Rams vs. Eagles: Full Report Card Grades for Philadelphia
Wins are wins, and the Philadelphia Eagles will take any they can get in a surprisingly competitive NFC East division. But this one revealed some scary flaws in the team, starting with the quarterback, moving to the offensive line’s ability to run block and ending with the frighteningly awful play of the cornerbacks.
Fortunately, the Eagles rolled up a 20-7 halftime lead and 34-7 overall, because the Rams scored 21 unanswered points under quarterback Austin Davis to make it scarily close. It took a dropped pass from Austin Pettis and an overthrow from Davis for Philadelphia to be able to kneel the ball and come away with a victory.
There’s no shame in being 4-1, and that puts Philadelphia among the elite teams in the National Football League.
"Chip Kelly: "Tough 4-1, soft 4-1, doesn't matter. You're 4-1."
— Eagles Nation (3-1) (@PHLEaglesNation) October 5, 2014 "
What’s so shocking is that this Eagles team is winning football games more because of the defense and special teams, each of which has displayed an uncanny ability to score touchdowns. Chip Kelly now has one week to prepare for a home prime-time matchup against the surging New York Giants, winners of three straight games.
There are serious flaws that the Eagles need to fix, as evidenced by the below game grades for Philadelphia's positional groups.
Quarterback
1 of 8
The numbers for Nick Foles don’t look too bad, as is often the case for a quarterback in Chip Kelly’s offense. Foles completed 65 percent (24-of-37) of his pass attempts, for 207 yards and two touchdowns. That’s an 86.2 passer rating, which is around the league average.
The problem is that turnovers are becoming a serious problem for Foles. His 2013 season was obviously unsustainable, as he threw a ridiculous 27 touchdowns to just two interceptions.
But don’t look now—Foles is already at five interceptions this season, and he lost another fumble today. That’s now three lost fumbles in five games, after losing just two in ’13.
Foles’ interception came on a jump ball to Jeremy Maclin, one in which St. Louis Rams rookie sixth-round corner E.J. Gaines made an athletic play to come down with the ball. There’s not a lot Foles could have done differently there; that was just a spectacular catch by Gaines.
Foles’ fumble was an inexcusable play. He scrambled for a first down on a key third-down play but slid awkwardly and lost control of the football. That just can’t happen.
Foles distributed his passes well, finding seven different receivers. His touchdown to Jeremy Maclin was a well-thrown ball, and it came right after Foles completely missed rookie Jordan Matthews. Foles also managed to avoid getting sacked, which is pretty remarkable considering he’s playing behind a decimated offensive line against one of 2013's more formidable defensive lines.
Still, this offense has struggled mightily the past two weeks, and Philadelphia is very fortunate to be at 4-1.
Perhaps the most alarming call of the game was the fact that Kelly didn’t even have enough confidence in Foles to call a pass play on 3rd-and-7 late in the fourth quarter.
The Eagles have a slew of weapons on the field, but for Philadelphia to be what they were down the stretch in 2013, Foles has to make much better decisions with the football.
Grade: D+
Running Backs
2 of 8
The big story leading up to this game was how LeSean McCoy would perform against one of the more porous run defenses in the National Football League. Since taking the hit against the Washington Redskins two weeks ago, McCoy hasn’t just been bad, he’s been historically awful.
McCoy rushed for 22 yards two weeks ago and 17 last week; that’s 39 yards on 29 carries. He started slow today, and the screen pass in which he tried to make something happen but lost a handful of yards and fumbled the ball away was one of the more brutal plays you’ll see.
"Shady's 10-yard loss is biggest loss on pass play by Eagles since Donovan -10 to James Bostic vs. Bills in 1999.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 5, 2014"
Still, McCoy rebounded from his start, and he finished with respectable numbers: 24 rushes for 81 yards. That’s nothing to write home about, but it’s a step in the right direction for elusive back. He broke loose on a 19-yard run down the right sideline, and the Eagles are now 10-1 all time when McCoy gets at least 24 rushing attempts.
Darren Sproles inexplicably remains underutilized, but he’s dynamic with the ball in his hands. He rushed seven times for 51 yards today, including a 26-yarder late in the game. He didn’t catch any passes, but Sproles made a positive impact as a returner, notably on a 23-yard punt return.
As a team, the Eagles accumulated 145 rushing yards on 33 carries. That’s actually a pretty solid total, especially considering words can’t accurately describe how much this offense misses All-Pro left guard Evan Mathis and center Jason Kelce.
Grade: B
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
3 of 8
Big-play machine Jeremy Maclin continues to come up with touchdowns when it matters the most, and his 24-yard touchdown late in the third quarter today proved to be the game-winner.
Maclin and Nick Foles aren’t always on the same page; Foles threw up a deep ball to Maclin that was picked off, and that’s now four interceptions on passes involving the quarterback-wide receiver combination. It’s tough to say Maclin should have made a better play knocking down the ball, considering that corner E.J. Gaines made a truly athletic play.
But Maclin finished with five catches for 76 yards and a score, and he’s on pace to beat DeSean Jackson’s 2013 numbers.
