Eagles vs. Rams Recap

The Birds win in dramatic fashion, Jordan Davis is a folk hero, my spirit briefly left my body out of pure joy

Sep 22, 2025

After his army fell to the Persians, a bloodied and beaten Leonidas devoted the last of his energy to lift the spear that sat by his side. Aiming carefully, he hoisted the spear at Xerxes, the powerful Persian King who many perceived as more god than man. The spear peeled through the air before slicing Xerxes' cheek and drawing blood, showing the world that he was indeed only a man. But then Xerxes got pissed and shot a bunch of arrows at Leonidas because Xerxes doesn’t play that shit.

This is what we in the biz call a metaphor. And aside from showing that I did not learn the key lesson from the movie 300, it explains the invincibility of the Philadelphia Eagles. The Rams drew blood on an elite Eagles defense to the tune of 26 points. But what they forgot is that the Philadelphia Eagles are inevitable. They’re like another Jake from State Farm commercial or getting food poisoning from a Long John Silvers. In Stephen A. Smith voice, “they simply can’t be stopped”.

After a first half of what can only be described as a loose cigarette accidentally lighting a dumpster on fire, the Eagles rallied back from a 19 point deficit, scoring 26 unanswered points to beat Los Angeles at The Linc.

We saw not one but two blocked field goals, a touchdown a piece for AJ Brown, Devonta Smith, and Dallas Goedert (“we call that a three-piece meal, everyone eats”, also said in Stephen A. Smith voice), and the triumphant return of Fred Johnson.

It was incredible. It was inspiring. An all-time Eagles W. The gutsiest performance I’ve seen from this team during this unbelievable winning streak. A true championship performance from a team that faced the self-imposed limits of their shifting identity and coalesced into something more. I flipped a chair out of pure joy. Rams fans probably don’t care because they simply do not exist.

For the third time in 5 seasons under Nasty Nick, the Eagles are 3-0. They are 17-0 in the last 17 games Jalen Hurts has started and 19-1 in their last 20 games, the best stretch in franchise history. Hurts is 40-10 as an NFL starter, the best record for a starting QB in the league. This is pure dominance.

The Eagles are ridiculous, and they can not stop winning. We used to pray for times like this. A lot of conversation has been made about the Eagles' underwhelming offensive identity (like who even wrote this article), but this team’s resilience knows no bounds. This is a team with the talent to rest on its laurels and to embrace complacency, but who instead choose to fight like every game is their last. I’ve never seen a team represent the city it hails from more than this Eagles team.

Let’s get to the game recap.

GAME RECAP

The first half of this game is what we call a “Whole Foods-Ass Half,” meaning you were probably better off wrapping up your grocery shopping than watching the slop that unfolded. Enjoy your day, go get a rotisserie chicken before they run out.

The game felt like it would start in Philly’s favor when the defense came out hot. On the Rams' first offensive drive, Zack Baun drifted into space and intercepted Matthew Stafford. Baun was everywhere in this game, especially in the first half, picking off Stafford, providing great coverage on Puka Nacua, and getting a huge tackle for loss on Kyren Williams in the second quarter. After getting the ball, the Eagles scored on a methodical 5-minute drive that ended in a Tush Push.

From there, the Rams started gaining some traction. Stafford relied on a quick passing game to keep the offense on track, while Kyren Williams did damage on a variety of runs, especially outside zone. The Rams scored on a field goal before Stafford hit Davante Adams on a 44-yard pass over Reed Blankenship to make the game 10-7.

After that first drive, the Eagles’ offense was absolutely terrible. Like 33 yards in a half, terrible. It was the lowest yardage total they’ve had in a half in the last 10 years. The Rams’ Defense erased the Eagles’ running game and showcased the warts in their passing game. The bleeding started when Lane Johnson went out of the game in the first quarter with a stinger. After Matt Pryor replaced Johnson the pass protection completely broke down. They ended the half with 3 straight 3-and-outs. Barkley had 5 rushes for 5 yards. Hurts went into the half 4-for-8 for 18 yards. Conservative play-calling from Kevin Patullo limited the Eagles’ ability to build any momentum.

