Rams gift Eagles a victory sets stage for greater success in 2025

The LA Rams defense sacked Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts seven times. The same defense managed to get a safety against the Eagles. But in the end, the Rams' defense simply had no answer for running back Saquon Barkley. In Week 12, Barkley rushed for 255 yards and two touchdowns. In this game, Barkley ran 26 times for 205 yards and two touchdowns. Two games, 460 rushing yards, and four touchdowns.

And yet, the Rams were very much in the game.

Veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford completed 26 of 44 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns. LA Rams RB Kyren Williams rushed just 19 times for 106 yards. The Rams offense was able to move the football. By the end of the game, there was no clear advantage for either team in terms of Time of Possession. So what was the true difference maker in this game?

The LA Rams offense lost two fumbles in consecutive offensive series. While the Rams defense kept the Eagles from scoring a touchdown, those turnovers directly led to two consecutive Eagles field goals. That is six points that the Rams gifted to the Eagles. And the winning margin in the game was:

Six points.

The Rams made it a point to improve their ability to create turnovers. And the team ended the regular season with a +6 in net turnovers. Unfortunately, the Eagles ended the regular season with a +11 in net turnovers. And two giveaways proved to be the difference in the game.

Of course, there are more factors at work in the details of any NFL game that complicates simply viewing turnovers as the end-all in determining the game outcome. The Eagles had three explosive plays. The Rams offense, while effective, left plenty of yards and points on the football field because receivers struggled to catch a cold and slick football:

What it comes down to is the Rams being the better team in nasty weather, a hostile football stadium, three time zones difference, and thousands of miles from home. The game came down to the final possession deep in the opponent's territory.

But this is not a wudda, cudda, shudda themed article. It's the exact opposite. Coming off an oh-so-close loss on the road in 2020 led the Rams to win Super Bowl LVI. How can we view losing an oh-so-close game on the road in 2024 to any different outcome? The team has seven draft picks in the 2025 NFL Draft (including a Round 1 pick), has sufficient cap space, and the team is loaded with talented and now playoff-experienced young players:

Do the Rams need to bolster the roster? Yes. Does this team have the resources to do so? Absolutely. And therein lies the light at the end of a dark tunnel.

The team fought adversity all season long. At some point, the team's resiliency had to falter. This is a young team that just won the NFC West Division, despite plenty of preseason skeptics and projections. The team fought through injuries, reconfiguring the starters and the entire roster, and ended the season with questions and concerns about some key positions.

But they ended just one big play away from advancing to the NFC Championship Game.

The team has a formidable defensive front. They combined in the 2025 NFL Playoffs to put up 16 quarterback sacks in just two games, against two of the best NFL offensive lines. That's only going to become better as young players develop, get stronger, and gain more experience. And the team's secondary finally began to take shape later in the season.

The team needs some offensive weapons and a couple of key contributors on defense to top off the Rams roster. Yes, the Rams lost in the 2025 NFL Playoffs. But the future has never been brighter.

As always, thanks for reading.

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