As a wise man once said following an improbable outcome: “THAT is why you play the game.”
Back in September if you’d predicted the reigning Super Bowl champion Eagles would come to L.A. and knock off the Rams no one would’ve questioned your sanity. But by the time they finally squared off last night those summer days filled with optimism were long forgotten as winter neared.
As far as most were concerned the 6-7 Eagles might as well have cancelled the trip, since there was simply no way they could win this game. Not with a beleaguered, battered defense having to go against Jared Goff, Todd Gurley and that high powered 11-2 Rams’ offense. Not with an offense that has sputtered most of the season.
Just no way!
Only don’t tell that to Nick Foles and Doug Pederson, who—at least on this night—rediscovered the magic that brought the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Philadelphia. With them doing their thing and the defense rising to the occasion—at least for the first three quarters-- the 13-point underdog Eagles shocked the Rams and the rest of the football world, 30-23, to keep their faint post-season hopes alive for at least another week.
Stepping into the fray for the first time since a 27-21 loss in Tampa Bay Sept. 16, Foles seemed almost as if he’d never been away. With Carson Wentz out due a broken vertebra in his back which wasn’t discovered until this week, Foles ran the offense efficiently.
He said trusting his teammates and not letting the moment get too big was the key. “When I’m called upon I have to trust my instincts, lean on my teammates and realize I’m not out there alone,” said Foles, who went 24-for-31 for 270 yards--160 of them to Alshon Jeffery-- in a performance reminiscent of his and the Eagles’ Super Bowl run. “Just simplify what’s going on in my head.
“I always say ‘Stay in the moment. Tomorrow will take care of itself.’”
Mixing in a solid running game with pinpoint passing—other than one ill-advised red zone interception that could’ve proven disastrous--Foles had the Rams off balance from the start. That set up two early Jake Elliott field goals, Josh Adams’ six-yard touchdown run late in the half, followed by third quarter scoring runs of nine and four yards by Wendell Smallwood.
Yes, that’s the same Wendell Smallwood who’d virtually disappeared from the lineup, carrying the ball just four times for three yards over the previous five weeks. But he turned into a battering ram against Aaron Donald and the NFC West champs, rumbling for 48 yards on 10 carries and those two touchdowns.
Still, it got hairy at the end when that Aqib Talib interception--right when the Eagles were on the verge of turning what was already a seemingly comfortable 30-13 cushion into a blowout--ignited the home team. The Rams desperately fought back against a Philadelphia defense that has had fourth quarter issues all season, closing the gap with a field goal and touchdown to make it 30-23.
Ultimately it came down to one last play, as the Rams—without a timeout in the final 1:08—worked their way to the Eagles 18 with :04 left. But with the game on the line the defense put enough pressure on Goff to force him to overthrow his man in the end zone as time ran out.
So the 7-7 Eagles stay alive for another week, though their task remains challenging. Even if they do their part—beat the 10-4 Texans in their home finale, then take care of the Redskins in Washington to finish 9-7--they still need help.
For them to win the NFC East the 8-6 Cowboys must lose both at home against Tampa Bay, then against the Giants at the Meadowlands. To make it as a wild card there are a few possibilities, two of three of which would have to happen. The 7-6-1 Vikings must lose to either the Lions on the road or Bears at home. The 8-6 Seahawks, who’d hold the tiebreaker, would have to lose to both the Chiefs and Cardinals, both at home. And/or the 6-7 Panthers, who host the Saints tonight and travel to New Orleans in week 17, have to either lose one of those or to Atlanta at home next week.
Knowing they were back in that familiar role of underdogs the Eagles--literally--stole a page from their Super Bowl playbook of last season for motivation. “At the end of the day if we want to continue to play and we want our dreams to continue we’ve got to take it,” said safety Malcolm Jenkins, symbolically wearing a ski mask rather than a dog mask. “That’s why you see the ski mask, because we have the mentality we have to steal whatever it is we want.
“Nobody says it’s going to be easy. We’re fine with doing something extraordinary. We’ve been dealing with adversity all year. We’ve just found a way to continue to fight and trust each other.
“That’s been our mantra all year, even last year.”
No, it won’t be easy. But already they’ve accomplished what figures to be the hardest thing: beating the Rams in L.A. Should this be the start of another late-season surge, it's only fitting that Foles be the one at the helm. Of course, it was at this same Coliseum just over a year ago where Wentz blew out his knee and Foles came to the rescue to finish off the victory that clinched the NFC East.
Now it’s happened again, rekindling playoff hopes that seemed all but extinguished. Two weeks from now—perhaps sooner if it goes bad next week against Houston—the roller-coaster fate of these Eagles will finally be sealed.
In the meantime, as bumpy as it is, enjoy the ride.
