Rams-Eagles: LA misses opportunity in Philadelphia with defeat

The Los Angeles Rams’ 2024 season came to an end Sunday afternoon following their 28-22 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in the divisional round of the playoffs. It was a disappointing end to an extremely fun season. The Rams had chances and started the fourth quarter trailing by just one point. However, their season was blighted on back-to-back drives as Saquon Barkley once again rushed for over 200 yards. Here are my 10 takeaways from the Rams’ final loss of the year.

1. The offensive started well

A theme for the Rams offense this season was how they consistently got off to a slow start. The Rams were one of the worst teams in the first quarter, ranking 30th in the standings. They also ranked 30th in first quarter offensive EPA. That wasn’t the case in the playoffs. The Rams scored a touchdown on the first drive against the Vikings. They did it again Sunday against the Eagles.

On the first drive, the Rams moved the ball methodically down the field. It took 13 plays, but they ended in the end zone. Two possessions later, they scored a field goal. It has always been important for the Rams to keep the game close from the start and not let it get out of hand. The offense had its issues, but keeping the game within reach in the first half after two explosive runs was a huge win.

2. The defense needed to contain Saquon Barkley and didn’t

All week there has been talk about how much the Rams need to contain Saquon Barkley. They didn’t necessarily need to avoid explosive runs, but rather devastating runs. Barkley had two. For the most part, the Rams contained Barkley. Aside from his two touchdowns, Barkley had 24 carries for 65 yards. That’s 2.7 yards per carry with a 40 percent success rate. However, it was the devastating races that made the difference.

On the first drive, Jalen Hurts had a 44-yard drop and ran on a read option. Barkley then ran 62 yards for a score on a 3rd and 4 in the first quarter. The fourth quarter touchdown was the nail in the coffin. With the Rams trailing by seven, Barkley rushed for 78 yards on the first play. Barkley’s two touchdowns came against boxes of eight and nine players. Bad angles and missed tackles in the secondary led to big touchdowns.

3. Jared Verse walked the path

Earlier this week, Jared Verse talked a lot, including how much he hated Eagles fans. The Rams rookie was pressured just once in the opener against the Eagles, but continued to show how he has the ability to back up everything he says. Verse had four pressures and two sacks against the Eagles. He suffered two pressures and a sack while facing each of the Eagles’ elite offensive tackles.

His four pressures also don’t mention the opportunities he created for others along the defensive line. Defensive coordinator Chris Shula did a good job bringing Verse in on a few stunts to give him more favorable matchups. The Rams rookie has taken over the game defensively and it’s going to be exciting to see the steps he takes in year two.

4. Some concerns about the interior offensive line

At some point this offseason, we may need to have a conversation about Steve Avila. That’s not to say he should be benched, but there’s no doubt he hasn’t progressed as some hoped. Part of that may have been due to an injury early in the season. Beaux Limmer has stepped up well at center, but it’s worth wondering if the Rams can further improve at that spot and use him as depth.

The Rams have invested heavily on the interior of the offensive line. There is no shame in getting beat by Jalen Carter. At the same time, a player like Avila or Kevin Dotson must be able to hold his own in big moments. Limmer was simply outmatched at times. Avila can improve in year three and the same can be said for Limmer. Yet in big pass protection moments and short yardage situations, the Rams were beaten inside. It was arguably the worst performance of the season when all five starting offensive linemen played.

5. The defensive line took over

On the other side of the ball, this is where the Rams can be really excited about moving forward. Despite losing Braden Fiske early in the game, the Rams defensive line took over in the passing game. The weather was certainly a factor, but Hurts finished with 128 passing yards and just 65 net yards through the air. Hurts didn’t complete a single pass more than five yards downfield. The Eagles quarterback has been sacked seven times.

All this after the Rams sacked Sam Darnold nine times the previous week. With the group of Byron Young and Kobie accompanied by Fiske and Verse, the Rams have a defensive front that can take over games and win in the playoffs. Safety Neville Gallimore should have been a momentum-changing play. A better game against the run and this defensive front from the Rams will likely lead them to another playoff victory.

