Eagles @ Rams
Final Score: Eagles 37, Rams 20
Senior Writer: Benjamin Haller (@benjaminhaller1 on Twitter)
The Los Angeles Rams looked to stay in contention in a tight NFC West as they welcomed NFC East leaders, the Philadelphia Eagles, who enjoyed watching the Commanders lose earlier in the day to give them a comfortable three-game cushion going into this hard-fought Sunday Night Football game. The Eagles took a narrow 13-7 lead into halftime after quarterback Jalen Hurts connected with star wideout A.J. Brown in the back corner of the end zone with just 1:27 left before the break. Up until that point, Matthew Stafford had led the Rams up and down the field on a couple of occasions, but a costly fumble from Kyren Williams in the Eagles redzone took away points that would prove vital. The Rams ended the half with three straight three-and-outs before Stafford took a big sack on a Hail Mary play as time expired.
It was exactly the kind of game the Eagles wanted as they came out in the second half and scored on back-to-back drives, with Saquon Barkley and Kenneth Gainwell both hitting paydirt for a rampant Philadelphia rushing game. To give the Rams credit, they fought back with an immediate 8-play, 80-yard touchdown drive polished off by a perfect Stafford throw to Demarcus Robinson to pull LA within 6 points. The Eagles were not to be stopped, however, and Hurts masterminded his third touchdown drive of the half midway through the fourth quarter to earn the Eagles a seventh consecutive victory at a canter. It was a good fantasy day all around for both teams, as 37 second-half points boosted the numbers for all the usual suspects.
Three Up
- Saquon Barkley – a mammoth night for the league’s leading fantasy running back.
- A.J. Brown – complementing what Barkley did on the ground, Brown showed similar dominance through the air as the game’s most impressive receiving threat.
- Puka Nacua – the stellar player in the Rams offense, Nacua is now what Kupp once was, and his production seems to be protected no matter the game script.
Three Down
- Dallas Goedert – those hoping for tight end production with Philly shorthanded for pass-catchers were sorely disappointed as the tight end could only muster 19 yards, and he was overthrown when breaking unchecked into the end zone for what would have been an easy touchdown grab.
- Colby Parkinson – the Rams have still failed to figure out their tight end conundrum, and Parkinson is the latest disappointment.
- Kyren Williams – despite a nice fantasy day, Williams will rue the fumble in the red zone that handed the Eagles the advantage. He also fumbled the ball again in the second half but managed to jump back on it. It could be something to look out for.
Philadelphia Eagles
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 15/22, 179 Yards, TD, Sack | 12 Carries, 39 Yards
Limited by an ankle injury through the week of practice, Hurts looked a little rusty in the first quarter but still made the throws he needed to when called upon to ensure the Eagles led at the half. Hurts also had the benefit of handing the ball off to an inspired Barkley, the camera catching Hurts smiling at the end of his back’s second 70-yard run for a score. Hurts only connected with three receivers outside of Barkley, essentially keeping the ball safely in the hands of his main pass-catchers. Only 15 completions, but they were all meaningful, with six going to Brown, who caught his only touchdown pass of the night. Hurts will be a footnote in the headline, and his 15.06 fantasy points (in Yahoo!) were his second-worst of the season.
Notes
- Hurts wasn’t electric in the first half as the Rams’ defensive front managed to put him under more pressure than he has seen in recent games. However, his defense kept getting him the ball back, and he finally made the Rams pay with a methodological 10-play, 65-yard touchdown drive that demoralized the Rams’ tired defense and allowed the Eagles to put points on the board before getting the ball back to start the second half.
- Hurts was never in danger of turning the ball over, and he’s only thrown one turnover-worthy play in the last month of games, an impressive feat. He did miss a couple of chances at touchdown passes in this game, however. He missed Dallas Goedert wide-open in the first half and then threw the ball behind rookie Johnny Wilson in the end zone in the fourth quarter.
Running Back
Saquon Barkley: 25 Carries, 255 Yards, 2 TD | 4 Targets, 4 Receptions, 47 Yards
After seeing plenty of the football in the first half (16 of the team’s 36 touches), Barkley exploded out of the blocks in the second by taking the ball to the house for a 70-yard score on the first play of the half. Barkley looked like he was enjoying himself from the get-go, as his loose, playful demeanor on and off the field was a marked difference from his time as a Giant. He is a man full of confidence who has inspired the Eagles to a dominant position at this stage of the season. He is the cornerstone of this offense, allowing Hurts to concentrate more on his passing game rather than putting himself in harm’s way with runs downfield. His dominance on the ground was complemented by handy fantasy production through the air, and he had multiple catch-and-runs of over 10 yards, including a 31-yard effort that set up the Eagles inside the Rams 20-yard line once again midway through the third quarter.
