Rams Suffer Tough Loss in Philadelphia

Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a go-ahead 4-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith with 1:48 remaining, but the Los Angeles Rams (2-1) still had a chance to steal the win. Matthew Stafford calmly led the offense into field goal range, setting up rookie kicker Joshua Karty for a 44-yard attempt.

By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer

Philadelphia quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a go-ahead 4-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith with 1:48 remaining, but the Los Angeles Rams (2-1) still had a chance to steal the win. Matthew Stafford calmly led the offense into field goal range, setting up rookie kicker Joshua Karty for a 44-yard attempt.

Instead, disaster struck. For the second time in the game, Karty’s kick was blocked—this one scooped up by 6-foot-6, 336-pound Jordan Davis, who rumbled 61 yards for the clinching score in a 33-26 Eagles victory.

Karty had been perfect before the blocks, converting field goals from 51, 28, 33 and 46 yards, along with both extra points. But settling for field goals instead of touchdowns haunted the Rams, especially after their offense bogged down in the red zone.

The Rams’ defense dominated the first half, holding Philadelphia to just 33 net yards—including negative passing yardage. Neither team managed a third-down conversion until midway through the third quarter. But the second half told a different story: the Eagles racked up 255 yards and outscored L.A. 26-7 after halftime.

Stafford still reached career milestones despite the loss. He passed Matt Ryan for ninth all-time in passing touchdowns and became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history with 15,000 passing yards and 100 touchdown passes for multiple franchises, joining Peyton Manning, Carson Palmer, and Jared Goff. Stafford finished 19 of 33 for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception.

One of those scores, a 10-yard strike to Kyren Williams, gave the Rams a 26-7 lead in the third quarter. But the Eagles roared back, fueled by Hurts’ late touchdown toss and Davis’ game-changing block.

“A lot of people look at field goal blocking as just another play,” Davis said. “But we studied his angle, his launch point. We hit the gap, got our hands up—and when I saw the ball on the ground, I knew it was mine.”

Cam Kurl led the Rams defense with nine tackles, but their effort faded as they were left on the field too long. Ultimately, missed red-zone chances and special-teams breakdowns cost Los Angeles what could have been a statement win.

Next up: Rams host the Indianapolis Colts at SoFi Stadium.