Hoping to take advantage of San Francisco and Arizona's losses, the Los Angeles Rams went into their Sunday night game against Philadelphia knowing that a win could put them in a tie for first place in the NFC West. In a season of ups and downs, the Rams failed to find consistent play and hovered near the .500 mark all year. After losing their last home game to Miami, the Rams were hoping to turn their luck around in SoFi.
That wouldn't be the case. At home in a stadium full of Eagles fans, the Rams lost 37-20 to Philadelphia. The Rams gave up 10 unanswered points in the second quarter and fell into a pit they couldn't get out of. The loss leaves them 5-6 on the year, weakening their push for the playoffs.
Here are five takeaways from their lopsided loss to the Eagles.
1. The gap between the Rams and the top contenders is larger than previously thought
Make no mistake, Sunday night was a wake-up call for the Rams. A team looking to push toward the playoffs was pressured by the Eagles as Philadelphia's physical play exposed glaring weaknesses along the Rams' offensive line and in the secondary.
In the NFC there are the Lions, Vikings and Eagles in the upper league. Then there is everyone else. Despite LA's winning effort against Minnesota a few weeks ago, the Eagles' dominance revealed the Rams' true place within the conference.
2. The defense still can't stop the run
The Eagles ran up and down the field against the Rams defense. The Eagles' offensive line received excellent forward momentum, the defenders lacked tackles and assignments, and the Rams' inability to defend the pass and spy on the QB led to multiple opportunities for Jalen Hurts to muscle through and grab easy yards.
In fact, the star QB had 39 yards on the ground and was second in rushing behind Saquon Barkley's ridiculous performance of 225 yards and two touchdowns. Barkley looked like a man among boys as he ran behind a wall of imposing monsters. Both touchdowns came on runs of over 70 yards. The Rams' run defense is simply below NFL standards.
3. The interior of the Rams' offensive line is in serious trouble
The offensive line in general was particularly terrible on the day, posting five sacks and 11 QB hits. The interior of the offensive line was a major concern, as Eagles defenders Brandon Graham, Milton Williams and Jalen Carter often had success trying to get into the Rams' backfield.
The interior collapsed like a burlap sack, which was a major problem for the team given the recent investment at the position, both in the form of draft capital and free agent money. Steve Avila had perhaps the worst game of his career and Beaux Limmer also struggled in center.
4. Something is wrong with Joshua Karty
Rams kicker Joshua Karty has been missing kicks left and right lately — but mostly right. The Stanford rookie slowly made fans forget about the kicking woes of 2023, but a series of missed shots marred the start of his career.
On his only attempt of the day, Karty missed a 47-yard field goal. This is Karty's third straight game with a missed shot, including a 26-yarder last week.
5. The Rams desperately need a CB1
When the Rams traded Jalen Ramsey during the 2019 season, they gained a player who could stop pass-catching threats across the NFL. The Rams needed a player like Ramsey because AJ Brown brought the secondary to the school.
The star wide receiver was unstoppable, hauling in six receptions for 109 yards and a touchdown. Brown was the primary focus of the Eagles' passing attack, especially in the absence of DeVonta Smith. Despite the extra attention, Brown refused to be held back and imposed his will on whoever stood before him.