As Barkley continued to amass chunk plays on the ground, the Rams defense was lured into another blitz with the game slipping away, and Barkley pounced with another burst through an inside lane for his second 70-yard touchdown run. A night to remember as Barkley put up one of the Top 10 rushing performances in NFL history.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1860901970728689881
Kenneth Gainwell: 5 Carries, 22 Yards, TD
Benefitting from an exhausted Barkley, who broke off a 31-yard catch-and-run deep into Rams territory on the second touchdown drive of the second half for the Eagles, Kenneth Gainwell stepped in and immediately broke through a wide-open lane up through the middle to walk in for a 13-yard touchdown to extend Philadelphia’s lead to an unassailable 13 points midway through the third quarter.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
A.J. Brown: 7 Targets, 6 Receptions, 109 Yards, TD
It was a phenomenal job from Brown to corral in a ball near the sideline and ensure both feet touched down before the ball was forced out by Quentin Lake just before the half to give the Eagles the lead at the half. It was initially ruled an incomplete pass before being reversed to a touchdown on review. It was Brown’s fourth catch of the game, his other three all going downfield for more than 17 yards as he found separation from a loose Rams secondary throughout the first half. With DeVonta Smith out, Brown was the primary read on the majority of Hurts’ dropbacks in this game. Brown continued his productivity in the second half despite the Eagles handing the ball off to a commanding Barkley for most of the time. Brown kickstarted the Eagles’ second touchdown drive of the second half with a 12-yard contested catch that exhibited all the hallmarks of why he is the perfect lead receiver for this team. His stout frame and nifty footwork are no match for the cornerback tasked to try and get around him to the football. Brown has at least five grabs in his past three games, but this was his first game with a receiving touchdown since Week 7, so it was most welcome from a fantasy perspective.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1860875810875551824
Dallas Goedert: 5 Targets, 4 Receptions, 19 Yards
The tight end looked to be more involved in Smith’s absence, as he was targeted as many times as Brown was in the first half. He also ran a perfect hide-and-seek route out of a blocking assignment in the first half and streaked away untracked into the end zone. Unfortunately, Hurts overthrew him, and he was robbed of an easy receiving score.
Jahan Dotson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 4 Yards
Grant Calcaterra: 1 Target
Johnny Wilson: 1 Target
Los Angeles Rams
Quarterback
Matthew Stafford: 24/36, 243 Yards, 2 TD, 5 Sacks | 1 Carry, 15 Yards
Despite always playing from behind, veteran Stafford kept his team within the fight with his fourth multi-touchdown game in the last five contests. The Rams signal-caller threw two second-half touchdowns, one to Robinson and another to Kupp, which was only a consolation as the game was settled by this time. Fantasy managers will appreciate the garbage-time production, but the truth was that the Rams were always a step behind when trying to keep pace with the Eagles’ offense. It was not for want of trying, however, as Stafford spread the ball around to six different receivers but mainly centered on Nacua and Kupp. A fumble and three straight three-and-outs in the first half was where the Rams lost the game. Head Coach Sean McVay was bullish at halftime, highlighting this fact, and he seemed to be blaming the execution. Stafford was much more aggressive as a passer in the second half, and it paid off. LA is still in touch in their tight division, and with the offense returning to full health, Stafford should continue to put up numbers as a strong fantasy option after posting 12 touchdowns over the past five games.
Running Back
Kyren Williams: 16 Carries, 72 Yards, TD, 2 Fumble (1 Lost)
Breaking a spell of four games without a rushing touchdown, Williams hit paydirt on the Rams’ second drive of the game to make up for an earlier fumble inside the red zone. It was bittersweet, however, as the momentum had already shifted towards the Eagles, and it was clear that the Rams were frustrated by that early fumble. A 14-point swing on either side of the half made it a negative game script for Williams, who didn’t see a target out of the backfield for the second straight game. Williams only touched the ball three times on the final three drives of the game as the Rams pivoted to an air-raid offense in the late third and fourth quarter. Two of those were runs for negative yardage. He is the clear and present danger and handled 95% of the workload for his team. He is a solid fantasy RB1 going into the playoffs.
Blake Corum: 1 Carry, 5 Yards
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Puka Nacua: 13 Targets, 9 Receptions, 117 Yards
Another impressive showing for the Rams’ primary wideout, who corralled in several stellar catches on a night when he was tightly marked and roughly treated by a tough Eagles secondary that should have had a few more flags thrown against them on a couple of contested tussles with Nacua. He never complained or appealed, though, Puka is a true professional who just does his job, does it with a smile, and gets on with it. His nine catches take him to 37 on the season in just six contests, with two of those cut short by injury. His 117 yards were the third time in four games he has reached that milestone. He consistently wins routes and shows powerful running and safe hands in doing so. Another thing he is often not praised enough for is his football intelligence and his ability to work open for his quarterback when he is not targeted as an initial read. There were three such occurrences today, and on two of them, he ended up nabbing the ball. His fantasy stock continues to rise.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1860884115756900686
Cooper Kupp: 11 Targets, 8 Receptions, 60 Yards, TD
No longer the focal point of Stafford’s attention, Kupp was held to just 33 yards on seven short passes until a 27-yard touchdown grab with just 1:07 left in the game. It salvaged a fantasy day for the veteran receiver, who is still working his way back from a major injury, but the real-life trend for him is pointing down as Nacua assumes the lead role in this offense. Volume isn’t a problem as he’s seen 50 targets since returning from injury in Week 8, buoyed by a 100+ yard, two touchdown game last time around. However, the ceiling is lower, and this game highlighted that fact. There were a couple of times when he caught the ball short of the sticks and failed to make the line to gain. Those opportunities would have been a given a year ago. His touchdown catch was a good grab in a contested situation, and he continues to be a fantasy threat, albeit at more of a WR2 level.
https://www.twitter.com/NFL/status/1860904260718018633
Tutu Atwell: 3 Targets, 3 Receptions, 30 Yards
All three of Atwell’s grabs came on short catch-and-run plays in the second half as the Eagles retreated into soft coverage and allowed Stafford the underneath pass. Atwell’s three catches were his most since Week 7, and he’s only caught one ball in each of his past four contests. He can be ignored as a fantasy asset.
Demarcus Robinson: 3 Targets, 2 Receptions, 15 Yards, TD
Robinson made a nice grab on a corner post from Stafford in answer to the Eagles’ explosive touchdown on the first play of the second half. It broke a spell of two games without a score after Robinson balled out in Weeks 8 and 9 with both Nacua and Kupp out injured. He still holds the WR3 role over Atwell, but his fantasy value has hit a wall.
Tyler Johnson: 1 Target, 1 Reception, 11 Yards
Colby Parkinson: 2 Targets, 1 Reception, 10 Yards
Davis Allen: 1 Target