Los Angeles kept chipping away but struggled to get into the endzone, with multiple drives ending in field goals. Outside of the explosive play to Davante Adams, the Eagles' defense limited big plays by the Rams. The Rams hit 3 more field goals to go into the half up 19-7. As the team went into the tunnel, the Philadelphia crowd rained boo’s down on the home team.

Things were dire, an ass-whooping was nigh.

The 3rd quarter started with much of the same. Tank Bigsby failed to secure a clean kick return, resulting in a drive that started at the 9-yard line. Jared Verse slammed Hurts for a sack, causing Hurts to fumble. Kyren Williams immediately scored a touchdown to bring the Rams up 26-7.

Then something changed. The tide shifted subtly at first, but then dramatically. The Eagles replaced a struggling Matt Pryor with fan-favorite Fred Johnson. In desperation mode, Patullo opened up the offense, leaning away from condensed formations and toward spread alignments and early down passing.

Hurts hit AJ Brown for a 36-yard gain down the sideline before hitting Goedert for a big 33-yard touchdown, the Eagles’ first passing touchdown of the year. Hurts was dealing.

After another defensive stop on the Rams offense (including a chase-down tackle on Stafford by Jordan Davis), Hurts drove the Birds down the field to score again, hitting AJ Brown on his first TD of the year. 26-21 Eagles. The Birds had wind in their sails, and the offense was playing with confidence. Hurts rang up 131 passing yards in the 3rd quarter alone.

Stafford and the offense came back out on the field and were met with relentless pressure from Jalen Carter and the Eagles D, resulting in a big stop on a Kyren Williams run on 4th and 1 to get the ball back. The Rams' defense forced their own turnover on downs to cool the hot Eagles offense. Puka Nacua was unstoppable at times, keeping the Rams offense on track when the Eagles backed them into a corner. After a big pass defensed by Reed Blankenship on Davante Adams, the Rams went for the field goal to extend their lead. Rams kicker Joshua Karty (who to that point was 4/4 on field goals) had his field goal BLOCKED by the big paws of none other than Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis.

After a taunting penalty by Carter backed up the Eagles in their own territory, Hurts hit AJ Brown for a huge 23-yard gain on 3rd down. Later that drive, he found Devonta Smith for the go-ahead touchdown to give the Eagles the lead at 28-26. The Eagles clawed their way back.

But the Rams had time on their side with 1:44 left, just needing a field goal to come away with a win. Stafford led the Rams offense down the field, methodically moving the offense into field goal range.

The Eagles fought hard, but maybe it was too little too late. Rams kicker Joshua Karty had a chance at redemption. If he hit this 43-yard field goal, he could crush the hopes of the Philadelphia faithful and help the Rams survive a dramatic comeback. Outside of the Jalen Carter block, Karty hit all of his kicks, and this was well within his range.

But momentum was on the Eagles’ side. Jordan Davis rose to block Karty’s field goal for the second FG block of the game, and returned the kick for a touchdown to end regulation. Eagles come back! Eagles win 33-26!