"Jeremy Maclin pace this season: 84 catches, 1445 yards, 13.5 touchdowns.
— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) October 5, 2014"
Riley Cooper’s disappointing season continued. He made an athletic touchdown grab, outjumping Rams corner Janoris Jenkins in the end zone, for his first touchdown of the season. But he finished with just 33 total receiving yards. Cooper also was called for a false start and an illegal motion penalty.
Rookie second-round receiver Jordan Matthews was solid from the slot, finishing with four catches for 35 yards and giving St. Louis Rams corner Lamarcus Joyner a devastating stiff arm on one catch and run. Had Foles not missed Matthews near the end zone on a pass, the rookie would have had an even bigger game statistically.
Third-round pick Josh Huff made his season debut, catching one pass for four yards.
Tight end Zach Ertz finished with three catches for 39 yards. He made a great catch early on when he came back to grab an errant third-down pass from Foles, although Ertz later dropped a pass near the end zone.
Brent Celek caught three passes for 15 yards, the exact stat line he posted in the Week 1 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars. These were Celek’s first catches since that game.
Grade: B
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Offensive Line
4 of 8
The Philadelphia Eagles got last year’s first-round pick Lane Johnson back from his four-game suspension, and his presence helped the running game. Johnson is an extremely athletic offensive tackle, and LeSean McCoy’s biggest run of the game (19 yards) came when he ran right behind Johnson on the right side.
The offensive line has been heavily scrutinized as of late, but it was the second time in three games that the unit didn’t allow quarterback Nick Foles to get sacked.
"The Rams' fearsome pass rush had zero sacks against a depleted Eagles offensive line. That's a major positive to focus on.
— Bryn Swartz (@eaglescentral) October 5, 2014 "
Center David Molk certainly isn’t Jason Kelce, but the backup seems to be playing much better as the season progresses. He helped keep St. Louis first-round rookie Aaron Donald away from Foles and McCoy.
By far, the best offensive lineman was six-time Pro Bowler Jason Peters, who held All-Pro pass-rusher Robert Quinn to no sacks, no quarterback hits and just two tackles. That’s a game-ball worthy performance by Peters, and it’s scary to think of what the Eagles offense would be like without Peters.
Grade: B
Defensive Line
5 of 8
This was a terrific performance by the Philadelphia Eagles’ defensive line to get constant pressure on Austin Davis. Davis was sacked four times and was hit at least four times as he threw.
Defensive end Cedric Thornton scored one touchdown and almost got another. His first touchdown came following a Trent Cole strip sack fumble, and Thornton pretty much recovered the ball and took a step into the end zone.
The second fumble recovery came when Thornton picked up a Zac Stacy fumble and rumbled 40 yards down the right sideline.
"Cedric Thornton, the Eagles’ 309-pound defensive end, just returned a recovered fumble 40 yards. Small earthquake at the Linc as a result.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) October 5, 2014 "
Fletcher Cox continued his breakout season with a fumble recovery off of teammate Vinny Curry’s sack. Curry was a force as a pass-rusher, bull-rushing through right tackle Joe Barksdale and hitting Austin Davis for a sack and forcing a fumble.
"At this point I don't care how he does or doesn't fit in the scheme. Just get Vinny Curry on the field the vast majority of downs.
— Ryan Messick (@rm975) October 5, 2014
"
Nose tackle Bennie Logan was solid, registering three tackles. His backup, Beau Allen, had a big quarterback hit on Davis. Backup end Brandon Bair had a screen pass knockdown, right out of the Connor Barwin playbook.
Grade: A-
Linebackers
6 of 8
Outside linebacker Connor Barwin was a monster in this game, finishing with a pair of sacks.
"This is Connor Barwin's second career multiple-sack game. He had 4.0 vs. the Jaguars with the Texans in 2011.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 5, 2014"
Barwin also had a big pass knockdown, which seems to be his trademark play. It looked like a near replication of the one Barwin had against Kyle Orton in Week 17 last year to help save the Philadelphia Eagles’ season.
"If I had a nickel for every Connor Barwin bat down... #EaglesTalk
— Geoff Mosher (@GeoffMosherCSN) October 5, 2014 "
Trent Cole celebrated his 32nd birthday in a big way, getting a pressure on Austin Davis on one of Barwin’s sacks. Cole also sacked Davis and forced the fumble near the end zone, which was recovered by Cedric Thornton for a touchdown.
"Trent Cole has 11-1/2 sacks and 3 FFs in his last 14 games. #Eagles
— Jeff McLane (@Jeff_McLane) October 5, 2014 "
Fifth-year pass-rushing specialist Brandon Graham had three tackles, one of which was a nice stuff on a screen pass. Graham also forced the fumble that Cedric Thornton recovered late in the game.
The linebacker corps still misses Mychal Kendricks, but fortunately the unit wasn’t as exposed today as in previous games. The St. Louis Rams attempted to exploit Kendricks' absence with a high percentage of underneath routes and screen passes to running backs.
But Casey Matthews held up well, registering six tackles.
