maddox – who got the nod as Blankenship’s replacement. Perhaps the thinking here was that McCollum is better versed in the defense at this point than Brown, and offers greater upside compared to Maddox.

* Rodgers, who blocked a PAT against the Bucs, gets such a good jump off the snap. The veteran cornerback nearly knifed through to affect another following the Rams’ initial touchdown, a 1-yard plunge up the middle.

* Eagles DBs held firm on consecutive plays on the Rams’ third possession. Slay, on a 2nd-and-4, had plaster coverage on a pass lofted to WR Puka Nakua on the left sideline. While Nakua nearly reeled in a one-handed catch, Slay played it all the way through. On the ensuring play, NB Cooper DeJean forced an incompletion to Cooper Kupp to force the punt. One of the major differences between this year’s defense to the woeful version of a season ago is that the defense is far more opportunistic and can atone for lapses with its playmakers coming up with timely plays.

* Poor first half redzone execution from the Eagles, who came up empty on two opportunities and committed three pre-snap penalties. Attention to detail is typically the Eagles’ forte, but it wasn’t the case early in the contest. Against better teams, the margin for error is razor thin. The execution needs to be better.

* The momentum shift was palpable on the heels of the Eagles’ 10-play, 62-yard drive, capped by a 6-yard A.J. Brown touchdown grab in the left corner, on a play in which the ball was dislodged late in the process by Rams CB Quentin Lake. It was determined that Brown had both feet in beforehand.

* Dean had a really strong outing. A few plays worth highlighting includes his first quarter fumble recovery – forced by Rodgers – shutting down a 1st-and-10 Williams run for no gain, on a play in which he stormed through the line like a heat-seeing missile and tracked the running back down from the opposite side of the formation. Dean also absolutely obliterated Williams in pass protection, steamrolling him en route to a sack on Stafford, who lost eight yards on the play. Dean plays the game with his hair on fire.

* The Eagles’ defense held the Rams to 0-for-3 on third downs before the break and without a conversion on eight total attempts in the game.

* Saquon Barkley is instant offense. On the first play from scrimmage coming out of the break, Barkley ripped a 70-yard touchdown run, accelerating through the crease and then down the right sideline with Rams in pursuit. The play brought Barkley up to 143 rushing yards on 14 carries.

Barkley, throughout the game, flashed vision, contact balance and explosiveness, making things happen even when the Rams appeared to have him stopped. Once again, Barkley provided the offense with a shot in the arm when the passing game endured some rough patches. He rolled up over 200 all-purpose yards. Given his value and impact, it isn’t a stretch to say Barkley warrants consideration for league MVP.

* The Eagles offensive line surrendered some pressures but surrendered only one sack, with rookie Braden Fiske notching the lone Rams sack. At first glance, I thought the interior play was especially strong, with Landon Dickerson, Cam Jurgens and Mekhi Becton staving off the interior rush and paving running lanes for Barkley.

* With DeVonta Smith (hamstring) sidelined, the thinking was that it would take a collective effort to replicate the production, with Jahan Dotson and Johnny Wilson being the primary benefactors. Dotson, who started the game, finished with four receiving yards on one reception. Tight end Dallas Goedert, saw five targets and caught four, but only for 19 yards. Aside from A.J. Brown, the passing game doesn’t look right.

– Andrew DiCecco (@AndrewDiCecco) is a Staff Reporter/Content Producer for InsideTheBirds.com.