Rams coach Sean McVay said after Sunday night’s 37-20 loss to the Eagles that all his team can do is bounce back.
“There’s humbling nights like this in football,” Mcvay said. “It’s all about how you respond. I do know that this team has the capability to be able to respond, and we’ll get ourselves up off the mat and we’ll have a good week of preparation this week.”
The good news for the Rams is that at 5-6, they’re only a game out of the NFC West, where all four teams are tightly locked with the Seahawks and Cardinals at 6-5 and the 49ers tied with the Rams at 5-6. If the Rams do get up off the mat, the division title is right there for them to take.
But it’s been a frustrating season for McVay’s team, and Sunday night showed how big a gap there is between the Rams and the top teams in the NFC.
Saquon Barkley put together his best game of what’s already been a career season on Sunday night against the Rams, accounting for 302 yards from scrimmage in the 37-20 victory.
Barkley rushed for a career-high 255 yards on 26 carries, scoring touchdowns on runs of 70 and 72 yards in the second half. But even without those 142 yards, the running back had 113 on 24 attempts.
He also caught all four of his targets for 47 yards.
“Saquon is a special player,” head coach Nick Sirianni said after the game. “We were able to hit a couple home runs. Saquon has that ability — to hit home runs.
“When you have the type of quickness, lateral movement, that Saquon has, with the ability to accelerate, and the speed to finish, and the power to break through an arm tackle — he has everything you look for in a back. He’s been awesome, and he was awesome tonight.”
Through 11 games, Barkley has now rushed for a career-high 1,392 yards — eclipsing his 1,312 mark set with the Giants in 2022. Averaging 126.5 yards per game, he’s currently on pace to break Eric Dickerson’s single-season rushing record of 2,105 yards set back in 1984.
“I’m probably going to get a lot of credit, and everyone’s going to say this and say that, but in reality, the beauty of this game is it’s a team game,” Barkley said postgame. “My favorite quote that Nick says is, ‘It’s hard to be great without the greatness of others.’ And those guys [on the OL], and the tight ends, and the wide receivers blocking down the field are super amazing.”
While Barkley said he didn’t know he’d have this much success with Philadelphia, part of the reason he wanted to sign with the NFC East club was to be in an environment that could display his full potential.
“I’m thankful to be here. I’m thankful for the fresh start,” Barkley said. “I had conversations where [I said] I think this is the spot where I can kind of rewrite my story — I feel like I can show everyone the type of player I feel like I can be and was meant to be. And it’s working out right now, but the beauty of it, it’s the NFL, and it’s week-to-week.
“I’m surrounded [by] great players,” Barkley added. “I don’t want to be lost in that. I wanted to elevate my play because, I keep saying, I can’t be sitting here watching how great Lane [Johnson] is and watching how great A.J. [Brown] is and Jalen [Hurts] — I want to be along with those guys, and making plays, and do something special.”
With the way he’s playing, Barkley has certainly placed himself in the MVP conversation. But he said he’d much rather end up with team success than an individual accolade.
“We’ll start thinking about that when the season’s over,” Barkley said. “I love being in that conversation. It’s cool and all. But like I said, it’s a team sport. And if you told me that I could have the year I’m having, win an MVP, but not win the Super Bowl, or I could have the year I’m having, not win MVP or offensive player of the year and win the Super Bowl, I’m going to take the other one.”
So Barkley and the 9-2 Eagles will continue down the stretch, looking to keep things rolling. If Barkley continues to play as he has, Philadelphia should be dangerous in January.
“I’m surrounded by great players, and if you look at every single play that I made today, you see so many other players going above and beyond for me,” Barkley said.
“My story’s not finished,” Barkley added. “It’s going to keep going.”
Brandon Graham was putting together a solid 2024 at age 36, but it has now come to an end.
In the locker room after Sunday’s 37-20 win over the Rams, Graham said he was out for the season after suffering a torn triceps.
Graham suffered the injury in the second half on a pass play. He walked off the field and into the locker room to be examined, where he received the news.
“It was a pass play,” Graham said. “The running back came and chipped me right here on my arm, and I thought it was just — because I had been dealing with my triceps anyway. Just from pushing people, you get a little tendinitis.
“This time, it was different.”
Though Graham broke the news himself, head coach Nick Sirianni declined to discuss Graham’s injury. But he did say Graham is one of his favorite players he’s ever gotten to coach.
“We’ll see where it is,” Sirianni said. “Holding out hope, and we’ll see.”
Graham, however, did not seem hopeful at all. Instead, he seemed at peace with the situation, knowing that he’s nearing the end of his career. But he wasn’t ready to formally say this was the end.
