Rams-Eagles takeaways: Questionable coaching decisions nearly derail Philadelphia

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore stubbornly called dropbacks for Hurts initially after his injury, which resulted in a Rams safety that cut the deficit to one, 16-15.

The Eagles need Hurts as close to 100 percent as possible to beat the Commanders. We’ve already seen what can happen if he isn’t. Hurts left Philadelphia’s 36-33 Week 16 loss to Washington after suffering a concussion in the first half.

Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels led the Commanders to the winning score with six seconds remaining despite Washington having five turnovers. Philadelphia’s chances of winning could hinge on Hurts’ leg.

Game MVP: Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter

This could have gone to running back Saquon Barkley, who had an astounding 205 rushing yards. Instead, we’ll give Carter love for carrying the Eagles to victory.

He did so literally in the first quarter when he lifted Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford for the first of his two sacks.

Then, with 1:14 left in the fourth quarter and the Rams facing a 3rd-and-2 from Philadelphia’s 11-yard line in a six-point game, 28-22, Carter used a swim move to get past his blocker and sacked Stafford for a nine-yard loss.

Stafford threw an incomplete pass out of bounds on fourth down to seal Philadelphia’s win. 

Per Pro Football Focus, Carter led the Eagles with six total pressures. He was also a force against the run, credited with three stops, which PFF defines as tackles that constitute a failure for the offense, and forced a fumble two plays after Los Angeles’ safety to set up an Eagles field goal.

It’s entirely possible — likely, even — that the Eagles would have lost Sunday’s game without Carter being a one-man wrecking crew.

Quote: ‘I tell ya, it took a lot of guts to take the ball out of Saquon’s hand on second down there’

The Eagles survived despite some horrific coaching.

As mentioned earlier, Moore’s playcalling immediately following Hurts’ leg injury was questionable, at best. But that almost paled in comparison to a questionable second-down call with under three minutes in the fourth quarter.

Moore called a bootleg for Hurts, which the Rams blew up for a 12-yard loss, setting up a 3rd-and-19. The Eagles called a safe run up the middle and punted, setting up the wild finish and Carter’s late-game heroics.

As the Eagles punt unit took the field, NBC color commentator Cris Collinsworth questioned Moore and head coach Nick Sirianni’s decision to take the ball out of Barkley’s hands with the season on the line.

“I tell ya, it took a lot of guts to take the ball out of Saquon’s hand on second down there,” Collinsworth said. “Guts” isn’t the word we’d use to describe it, but point taken.

Barkley was unreal in the win, recording two long runs, one from 62 yards in the first quarter, and a 78-yarder to give the Eagles a 28-15 lead in the fourth.

The Eagles have a solid blueprint for winning games: run the ball with Barkley and rely on the league’s best defense. Why is that so hard for Sirianni and Moore to understand? They got cute against the Rams, and it nearly cost them.

Philadelphia has the recipe to win a Super Bowl, but its coaching staff cannot get out of its own way. If the Eagles fall short, it will likely be because Moore and Sirianni do more “gutsy” things instead of keeping it simple.