The Philadelphia Eagles had a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter but forgot how to play football and fell to the Los Angeles Rams, 24-20.
Philly's offense had under 180 yards, never converted a third down, and allowed two touchdowns on the final two defensive drives. The loss puts the Eagles at 2-2 and now on a two-game losing streak.
This will be tough to write out, but let's go over the biggest takeaways from the game. There were some good things, but mostly bad.
Instant takeaways from the Eagles' matchup against the Rams in Week 4
Darius Cooper needs more targets (please!!!)
Cooper has just been magical in every reception he's had this season. In two receptions in the first half, they both went for touchdowns, including one where he ripped the ball out of the Rams defender's hands in the end zone for the score. He really stepped up with DeVonta Smith out for the game and played his best when the team needed him most.
Eagles seriously needs Lane Johnson back soon
Of course, we want to be respectful to Johnson since he is going through something personally, with him missing the game, but he continues to prove he's an important piece of this offense. The Eagles had only 172 total yards and allowed four sacks, while also struggling to run the ball, averaging just 3.9 yards per carry. Markel Bell had an up-and-down game on the right side in place of Johnson, so hopefully Johnson is fine and can be back soon.
Injuries continue to plague this Eagles team every step of the way
The Eagles lost three of their top players, with Saquon Barkley, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Jonathan Greenard, and Tank Bigsby missing parts of the game. Barkley got hurt on the second drive, and Mitchell got a knee injury early in the third quarter. Greenard and DeJean also got hurt in the third quarter, but DeJean returned, and Bigsby was hurt in the fourth quarter. The hope is that this Philly team can stay healthy, but it feels like they keep getting beat up.
This Eagles offense is just horrific to watch on third down
It's the oddest thing to watch how bad this offense is on third down. They didn't convert any of their 12 third downs in the contest. This has become a mystery for the Eagles, but something has to give.
Nolan Smith Jr. is finally living up to his first round status
How about two sacks for Smith on the team, and he now leads the Eagles in sacks this season? It's time Smith decided to step up and carry this struggling pass rush. This could be the breakout season the Eagles have been waiting for, and it could land him a long contract extension in the offseason. It all comes down to whether he can stay consistent all year.
The Eagles' defense had a spectacular game (until they didn't)
Same song, different verse for the Eagles' defense: they were awesome through three quarterbacks, but fell apart in the fourth quarter, giving up touchdowns on the last two drives. At the end of the day, the Eagles had injuries to Mitchell and Greenard, but that's no excuse for letting the Rams do what they did.
Maybe it wasn't a Kevin Patullo problem with the Eagles offense
This Eagles offense did nothing to improve. Granted, they had a lot of injuries and players out for the contest, but things have to get better. They can't convert first downs, and they can't move the ball consistently in the second half.
Read more: Eagles just can't catch a break with Saquon Barkley hurt again in Rams game
Eagles fans and the media wanted to blame Kevin Patullo for all the problems, but maybe the players and the head coach are the real issue. That's the only direct correlation to the struggles on offense.
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