“I know for me, I don’t want to go out like this,” Graham said. “I definitely want to be able to finish a whole season before I’m done. But if that ain’t in the cards, I’m content where I’m at, too. I’m just not there yet.”
Graham had been wrecking the game for Los Angeles’ offense. He had two tackles for loss, a sack, three QB hits, and a pass defensed on Sunday night before exiting the game.
“I’d have to say it was [one of my better games this year] because I was feeling good,” Graham said. “Hate to have to go like this, but at the end of the day, I don’t have no regrets.”
Graham is in his 15th season with the Eagles after the club selected him at No. 13 overall in 2010. Including the sack on Sunday night, Graham had 3.5 on the season with six tackles for loss and seven QB hits.
Last month, Giants co-owner John Mara said he doesn’t anticipate making any major changes during or after the 2024 season.
Sunday’s outcome will test his resolve. For multiple reasons. Beyond the embarrassing 30-7 home loss to the Buccaneers, multiple players called the team “soft” and questioned the effort of the team. Then, Mara got to watch former Giants running back Saquon Barkley have the best game of his career, rushing for 255 yards and adding another 47 receiving to go over 300 yards from scrimmage.
The fact that the Giants play on Thursday makes it very hard to make a change this week. However, if the Giants fail to show up on Thursday against the Cowboys, Mara might have no choice but to alter his anticipation — either when the regular season ends or on Black Friday.
However it plays out, G.M. Joe Schoen and coach Brian Daboll have to be wondering how things will play out. And whether one or both will be out based on how the team plays on Thursday in Dallas.
Saquon Barkley has looked like one of the best free-agent signings in recent memory during the 2024 season.
The Eagles running back continued to put himself squarely in the MVP conversation with his performance against the Rams on Sunday Night Football, helping lead Philadelphia to a decisive 37-20 victory.
Barkley scored twice on touchdowns of 70 and 72 yards and paced the offense from start to finish. The Eagles used a dominant run game to control the clock, running for over 300 yards on the night in 33:41 of possession time. While the Eagles took a 13-7 lead into halftime, Barkley extended that on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter, using a burst of speed to go 70 yards for a touchdown.
On Philadelphia’s next drive, Barkley took a screen pass 31 yards to the Los Angeles 13, setting up Kenneth Gainwell’s touchdown on the next play.
Barkley put the cherry on top of a sterling night with his 72-yard score late in the fourth quarter to ice it. He ended the game with 302 yards from scrimmage — 255 rushing, plus 47 receiving yards on four catches.
Barkley set a new single-game career high, and with over a month left in the season, Barkley set a new career high in season rushing yards on Sunday night. He now has 1,392 yards for the season, topping his previous high of 1,312 in 2022.
Jake Elliott hit field goals of 21 and 31 yards in the first half to open Philadelphia’s scoring before A.J. Brown caught a 6-yard TD from Jalen Hurts to give the club a 13-7 halftime lead.
Gainwell’s 13-yard score put Philadelphia up 27-13 before Elliott hit a 26-yard field goal to extend that advantage to 30-14.
Hurts ended the game 15-of-22 passing for 179 yards with a touchdown. He also rushed for 39 yards.
While the Rams were able to move the ball well early on, a Kyren Williams fumble prevented the club from scoring on its opening possession. Williams did put the ball in the box on a 1-yard run on the next drive.
But after that, Los Angeles’ offense struggled mightily. A questionable defensive pass interference penalty helped put the Rams in position for their second touchdown of the day — a 2-yard pass from Matthew Stafford to Demarcus Robinson. But then Joshua Karty missed a 47-yard field goal wide right late in the third quarter to keep L.A. off the board.
Karty missed a 26-yard attempt last week.
Stafford connected with Cooper Kupp for a 27-yard touchdown just outside of the game’s final minute.
Stafford ended the contest 24-of-36 for 243 yards with two TDs. Nacua caught nine passes for 117 yards. Kupp caught eight for 60.
The Rams finished 0-of-8 on third down.
Notably, Eagles cornerback Darius Slay had to exit the game with a concussion. Veteran edge rusher Brandon Graham — who had a terrific game with a sack, two tackles for loss, and three QB hits — was ruled out in fourth quarter with an elbow injury.
With the win, the Eagles are now 9-2 and are in firm control of the NFC East. That will be on the road again next week to face the Ravens.
Los Angeles has now fallen to 5-6 on the season. The club will be in New Orleans next weekend to take on the Saints.
It didn’t take long for Saquon Barkley to make yet another special play in the second half.