TRENDING UP

Jordan Xavier Davis: The comeback was a team effort, but the biggest effort came from the biggest man. Davis’ incredible start to the season culminated in an all-time performance against the Rams. He had a huge chase-down tackle on Matt Stafford to kill a Rams offensive drive. He assisted on the first blocked field goal with college teammate Jalen Carter. He sealed the game with a huge block at the end of the game, which he rumbled back for a touchdown. Davis ended the game with 1 turnover on downs run stop, 2 blocked FGs, 1 return TD, 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss, and 1 QB hit. Davis is evolving into the player the Eagles believed he would be when they drafted him. At the level he’s playing, this Eagles team is hard to beat.
Peloton Stock: Did you see the big man run? Every game, we’ve heard about how Jordan Davis is in the shape of his life and owes it all to his offseason Peloton obsession. After seeing Jordan Davis hit 18.59 mph on that return touchdown, we need to funnel our gratitude to Ally Love and Alex Toussaint. The key to winning in football is a 6pm 20-minute Old School R&B HIIT ride.
Jalen Carter: Carter got relentless pressure on Matthew Stafford in the second half before blocking the first field goal of the game. AND he didn’t spit on anyone. The Eagles are 2-0 in games Jalen Carter doesn’t spit on anyone this season (and…uh…1-0 when he does).
Jalen Hurts' Legacy: After a first half that can best be described as simply awful, Hurts played his best ball of the season when the team needed him most. After finishing the first half 4-for-8 for 18 yards, Hurts turned it on after halftime. He threw for 209 yards and 3 touchdowns in the second half (his first 3 touchdown passes of the season) with 131 passing yards in the 3rd quarter alone. This man is a bonafide psycho. He’s an absolute baller. The mentality to bounce back from that first half he had and deliver for your team is legendary. I don’t know how he did it, my day is ruined when I spill coffee on myself. He’s built different.
AJ Brown and Devonta Smith: Football can be easy. Throw it to your best players and let them cook. Brown and Smith finished with a combined 14 receptions, 169 yards, and 2 TDs. Brown ripped off pivotal catches for to keep the offense rolling. We’re so back baby. It’s been a frustrating start to the season for AJ Brown. It’s awesome to see his patience rewarded and to see him show up when the team needed him.
Fred Johnson: Right-Side Fred stepped in for a struggling Matt Pryor who replaced Lane Johnson after he went down. Fred’s presence on the right side of the line immediately slowed a ravenous Rams pass rush that stifled the Birds for much of the afternoon. Fred is a gentle giant and a steady hand. His impact was immediate as the Eagles offense starting going on their run when he entered the game.
Zack Baun Dominance: An interception on the first drive, a big tackle for loss, elite coverage on Puka Nacua. Zack Baun is the best defensive player story in recent memory. Howie Roseman’s crown jewel is balling right now.
Kevin Patullo’s Enlightenment: Drawing up positive plays to your All-Pro wideouts is like doing ayahuasca. It’s a spiritual experience. It changes a man. Here’s hoping the second half transformation loosened up Patullo’s conservative playcalling and reminded him that his team is ridiculously stacked with talent. Let the boys spin Kev.

TRENDING DOWN

Field Goals: We have entered a post-field-goal society. Between this Eagles game and the Jets game, we saw 3 blocked field goals today. It’s over, we had a good run. Teams have no choice but to go for it on fourth down 100% of the time.
McVay Against the Eagles: Sean McVay may be an offensive genius but he is also 1-6 against the Eagles. Buzz, your girlfriend, woof.
Adoree Jackson’s Tackling: I don’t want to harsh the vibe, but Adoree Jackson is still not the best. This is a masterclass by Vic Fangio to cover up Jackson’s flaws at CB2. Inconsistent coverage I can deal with, but the Rams were ripping off solid runs for most of the first half due to the inability of Jackson to seal the edge.
Fielding Kick Returns: I’m not sure if the Eagles are encouraging their kick returners to cover their hands in butter but that’s what it looks like. Tank Bigsby and John Metchie had difficulty with Joshua Karty’s knuckleball-style kick-offs all game and it hurt the Eagles’ offense in a real way. I expected a man named Tank to be better than this.
Matt Pryor: This dude stunk filling in for Eagles great and Tom Hanks-from Cast Away look-a-like Lane Johnson.
Eagles RB Draw on 3rd and Long: One of the Eagles’ worst offensive tendencies is running a draw on 3rd and long. It kills momentum and would make sense unless you have an All-Pro receiving core (which they do). I’d love more aggression from them in these situations but fuck it we ball.
Tush Push Conversations: Drink everytime Fox slows down a tush push at half speed to show an offensive lineman jumped. Slowing something down can reveal many things. Unfortunately, the refs aren’t machines who can slow down their vision (at least I don’t think so…will investigate and get back to you). The conversation around a play that sounds like a toy that helps potty train babies has gotten out of hand.

