Eagles grades by position after running over Rams in LA originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Behind another stellar rushing performance and an impressive evening from their defense, the Eagles put together a complete performance in their 37-20 win over the Rams.
They have now won seven straight games and are rolling as they enter Week 13 of the 2024 season.
Here are the position-by-position grades from SoFi Stadium:
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts: 15/22, 179 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT; 12 attempts, 39 yards
The Eagles didn’t need Jalen Hurts to really air it out in this one but he played a clean game and didn’t turn it over again. He was without DeVonta Smith in this game so he fed A.J. Brown in the passing game. Brown had 6 of Hurts’ 15 completed passes. Hurts also picked up some tough yards on the ground.
Grade: B+
Running back
Saquon Barkley: 26 attempts, 255 yards, 2 TDs; 4 catches, 47 yards
I’m running out of ways to tell you how good Saquon Barkely is. In this game, he had 302 scrimmage yards, becoming just the 12th player in NFL history to have 300+ scrimmage yards in a single game. He also set an Eagles’ single-game rushing record, surpassing LeSean McCoy’s 217-yard game in the Snow Bowl against the Lions. Barkley also set a new single-season career-high in the 11th game of the season. He absolutely has to be in the MVP mix. And Kenny Gainwell chipped in with 5 carries for 22 yards and a touchdown.
Grade: A+
Receiver
A.J. Brown: 6 catches on 7 targets, 109 yards, 1 TD
No DeVonta Smith in this game so that meant a lot of work for A.J. Brown. He probably could have had some more targets in this game but he picked up chunks and was really good running after the catch. The only other receiver to catch a pass was Jahan Dotson, who had 1 for 4.
Grade: B+
Tight end
Dallas Goedert: 4 catches on 5 targets, 19 yards
It wasn’t a huge day for Dallas Goedert in the passing game but all three tight ends — Goedert, Grant Calcaterra and CJ Uzomah — deserve credit for their effort in the run game. The Eagles rushed for a ton of yards on Sunday and the tight ends played a role.
Grade: B+
Offensive line
Barkley might be the MVP candidate but he isn’t doing it alone. He had some massive holes to run through against the Rams and that’s thanks to the tough work from the Eagles’ offensive line. The Eagles have rushed for 200+ yards in four of their seven games during this winning streak. In pass protection, the line held up and Hurts was sacked just one time in the first half.
Grade: A+
Defensive line
Milton Williams: 2 sacks, 3 QB hits, 2 TFLs, 1 FF
Jalen Carter was getting doubled and held pretty much all game so it was important the other guys won their 1-on1-s; Milton Williams did that and picked up the first two-sack game of his four-year NFL career. Josh Sweat and Brandon Graham each picked up a sack as the Eagles beat up on a backup tackle. Graham filled up the stat sheet with 3 quarterback hits and 2 TFLs in addition to his sack but is now out for the season after tearing his triceps.
Grade: A-
Linebacker
Nakobe Dean: 8 tackles, 1 sack, 2 TFLs, 1 FR
It was a relatively quiet night for Zack Baun, who had just three combined tackles. But on a night where Baun didn’t fill up the stat sheet, Nakobe Dean was able to. His sack came on a perfectly timed zone blitz and Dean again showed the ability to finish. His tackles for loss were also fun plays with Dean running downhill.
Grade: A
Secondary
Cooper DeJean: 6 tackles, 2 PBUs
Matthew Stafford ended up throwing for 243 yards and Puka Nacua had 117 of them. But the Eagles were on the wrong end of two very questionable DPI calls. And they were able to slow down an offense that was very dynamic entering this game. It wasn’t a perfect game but it was still an impressive showing for this group. Cooper DeJean was extremely active and his pass breakups were big plays. Darius Slay left the game with a concussion and was replaced by Isaiah Rodgers. The Rams targeted Rodgers quite a bit when he saw action.
Grade: B+
Special teams
Jake Elliott: 3/3 on FGs, 4/4 on PATs
After a really rough showing against the Commanders last week, Jake Elliott was perfect inside at SoFi Stadium. Braden Mann’s only punt was a 54-yarder. Britain Covey took back his role as a punt returner and had an 8-yard return. It was mostly a quiet day for the Eagles’ special teams.
Grade: A
Coaching
Record: 9-2
The sequence at the end of the first half was not good and it’s the kind of time and situational mismanagement that could eventually bit the Eagles. But that’s the only thing keeping them from a standard A. Vic Fangio really adjusted in this one. After the Eagles gave up 117 yards in the first quarter, they held the Rams to -6 in the second quarter. Kellen Moore also deserves credit for sticking with the run because it eventually paid off in a major way.
Grade: A–
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