After a touchback, Barkley took a handoff on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter and took it for a 70-yard touchdown to give the Eagles a 20-7 lead over the Rams.
Barkley got through the hole, made a cut to his right, and was off to the races. Once Barkley reached the second level, there wasn’t a Rams defender close to reaching him.
It was Barkley’s longest run of the season and the second-longest run of his career.
Through a half and one play, Barkley has 143 yards on 14 carries.
The Eagles had stalled out in the red zone on two possessions in the first half. But the third time was the charm, as A.J. Brown caught a 6-yard pass with 1:27 left in the second quarter to give Philadelphia a 13-7 lead at halftime.
Running back Saquon Barkley has paced the offense for Philadelphia, rushing for 73 yards 13 carries and catching three passes for 16 yards.
But Jalen Hurts has also come through in the pass game, completing 11-of-15 for 101 yards with a touchdown. He’s rushed for 35 yards on nine attempts.
Brown leads with 69 yards on four receptions.
Jake Elliot connected on field goals of 21 and 31 yards in the first and second quarter, respectively.
Los Angeles began the game moving it effectively, but Kyren Williams fumbled in the red zone to end the game’s opening possession. Philadelphia scored a field goal off their extra drive to take a 3-0 lead.
Williams came through on the next drive, putting the ball in the box for a 1-yard touchdown.
But from there, Los Angeles didn’t get another first down in the first half — going three-and-out three times. The Rams will enter the third quarter 0-of-3 on third down.
Matthew Stafford ended the first half 7-of-11 for 67 yards. Williams had 55 yards on nine carries. Nacua caught four passes for 45 yards.
Philadelphia will receive the second-half kickoff.
Kyren Williams fumbled to end the Rams’ first drive against the Eagles on Sunday.
But he came right back to get in the end zone and gave Los Angeles a 7-3 lead with 1:02 left in the first quarter.
Both the Rams and Eagles have found plenty of success moving the ball to open the Week 12 matchup. Williams had a 27-yard run to put Los Angeles in the red zone on the game’s opening possession. But he then fumbled with Philadelphia recovering.
The Eagles then ran through the Rams’ defense, getting down to first-and-goal at the 8 without even facing a third down. But L.A. stuffed a shovel pass to Dallas Goedert on third-and-goal from the 4, inducing the Eagles to settle for a 21-yard field goal to take an early 3-0 lead.
Williams was on the field to start the next drive, despite the fumble. The Rams didn’t face a third down either on their way to the red zone, with an 18-yard pass to Puka Nacua setting up Los Angeles with first-and-goal at the 7. A defensive pass interference penalty then put L.A. at the 1-yard line, and Williams came through with a touchdown from there.
Through two drives, Williams has 45 yards on six carries. Nacua has caught three passes for 39 yards.
The Chiefs moved to 10-1 with a 30-27 win over the Panthers. Per the NFL, the victory gave coach Andy Reid his 19th season with 10 or more wins.
He trails Bill Belichick and Hall of Famer Don Shula, who have 20 seasons with 10 or more wins.
Reid also has won 10 or more games for 10 straight seasons. That’s second only to Belichick, who did it an uncanny 17 times, from 2003 to 2019.
As long as he stays with the Chiefs — and as long as Patrick Mahomes is there — Reid will keep winning 10 or more games, year after year. And if Reid stays long enough, he’ll eventually pass Belichick and then Shula for the all-time wins record.
Reid became head coach of the Eagles in 1999. He stayed there through 2012, before landing immediately at Kansas City.
There were no surprises on the inactives list for the Eagles or Rams for Sunday Night Football.
Eagles receiver DeVonta Smith is inactive with a hamstring injury, having been ruled out for the contest on Friday. He did not practice all week.
Returning from a shoulder injury, Philadelphia receiver Britain Covey is active as expected after he was a full participant in practice all week.
On the other side, Rams starting right tackle Rob Havenstein is inactive due to an ankle injury. He was a limited participant in practice on Thursday and Friday before being listed as doubtful. He’s now sidelined for a third consecutive game.
Smith, quarterback Tanner McKee, offensive lineman Trevor Keegan, offensive lineman Darian Kinnard, offensive lineman Nick Gates, and cornerback Eli Ricks are inactive for Philadelphia. McKee is the club’s designated emergency third QB.
For the Rams, quarterback Stetson Bennett, cornerback Charles Woods, running back Cody Schrader, outside linebacker Brennan Jackson, offensive lineman Dylan McMahon, offensive lineman Rob Havenstein, and defensive lineman Desjuan Johnson are inactive.
