PHILADELPHIA — The Eagles had the Rams beaten.
Then they didn’t.
A 20-10 halftime lead became a 24-20 loss to the Los Angeles Rams Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, dropping the Eagles to 2-2 with consecutive defeats and a long flight to London coming up.
They overcame a roster that seemed to lose another starter every few series. They intercepted Matthew Stafford twice. They led by two scores with less than four minutes left. But still lost.
Here are five things we learned:
1. Halftime is hazardous
Whatever the Eagles are doing at halftime, they might want to try something else.
They have been outscored 54-20 in the second half through four games. Worse, they have been blanked 31-0 in the second half of their two losses.
“When it’s good, it’s great. And when it’s not good, it’s just a little stagnant,” said Cam Jurgens, who has been playing left guard instead of his usual spot at center, with Landon Dickerson out and Drew Kendall inserted at center,
“We’re not able to build on things,” Jurgens said.
Jalen Hurts had just 10 passing yards after halftime Sunday. The Eagles’ five full second-half possessions ended punt, downs, punt, downs, punt. Then, trailing 24-20 with 1:10 remaining, Hurts was sacked twice on their last gasp.
“Poor execution,” Hurts said. “Poor execution. Yeah, poor execution. I don’t think there’s any other way to put it.”
At some point, a trend becomes an identity. Right now, the Eagles are a lousy second-half football team.
Running back Saquon Barkley (26) of the Philadelphia Eagles is evaluated by the medical staff during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
2. Lane’s absence looms large
Lane Johnson was expected to play. Then, roughly two hours before kickoff, the Eagles listed him as questionable because of a personal matter. Ninety minutes before kickoff, he was inactive.
That left rookie third-round pick Markel Bell (6-foot-9, 345 pounds) making his first NFL start at right tackle. Bell battled, as coach Nick Sirianni put it, but the Rams knew exactly where to attack. They blitzed Hurts heavily and kept Bell on his heels.
He ostensibly was drafted to be Johnson’s eventual replacement, but he was tossed into the fire sooner than expected.
“I can only attest to the guys that were on the field,” left tackle Jordan Mailata said when asked about Johnson. “I don’t like playing those sort of what-ifs, or could-have-done-this, should-have-done-this.”
Johnson’s situation is bigger than one game. He also missed time during training camp because of a personal family matter, and he has missed games in the past due to anxiety and depression. It’s unclear if Sunday’s absence was related to any of those issues or if Johnson will even be back.
“We’ll see where we are,” Sirianni said when asked whether Johnson would return.
Johnson is 36 and said this summer that this season is “probably” his last. The Eagles already are without backup tackle Fred Johnson because of a knee injury. If Lane Johnson misses more time, an offensive line already searching for consistency suddenly has another large problem.
“It’s football. It’s always the next man up,” Jurgens said. “It’s tough because that’s one of our brothers. We miss him out there.”
Philadelphia Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson speaks with reporters inside the media tent at Jefferson Health Training Complex on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2026, in Philadelphia. (Getty Images)
3. Sirianni rolled snake eyes
Nick Sirianni has built much of his coaching identity around aggression. Sometimes you live by it. Sometimes you leave three points lying on the grass and watch Matthew Stafford drive 98 yards the other way.
Leading 20-10 in the fourth quarter, the Eagles reached the Rams’ 2-yard line. A field goal would have made it 23-10. Instead, Sirianni went for it on fourth-and-2. Hurts passed incomplete after the Birds had just driven 62 yards on 10 straight runs.
“In that situation right there, try to make it a three-score game,” Sirianni said. “We would’ve gone up 13, but I wanted to make it a three-score game right there.”
There is logic to that. A touchdown makes it 27-10. Failure pins Los Angeles against its own goal line. But there also was an old-fashioned option available: Take the points and change the complexion of the game.
And then the defense allowed a reinvigorated Rams squad to go 98 yards for a touchdown and suddenly trailed only 20-17.
It was Sirianni’s second failed fourth-down gamble. Late in the third quarter, the Eagles tried the tush push on fourth-and-1 from their own 38 and got stuffed. Sirianni didn’t dodge responsibility.
“You go for it and you get it, great,” he said. “You go for it and you don’t get it, that’s on the head coach. We didn’t get it, so that’s on me.”
Wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) of the Los Angeles Rams jumps into the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
4. This offense is lost
The Eagles gained just 172 yards. They made only 12 first downs. Hurts threw for just 93 yards. They went 0-for-12 on third down.
That is not one busted play or one missed block. It is systemic failure. The Eagles also went 0-for-5 on third down in the second half against Chicago, meaning they have failed on 17 consecutive third-down attempts over the last six quarters.
Sirianni spread the responsibility among players and coaches. Sean Mannion’s offense remains without a clear identity four games into the season. The under-center and play-action game that was supposed to become a larger part of the offense has come and gone. The outside-zone running game flashed Sunday, then faded. Protection broke down when the Rams blitzed.
Sirianni acknowledged the obvious when asked what the offense’s identity is.
“It hasn’t been good enough,” he said. “It’s obvious that we’re still trying to figure that out.”
Four games isn’t a season. But it is no longer training camp, either.
“I’m just sick,” Jurgens said. “I’m sick we lost this game the way we did and just weren’t good enough.”
The Eagles are a quarter of the way home and still asking who they are.
Running back Kyren Williams (23) of the Los Angeles Rams dives into the end zone for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday, Oct. 4, 2026. (Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
5. The infirmary is filling up
The Eagles entered Sunday without DeVonta Smith (hamstring), Zack Baun (concussion), Marcus Epps (groin), Hollywood Brown (ankle), Fred Johnson (knee) and Dallas Goedert (knee). Plus Lane Johnson’s late scratch.
Then the game started.
Saquon Barkley injured his right hamstring after two carries and was ruled out. Quinyon Mitchell suffered a knee injury and did not return. Jonathan Greenard, only recently back from a pectoral injury, left with an ankle injury and was ruled out. Tank Bigsby (hip) needed help off the field late. Cooper DeJean (undisclosed) and Drew Kendall (undisclosed) also made trips to the medical tent before returning.
That is how you wind up trying to protect a lead against Stafford and Puka Nacua with pieces disappearing by the quarter.
“You could ask me that question if we had 30 guys down,” Sirianni said. “I’m never going to use anything as an excuse.”
Fair enough. Injuries didn’t make the Eagles go 0-for-12 on third down. Injuries didn’t force them to leave three points on the field. But with the Jacksonville Jaguars coming up in London, the Eagles’ health might determine how quickly they can fix everything else.
Notes
• Darius Cooper caught three passes for 33 yards, but two went for touchdowns. Three of his first four receptions this season have gone for scores.
• Andrew Mukuba intercepted Stafford on the Rams’ opening possession and returned it 21 yards. It was his third career interception.
• Cooper DeJean added another interception late in the first half. The Eagles entered the game without a takeaway this season and got two Sunday.
• Jake Elliott hit from 29 and 56 yards. He is 2-for-2 from 50-plus this season and owns a franchise-record 35 field goals from at least 50 yards, including the playoffs.
• Britain Covey had a 41-yard punt return that set up Cooper’s first touchdown. It was his longest punt return since his career-high 54-yarder against the Giants on Christmas Day 2023.
• Jeremiah Trotter Jr., starting for Baun and finished with a career-high and game-high 15 tackles. He missed a big one at the end, but overall was effective.
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Follow Christiaan DeFranco on X and Threads at @the_defranc.