PHILADELPHIA — Two fumbles had turned a one-point deficit to start the fourth quarter into a touchdown hole. Then yet another Saquon Barkley home run, from 78 yards out, made it a 13-point deficit. With an offense that hadn’t scored a touchdown since the first quarter as snow billowed around them and just 4:47 to play, it looked as if the Rams’ season was about to end at the hands of the Philadelphia Eagles.
But the winds calmed just enough to open a window. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, fighting through sore ribs, marched the Rams down the field and finally reached the end zone with a 4-yard pass to Colby Parkinson. A head-scratching decision by the Eagles to pass – and take a sack – on second down, and the Eagles had to punt the ball back to the Rams with 2:35 left.
Could Stafford, architect of so many fourth-quarter comebacks, have something else up his sleeve?
With a 37-yarder to Puka Nacua, tapping both feet on the sidelines, Stafford got the Rams to the Eagles 21. But a sack on third down brought the Rams’ season to the precipice. And Stafford’s fourth-down pass sailed wide and out of bounds. The Rams’ magical playoff run came to a sudden end with a 28-22 loss.
The Rams entered the week talking about stopping the run after allowing 314 rushing yards the last time these two teams met. But the Eagles were still able to get off their explosives in the first half.
First, it was quarterback Jalen Hurts on a designed keeper, breaking a leg tackle attempt by Neville Gallimore and taking off for a 44-yard touchdown. Before the first quarter was done, running back Saquon Barkley took off down the right sideline untouched for a 62-yard score.
But the Rams adjusted, playing a heavier front on early running downs. Once they got the Eagles into third-and-longs, the pass rushers came back onto the field.
And they made a couple of key plays to keep the Rams within a field goal at halftime. Jared Verse hurled Hurts to the ground to knock Philadelphia out of field goal range. Then linebacker Omar Speights, a Philadelphia native, strip-sacked Hurts on the penultimate play of the half to push the Eagles back to midfield.
Verse was greeted by boos during pregame warmups and throughout the game after expressing his disdain for Eagles fans earlier in the week. The rookie, known for his high-octane mouth as much as his motor on the field, cupped his hand to his ears during pregame warmups and winked at the camera when he was shown on the big screen at Lincoln Financial Field.
But he backed up the talk with his play with two sacks. The Rams as a team got to Hurts for seven sacks, including a safety by Neville Gallimore.
The Rams needed every ounce of effort from the defense to keep them in the game. They were able to drive down the field on their opening possession as Stafford connected with tight end Tyler Higbee on a short comebacker for a touchdown. Higbee, who left last week’s win over the Vikings spitting up blood, imitated kicking down a door in celebration.
But Stafford left the field seeking attention from the Rams’ medical staff, which put a heating pad on the right side of his ribcage.
Stafford stayed in the game, but any rhythm the offense had from the opening drive was gone. The Rams were able to move behind the occasional chunk play — a deep ball to Demarcus Robinson or Cooper Kupp here, a broken tackle or two from Williams there — but could not close out drives in the end zone.
Rookie kicker Joshua Karty was up for the challenge in the wind and snow, making both of his field goal attempts.
But in the end, the Rams couldn’t seize the opportunity, couldn’t overcome their fourth-quarter turnovers.