RAMS Have Big Off Night At So-Fi
The Los Angeles Rams entered their “Sunday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles with an opportunity. Win and they would be tied atop the NFC West. They couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. Instead, they were trampled by Saquon Barkley in a 37-20 in front of 71,514 at So Fi Stadium.
Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The Los Angeles Rams entered their “Sunday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles with an opportunity. Win and they would be tied atop the NFC West. They couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. Instead, they were trampled by Saquon Barkley in a 37-20 in front of 71,514 at So Fi Stadium.
They started off great marching down the field and scoring on the opening drive as Kyren Williams took it in from a yard out. Matthew Stafford connected on 24 of 36 for 243 yards. But was under duress for most of the night. He was sacked five times, tying a season-high.
“They rushed four the majority of the night. They didn’t do anything we didn’t expect,” Stafford said. “It was a one-score game at halftime and then we didn’t do enough in the second half. We didn’t put ourselves in a lot of favorable positions.”
The Rams appeared as if they were going to get off to a quick start, but Kyren Williams fumbled the ball later in the period at the Eagles’ 17-yard line. It was Williams’ fifth fumble and third turnover in seven weeks after he had only three fumbles and two turnovers last year.
The Eagles (9-2), extended their win streak to seven games and further distanced themselves from their closest competition in the NFC East. The win — coupled with the Washington Commanders’ wild loss to the Dallas Cowboys earlier on Sunday — builds a two-and-a-half-game advantage in the division with six weeks left to play. The Eagles remain in contention for the NFC’s top playoff seed, as well, sitting a game behind the Detroit Lions (10-1).
Barkley set the Eagles record of 255 rushing yards in a single game with a fourth-quarter touchdown to ice a victory over the Rams. The running back celebrated by tossing the ball into the stands. Barkley got his record-setting ball back after throwing it into the crowd during the game vs the Los Angeles Rams.
The fan who caught Barkley’s ball after he set a single-season franchise rushing yards record returned it in exchange for a signed replacement, according to TMZ Sports.
“One of our staff members retrieved the ball from the fan and gave them another game ball signed by Saquon in return,” the Chargers told TMZ. “The fan was great and understanding.”
Coach Sean McVay had little to say that wasn’t obvious on the field after his defense allowed 481 yards.
“There’s humbling nights like this in football,” McVay said. “It’s all about how you respond. I do know that this team has the capability to be able to respond, and we’ll get ourselves up off the mat and we’ll have a good week of preparation this week.”
Puka Nacua and Stafford are what makes the Rams’ offense go, not the rushing game. The second-year wideout had nine catches for 117 yards in the 11th 100-yard performance (including playoffs) of his 23-game NFL career,
With the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Arizona Cardinals (both teams are now 6-5), the Rams (5-6) entered Sunday night’s game with a chance to move into a first-place tie in the division. Instead, they will hope to stay within contention until the season’s final weeks when they play both the Cardinals (Week 17) and Seahawks (Week 18).