6. Another Kyren Williams fumble changed momentum

In Week 12, the Rams were driving and in the red zone on their first possession. Kyren Williams fumbled, blocking any early momentum the Rams could gain. Heading into the fourth quarter, the Rams appeared to be in control. Gallimore had just sacked Jalen Hurts in the end zone for a safety. Two plays later, Williams fumbled and the Eagles recovered in the scoring zone. The fumble there negated the safety’s positive impact.

The loss didn’t just go to Kyren Williams, but his fumble played a big role in it. Not every running back is Saquon Barkley, but Sunday showed the difference between elite and average. Williams can’t not be explosive, not be able to create, not have breakaway speed and also rank second in the NFL in fumbles. With breakaway speed, his big run early in the third quarter was a touchdown. The fumble just can’t happen there and that’s a problem that goes back to him playing at Notre Dame. Blake Corum is a similar style runner and had one fumble in three years at Michigan while scoring nearly 30 touchdowns in his final season.

7. Small mistakes are magnified in the playoffs

Before the Denver Broncos faced the Buffalo Bills, Sean Payton showed his team a video showing how few mistakes there are in the playoffs. That was evident for the Rams on Sunday. They had a higher offensive success rate than the Eagles, had more yards and a higher EPA per pass. It’s the little things that come back to haunt you.

The Rams had three drops, including two on third down. They recorded six losses during the entire season. A false start on the final drive allowed the Eagles to replace their defensive linemen. The offensive line missed a blocking assignment on the final drive with Tyler Higbee opening up the middle. Matthew Stafford mishandled a handoff that turned 1st-and-goal from the eight into 2nd-and-goal from the 15. The Rams played a game with a small margin for most of the season due to self-inflicted errors . These mistakes lead to your downfall in the playoffs.

8. Sean McVay’s late-game management showed growth

Of note is Sean McVay’s use of the late-game timeout. Last year, McVay used his timeouts early in the second half. When the Detroit Lions got the ball back late, the Rams head coach could only stand and watch the clock tick by. Fast forward a year later, and McVay’s clock management was one of the reasons the offense had more than two minutes to drive down the field for the game-winning drive.

There has been a lot of growth with McVay this season when it comes to making decisions on fourth down and using timeouts. A case can be made that the Rams should have gone for it on 4th and 3 out of the 12 trailing by six. However, McVay attempted the play on the first drive and it resulted in a touchdown. McVay is learning and growing in game management. It’s not perfect, but the growth is positive.

9. I almost had another Stafford moment in the playoffs late in the game

With just over two minutes and 82 yards left, there was almost no doubt that Matthew Stafford was going to lead a game-winning drive. A final score of 29-28 seemed almost imminent. It looked like it might happen after Stafford hit Puka Nacua perfectly on the right sideline.

However, once the Rams entered the red zone, the drive stopped. Dotson’s false start penalty turned a 2nd-and-7 into 2nd-and-12. The Rams had 3rd-and-2, but Stafford was sacked for a loss of nine. On the final play, Stafford lofted the ball over Nacua. Sunday was everything you love and hate about Stafford. He takes the sack trying to make things happen or makes a crushing turnover. The offense may disappear for periods of time, but you’re never out of it either.

10. More moral victories in 2025

The Rams had a moral victory last season, pushing the Detroit Lions on the last play. It was a positive performance and an impressive run after a 3-6 start. This season, the Rams started 1-4, and after taking the Eagles to the final game, there’s a lot to be proud of heading into the offseason. That said, that’s where it ends. Making the playoffs and the divisional round is something to be proud of every time. However, this is a young team ready to compete next year.

They have another first-round pick and are expected to have a cap hit of $46 million. This is a team that can put some chips in the middle of the table and take one last chance with Stafford. They need to find some explosiveness on offense and continue to build the secondary. The Rams are close. A loss like this is something that will stick with a young team heading into next year. They need to come out strong next year and not fall behind too early. The current core of players has the ability to do something special.