THOUGHTS FROM MY FRIEND ROB

And now post-game thoughts from Burds of a Feather Commentator, AKA friend I relentlessly text about the Eagles, my man Bobby Buckets, Rob Ricketts.

“It doesn’t Hurt to let Jalen Cook. They turned him loose and he made great decisions in the passing game. AJ came alive, Devonta came alive and Fred Johnson made his return after being traded to give Hurts time needed to make critical passes. How About them Dawgs!! JC and JD on the defensive came up clutch. But Q Mitchell keep D Adams quiet in the 2nd half.”

HOT TAKES

Jalen Hurts Yelling at People Works: After Jalen Hurts’ touchdown pass to Dallas Goedert in the 3rd quarter, the cameras showed an animated Hurts on the sideline yelling at Eagles’ Offensive Coordinator Kevin Patullo and Runningbacks Coach Jemal Singleton. Whatever that man was yelling, it worked as the Eagles offense erupted. Let this be a lesson to all the kids out there, shouting at people is incredibly effective (okay maybe that’s the wrong lesson but it works when Jalen Hurts does it). It’s great to see Jalen become more comfortable with being vocal on the sideline and backing that up with his play.
The Best Eagles’ Defense in Recent Memory: One of the main reasons the Eagles were still in this game was the unbreakable play of their defense. Outside of that 44-yard pass to Davante Adams, the Eagles limited the Rams’ explosive plays. They forced four Rams drives to end in field goals. The defensive line got relentless pressure on Matthew Stafford all game. Quinyon Mitchell shadowed Davante Adams and held him to zero catches in the second half. Zack Baun was everywhere. The quality of the Eagles’ defense creates such a large room for error for this team. So much so that the Eagles’ offense can finish the first half with 33 yards and go on to win the game. I’ve never been more grateful for a 67-year-old man named Vic. On top of that, the Eagles have the youngest average age of defensive starters. The future is here.
Nick Sirianni is a Top 5 Coach: Say what you want about Nick Sirianni (he yells too much, is his wardrobe entirely Eagles novelty t-shirts, when was the last time he slept, etc.), but all he does is win. Most teams would’ve folded in yesterday’s situation, but the ability for this team to mentally lock-in and storm back speaks to the quality of their coaching. Since entering the league, Nick Sirianni has the highest winning percentage of any NFL head coach at 0.713. The man is loud and dominant.

THINGS ONLY I CARE ABOUT

I’m currently conducting an investigation on how much money Matthew Stafford had to pay the NFL graphics guy to make his graphics look like Michelangelo’s David. I will be reporting my research to Pablo Torre Finds Out.
During the show I saw a commercial for 50 Cent’s new show on Fox Nation 50 Ways to Catch a Killer. I have questions. I have concerns. I have deep confusion. The trajectory from hip-hop mogul to true crime host is baffling. Is 50 trolling us? Is he out there on the streets catching the killers? I will not be watching the show to find out. What does Lloyd Banks think of all of this?
The people trying to ban the Tush Push need to weaponize PR. The name is a little too gentle. What about the Buttcheek Sneak? It’s still palatable for the masses but a little edgier. It also sounds like a Baltimore Club remix which I’m into.
The things Matt Stafford is doing at the age of 37 is insane. Stafford is one year older than me, which if my delusions of grandeur are correct, means I have one year to train to become an NFL quarterback. Stafford went from dealing with a debiltating back injury this offseason to throwing TDs and getting hit by giant men every Sunday. I, however, injured my back getting out of bed the other week and struggle to make my morning parfait without wincing. We are simply built different.