PHILADELPHIA — The Rams couldn’t score on their final possession as they fall 28-22 to the Philadelphia Eagles in their NFC Divisional round matchup on Sunday evening. Los Angeles will now look to the offseason to improve the team. The Rams finished the year 11-8 after their playoff exit.
Here are takeaways from the Rams loss to the Eagles:
Too much Barkley for the Rams, again
The Rams once again struggles to contain Saquon Barkley but this time it cost them their season.
In Week 12, Barkley had the best game of his career when he ran 255 yards scoring 2 touchdowns against Los Angeles.
Barkley was unstoppable once again rushing for 205 yards and 2 touchdowns to help the Eagles win the game. His 78-yard touchdown run put Philadelphia up 28-15 and it ended up being the score to seal the win
Coming into the game the football knew what the Rams needed to do to slow the Eagles but they couldn’t find a way.
Barkley finished with a total of 460 yards and 4 touchdowns in his two matchups with the Rams and was the difference into why the Eagles are headed to the NFC Championship and not Los Angeles.
Rams can’t finish the job with final drive
Though the Rams were dominated once again by the Eagles run game. They had the ball last with a chance to tie and possibly won the game.
After a score for Los Angeles, the Rams defense forced a three-and-out giving the offense the ball back with 2:25 remaining in the game.
Matthew Stafford found Demarcus Robinson on 3rd-and-10 for 11 yards to keep the drive going. The next play, Stafford found Puka Nacua for 37 yards to get the ball to Philadelphia’s 21.
After a few plays it came down to 4th-and-11 and Stafford couldn’t find Nacua as the Rams came up short on Sunday evening.
The Rams had the ball in the hands of their franchise quarterback to win. It’s nothing more they could’ve asked for but it just didn’t work out.
Two fourth quarter turnovers comeback to haunt Los Angeles
In a game like this Divisional round matchup any little mistake can cost you a game and the Rams had two.
After the Rams forcing a safety on Jalen Hurts and the Eagles offense.
The offense had the ball down 16-15 to start the fourth quarter and Kyren Williams received the ball and had the ball knocked loose as the Eagles defensive back Isaiah Rodgers scooped the ball up and returned it 40 yards to setup an Eagles field goal to put them up 19-15.
On the next possession, Stafford dropped back on a 3rd-and-10 and was stripped by the Eagles Nolan Smith and Philadelphia recovered the ball at the Rams 38. The Eagles added another field goal after the turnover going up 22-15.
In a game where the Rams needed to do everything right in the game their two fumbles put them in a spot they couldn’t dig themselves out of.