Are you kidding me?: 5 takeaways from Rams-Eagles a day later

Now, this was a tale of two halves if I have ever seen one.

That was an improbable, unbelievable, impossible win. The Eagles were down 19 points early in the third quarter. They looked like the Rams had struck their horns through their heart.

Then, the Eagles scored the last 26 points of the game and won, 33-26, to improve to 3-0. Two blocked field goals in the final nine minutes, presiding drives down the stretch, and the best football we have seen the Eagles play this season.

It is the biggest comeback for the Eagles ever at Lincoln Financial Field, and their biggest since the Miracle at the Meadowlands 2.0 in 2010.

What a special win from a special team.

Imagine reading this after the first half?

Here are my five takeaways a day after the win:

1. The Georgia Dogs sure did eat. Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis were both responsible for the blocked field goals, winning the Eagles this game. If the Rams knocked that first one through, the Eagles would have been down two after the DeVonta Smith touchdown. They would have had to convert that two-point conversion, which they failed to do. So, we cannot dismiss what Carter executed with nine minutes to go in the fourth quarter.

But Davis, wow. What a beast.

We have been waiting for him to get in shape and become the player we all knew he could be. He did that this offseason, lost nearly 30 lbs, and has been on another level.

Before his game-winning block, Davis had five tackles, a fourth-down stop, the Eagles’ only sack, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hurry. He was everywhere.

And then, of course, he had the icing on the cake. A blocked field goal and that amazing 61-yard blocked field goal return as time expired, running 18.59 mph on the return, the fastest speed by a player over 330 lbs since at least 2017.

Davis has a serious chance to earn NFC Defensive Player of the Week and NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in the same week.

Davis is finally the disruptive and dominant player we knew he could be in Year 4. He is tied for the second-most tackles (11) among NFL defensive tackles this season. He also leads his position with three passes defensed in two games. Davis is earning himself a lot of money, and he will get it in Philadelphia.

The last time the Eagles blocked multiple field goals in a game happened on September 21, 1975, in a 23-14 loss in Week 1 to the Giants at Veterans Stadium, exactly 50 years prior.

2. This was an offensive turnaround for the ages. In the first half, the Eagles scored seven points on their first drive, totalling 33 yards, and -1 passing yard. In the second half, they scored 26 points on 255 yards, 203 of those in the air.

Incredible.

The first half featured the same conservative play-calling we have seen. It seemed as if Jalen Hurts said something to Kevin Patullo on the sideline, and everything changed.

In the first half, Hurts was 4-for-8 for 17 yards without a completion longer than 11 yards. Meanwhile, in the second half, he was 17-for-24 for 209 yards with three TD passes. Hurts led touchdown drives of 79, 87, and 91 yards in the second half, while finally feeding both A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith.

Good things happen when you get the ball into the hands of Brown. He had six catches for 109 yards, all coming in the second half. Who knows what was going on through the season’s first 10 quarters?

Hurts was magical in the last 30 minutes. He took the game over. This was the Super Bowl MVP. Trust Hurts to do what he does, and he will do what he did.

Hurts brought this team back to life. That is what elite quarterbacks do. He stayed poised, made the big plays, and revived this offense into what we know it is and can be.

3. The reversion really began when Fred Johnson came into the game.

Lane Johnson exited after the first drive, injuring his neck on the tush push. He was listed as questionable the entire game, but never returned.

Matt Pryor was the first man up in his place, and he was straight up awful. He is a natural guard, and in the five drives with him at right tackle, the Eagles had four three-and-outs, a fumble, and -10 net yards. Pryor was the one who missed the blocking assignment on Jared Verse‘s forced fumble, leading to a Rams touchdown.

Fred Johnson came in, and immediately, you could feel this offense start to roll. He was in for four drives, and the Eagles netted 260 yards and three touchdowns. I am not sure what took them so long to figure this out.

Johnson was on the Super Bowl team last year and got some starting time when Lane was out with an injury, and he was excellent. Johnson signed his recent one-year contract in free agency with Jacksonville in March, but was traded just before the season back to Philadelphia.

“Feels great to be back, my God, I’m so excited,” the 28-year-old said when he was traded back in August with a big smile on his face. “So ready. Just happy to be back in the city. Happy to be back with the team… If I go anywhere else, I’d rather go back to the Eagles… I almost asked to drive up [to Philadelphia] instead of fly the next morning. I was ready to get back.”

Well, he is back and was an integral part of their Week 3 win. What a story.

4. This Eagles team is yet to play a complete game. They have not put it all together yet. And still, they are 3-0 against their biggest division rival, the defending AFC champions, and a team that was 2-0, which goes to the playoffs every year. 

This team has mental toughness that very few have, and that is how they always find ways to win.

Nick Sirianni has stated since Day 1 that you learn the most about a team by how they handle adversity. It does not get worse than trailing 26-7 in the third quarter, getting outgained 222-31, and rightfully getting booed at your home stadium.

This team never panics, never yells, and never doubts each other. You certainly cannot be great without the greatness of others.

5. There is just one thing, though. Saquon Barkley was silenced again. That is concerning.

Barkley ran a quiet 18 rushes for 46 yards on Sunday. He only has 194 yards on the season on 58 rushes. That is a 3.3 average. Barkley ran for a record 2,504 yards last season.

All of these defenses are so hyper-focused on stopping Barkley that it can open up the air attack. The Eagles did not jump on that opportunity until midway through the third Sunday. If the passing game can continue to generate plays down the field, it will open things up for the running game. It has to, that is how it works.

Barkley is too good, the offensive line is too good, and a consistent passing game will make things happen for them.

Get new articles emailed right to your inbox.