"Casey Matthews with run stuff and QB pressure on consecutive plays.
— Mark Saltveit (@taoish) October 5, 2014"
DeMeco Ryans’ eight tackles led the team. Ryans suffered an injury, but it doesn’t seem to be long term.
"Billy Davis on DeMeco Ryans injury: "I know with DeMeco it won’t be long. It’s minor, not major."
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 5, 2014"
Emmanuel Acho had three tackles, briefly left due to injury, but then returned and had a quarterback pressure of Davis.
Grade: B
Secondary
7 of 8
Watching game film will not be fun for Cary Williams, Bradley Fletcher or Brandon Boykin—Williams and Fletcher because they were abused all game by Brian Quick and Kenny Britt, and Boykin because there doesn’t seem to be any indication that the coaching staff will play him more.
Official cornerback statistics will reveal just how poorly both Williams and Fletcher played, but the bottom line is that an undrafted player in Austin Davis lit up this secondary for 375 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. Davis seemingly moved the ball at will in the fourth quarter, leading the St. Louis Rams to 21 unanswered points and almost a comeback for the ages.
Even on the final drive that ended with Davis throwing a fourth-down incompletion, it wasn’t really the result of good corner play from either Williams or Fletcher; in fact, the final drive started with Quick catching a 42-yarder against Fletcher down the right sideline.
Williams was beat for a Quick touchdown in the fourth quarter and he whiffed badly on a tackle attempt against Zac Stacy in the first quarter, as he tried to wrap Stacy up around his shoulder pads. After an overachieving 2013 season with the Birds, Williams hasn’t had much luck as of late.
"Cary Williams is the most targeted cornerback in the NFL since 2011. Weird, right? #EaglesTalk
— John Gonzalez (@gonzoCSN) October 5, 2014"
Fletcher wasn’t much better. He was outjumped by Britt on a jump ball. Quick beat him on that late reception. Fletcher was also called for a pass interference penalty. In all, Britt and Quick combined for 155 receiving yards and three touchdowns against the duo, which is almost inexplicable because there’s a pretty good nickel cornerback sitting on the bench.
Brandon Boykin didn’t play much, but made an impact late in the game when he knocked away a sideline pass to Austin Pettis with under a minute to play. After the game, Eagles’ defensive coordinator Billy Davis once again told CSNPhilly’s Reuben Frank that Boykin won’t be receiving more playing time.
"I asked Bill Davis if he'll consider any lineup changes in the secondary. He said no.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 5, 2014"
It could be Boykin’s height. He’s 5’9”, which means he wouldn’t match up well against taller receivers like Britt or Quick.
"That jump ball TD pass to Cooper is Exhibit No. 1 why Bill Davis has no interest putting Brandon Boykin outside.
— Paul Domowitch (@pdomo) October 5, 2014"
Then again, he couldn’t do much worse than Williams or Fletcher.
"I refuse to believe that Brandon Boykin couldn't do a better job than Bradley Fletcher. A much better job.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 5, 2014"
The Eagles were really fortunate to come away with a win in this game, because teams that allow 375 passing yards without recording an interception don’t normally get a victory.
Safety Malcolm Jenkins broke his interception streak, but he still recorded five tackles. Most of the damage to the Eagles’ secondary came on passes thrown to the outside, not near Jenkins.
Fifth-year safety Nate Allen was burned badly on a touchdown pass to Brian Quick.
"Nate Allen's terrible game continues. 3rd & long allowed completion for 1st down and now TD allowed. Premature to say he'd turned corner?
— John Breitenbach (@PFF_John) October 5, 2014"
In all, it was an extremely disappointing game for Philadelphia. The secondary better figure something out before they play Eli Manning, Victor Cruz and Rueben Randle next week.
Grade: F
Special Teams
8 of 8
The 2014 Philadelphia Eagles are making a claim on the all-time great special teams units in the history of the National Football League.
Just 23 seconds into the game, reserve tight end James Casey blocked a Johnny Hekker punt, which special teams ace Chris Maragos recovered for a touchdown.
"James Casey not only blocked the punt, he slapped it backwards so it would stay in play and not go out the back of the end zone. Impressive.
— Mark Saltveit (@taoish) October 5, 2014"
That’s three consecutive games the Eagles have scored a special teams touchdown—all in the first quarter.
"Last NFL team to block punts and return them for TDs in consecutive games were Ravens in 2002.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 5, 2014
"
The 2014 Eagles’ special teams dwarf the special teams units from previous seasons:
"Eagles have as many special teams TDs this year as previous five years combined.
— Reuben Frank (@RoobCSN) October 5, 2014
"
Rookie undrafted kicker Cody Parkey nailed both of his field-goal attempts. Punter Donnie Jones’ punt to St. Louis' 7-yard line with the game on the line was clutch. And punt returner Darren Sproles had a nifty 23-yard return:
"#Eagles special teams has been absolutely terrific. Credit to Dave Fipp, the unit is looking like the best in the league.
— Eagles Nation (@GoEaglesNation) October 5, 2014
"
Grade: A+
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