After blowing a 16-0 lead to the Denver Broncos a week ago, the Los Angeles Rams – preseason Super Bowl favorites – looked set for another discouraging loss on Sunday.
The Rams led 20-10 and had the ball 98 yards from the end zone with less than eight minutes left in the fourth quarter on a day when they had already made several mistakes against an opponent they hadn’t beaten since 2020. With a 1-3 record ahead, Los Angeles instead stepped up and saved its season.
The Rams improved to 2-2 in Week 4, scoring two late touchdowns to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-20. The win, Los Angeles coach Sean McVay’s first against Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, saved the Rams from a steep climb to the playoffs.
Los Angeles came alive in the last half of the fourth quarter. After a fourth-down stop by the defense, reigning MVP Matthew Stafford led a 10-play, 98-yard drive – during which he completed seven passes – to first cut the lead to 20-17.
After a Philadelphia triple, the Rams again launched a 10-play drive, this time covering 79 yards. The possession was capped by three runs from Kyren Williams, the last of which he punched into the end zone after breaking a series of tackles.
“By all means, get your butt in the end zone,” Williams told Fox after the game about his mindset during his game-winning score.
McVay said Williams’ race was “brave.”
“If you say you wouldn’t want this guy in your burrow, then you’re in the wrong burrow,” he said.
Los Angeles’ late heroics made up for what was otherwise a sloppy effort.
Stafford was uneven. He completed 32 of 51 passes for 317 yards, but he threw no touchdowns and two interceptions. He’s thrown at least one pick in every game this season, and he has six interceptions after throwing just eight last season.
There were numerous other mistakes: a missed field goal, a pass interference penalty that led to a touchdown, an out-of-bounds kickoff and a sideline interference penalty that derailed an offensive possession.
The combination of errors led to a 10-point deficit entering the final quarter.
“I’m so proud of this team and how we fought and how we stayed connected through everything that went wrong,” Williams said.
Stafford said: “Not every game is going to go exactly the way you want it to. Sometimes you’re going to have to find ways to win football games. That’s what we did today.”
Stafford, Williams and the rest of the Rams offense certainly owe a debt of gratitude to the defense.
Los Angeles was playing without legendary defensive linemen Aaron Donald and Myles Garrett, and they still sacked Jalen Hurts four times. The Rams held the Eagles to just 172 total yards, including a prehistoric 68 passing yards. Philadelphia was also 0 of 12 on third downs, and Los Angeles also held strong on fourth down, knocking off the Eagles three times.
“I think a lot of teams would have given up in situations like that, but our defense continued to give us reason to believe,” McVay said. “There are no style points in this league, but I think a lot of growth can come from it.”
The Rams will certainly have to grow to reach the heights of their preseason expectations, as their season has had its ups and downs. Los Angeles lost its season opener in Australia after a controversial travel plan, then came back to crush the New York Giants in Week 2. But the Rams then collapsed in the second half of a 30-26 loss to the Denver Broncos while dealing with injuries to key players.
The tests will not stop for Los Angeles, however, since the next game on the schedule will be the 3-1 Buffalo Bills.
McVay said Sunday of his team: “Tough times don’t last; tough people yes. »
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