Flashback Friday: Philadelphia Eagles win in Week 14 but pay a high cost
The Philadelphia Eagles were coming off of a loss to the Seattle Seahawks that snapped their nine-game winning streak. Philly was looking to bounce back against the Los Angeles Rams.
The Philadelphia Eagles were on the verge of clinching the NFC East when they collided with the Los Angeles Rams in week 14.
The two teams battled for four long quarters. That battle that left some players battered and bruised. It was an all out war, and the Eagles knew that, after dropping a game a week ago, this was a must-win game, especially if they wanted to stay on top of the NFC and clinch their division.
‘The Birds’ would got on to win and clinch the NFC East, but they suffered a major blow, one that put the rest of the season and playoffs in jeopardy.
Carson Wentz goes down fighting.
Philly’s signal caller left everything on the field.
Before suffering season-ending ACL and LCL injuries, Carson Wentz was on the verge of leading his team to an NFC East title. He threw for 291 yards and four touchdowns during his three quarters of play.
‘Number 11’ would leave the field towards the end of the third quarter, but not before throwing his final touchdown of the season. Wentz found receiver Alshon Jeffery in the end zone with around two minutes to play in the third quarter.
That pass gave him the team record for touchdown passes in a season.
Nick Foles Steps Up.
With their starter gone, Philly’s backup quarterback Nick Foles jumped right into the fire. He wouldn’t put up a lot of points, but he kept the chains moving. He led the Birds to two field-goal drives that helped put the game away.
His biggest play of the game was a third-down conversion to receiver Nelson Agholor with less than two minutes to play in the ball game. That first down helped eat up some valuable time off of the clock.
When the Rams finally got the ball back, they only had a second remaining. Their final attempt to drive down the field was a series of laterals. This, surprisingly, would lead to a score, for Philly.
The defense comes up big.
Philadelphia shined on offense, but their defensive play led them to victory. The Eagles forced two turnovers late in the ball game. The first came when defensive end Chris Long forced a Jared Goff fumble. That led to a field goal that put Philly ahead. The second came in the final second of the game. That produced another touchdown and a little icing on the cake.
The victory stretched their record to 11-2, making them 5-2 on the road.
Check out the highlights from week 14.
Video courtesy of the NFL’s YouTube page
Here’s a look at the stat leaders.
Philadelphia
Passing: Carson Wentz (QB): 23-41, 291 YDS, 4 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Jay Ajayi (RB): 15 CAR, 78 YDS
Receiving: Torrey Smith (WR) : 6 REC, 100 YDS
Chicago
Passing: Jared Goff (QB): 16-26, 199 YDS, 2 TD
Rushing: Todd Gurley II (RB): 13 CAR, 96 YDS, 2 TD
Receiving: Cooper Kupp (WR): 5 REC, 118 YDS, 1 TD