Saquon Barkley could win NFL MVP after beating Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – Instant play grades for the Eagles’ 37-20 win over the Rams:

Defender: B+

Jalen Hurts Managed the game effectively and made big throws and runs when needed. He completed nearly 70 percent of his passes, threw a touchdown and didn’t commit a single turnover. Hurts also rushed for 39 yards on 11 carries. He converted one Touch Push and forced the Rams offsides in the fourth quarter with a fake sneak.

With wide receiver DeVonta Smith sidelined, Hurts leaned on the team. AJ Brownalthough he didn’t throw much. He may have looked at receiver Brown too long for his third down in the second quarter, but the play didn’t seem to force anyone else to get open. After completing the ride, he picked up the third player, his legs shaking. He did the same, losing another third just before the half.

” READ MORE: The Eagles made it clear Sunday night: They are a Super Bowl caliber team.

Running back: A+

Saquon Barkley has been the Eagles’ best player this season and could very well be the NFL’s MVP. He rushed for a career-high 255 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns of over 70 yards. Barkley also set a career record for most rushing yards in a season in the fourth quarter, surpassing his previous record of 1,312 yards set two seasons ago with the Giants in 16 games.

Barkley topped out at 21.38 mph on his first 70-yard touchdown, according to Next Gen Stats. It was his fifth game of the season in which he reached over 21 mph as a ball carrier, the most in the NFL.

He left briefly in the second quarter after being injured. A few series later, he started cooking and ran four times for 29 yards for a touchdown. As a receiver, Barkley converted a third down on a 31-yard pass in the third quarter.

Kenneth Gainwell finished with 22 yards on five carries. He had a 13-yard rushing touchdown in the third quarter when he eluded a pair of Rams defenders.

Ben Van Sumeren lined up at fullback and was the lead blocker on Barkley’s 9-yard run on the edge in the fourth quarter.

Receiver/Tight End: B

With Smith out with a hamstring injury, Brown received a lot of attention from the Rams. He still found a way to get open and, once he got the ball in his hands, gained several yards after the catch. Brown ended up making six catches on seven targets for 109 yards and a touchdown.

Brown started with a 19-yard interception grab. Later in the second quarter, he made a 27-yard catch and broke several tackles. He caught a 6-yard touchdown pass before the half in which he had both feet out of bounds before the ball was kicked out.

tight end Dallas Goedert had a relatively quiet night as a receiver. He caught four passes for 19 yards but helped as a blocker in the run game. Recipient Jahan Dotson often line up in the slot. Hurts didn’t target him much, but he moved the sticks with a 4-yard grab. In the second quarter, Dotson lined up in the neutral zone and was penalized. Recipient Johnny Wilson Shortly before the half, he drew a penalty for pass interference.

tight end Grant Calcaterra made some good passes in the run game and blocked outside linebacker Byron Young for Gainwell’s touchdown. C.J. Uzoma was called up from the practice squad as the third tight end. He had the lead block on Hurts’ 9-yard tying play on the Eagles’ first drive.

Offensive line: A

If the Rams defense was going to slow down the explosive offense, it needed its front to dominate. It didn’t come close to matching the Eagles’ all-time O-line. Jeff Stoutland’s unit kept Hurts under pressure most of the night (he was only sacked once) and opened up a lot of holes for Barkley to run through.

Left tackle Jordan Mailata he had a tough task against edge rusher Jared Wehrs. In the second quarter, the rookie tripped him up on a perfect snap, but Wehrs couldn’t get to Hurts for most of the game. Correct tackle Lane Johnson was almost perfect on his side. He kept Yang’s advantage in check.

Blocking the interior O-line movement was critical. Left back Landon Dickerson he had a key block at the second level that helped Barkley rush for his 70-yard touchdown to open the second half. He took the lead in the first half on Barkley’s 9-yard run up the middle. Center Cam Jurgens also played a major role in Barkley’s first long run when he blocked Rams D-lineman Michael Hecht. Right back Bellows Becton He had a good block on Barkley’s third down in the second quarter.

Defense line: B+

WITH Bryce Huff on injured reserve, defense Brandon Graham played more and the 36-year-old took up the challenge again. He left late in the game with an elbow injury. Hurts’ long conversation with Graham was an ominous sign of the severity of the injury. If that was how Graham’s career ended, it was a fitting way to go.

With starting right tackle Rob Havenstein inactive, Graham beat his replacement, Warren McClendon Jr., for a third down in the second quarter. He moved into third place all-time on the Eagles’ sack list. He recovered in the third quarter and hit cornerback Matthew Stafford on the next play.

The Rams doubled up on defense. Jalen Carter as often as they could. As a result, Carter didn’t get much of a mention on the stat sheet, but he paved the way for others to succeed. Defensive tackle Milton Williams was one of such beneficiaries. He won his one-on-one and hit Stafford for third down in the third quarter. He added a strip sack in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo made a tackle when he avoided a trap in the second quarter.

Defensive tackle Jordan Davis scored the middle against the move. Running back Kyren Williams had some early success on the ground, but when the Eagles took the lead in the second quarter, Stafford was forced to drop and throw frequently. Outside midfielder Nolan Smith helped to effectively establish an advantage before running.

Defensive end Josh Sweet got another chance to pounce on Stafford before halftime when the quarterback dropped a Hail Mary pass, but Sweat beat his punter for a sack, his seventh in eight games. Sweet left the game due to injury.

Midfielder: A-

Nakobe Dean there was a strong departure. He was strong against the run and made several tackles near the line. He led the Eagles with eight tackles. Dean recovered Williams’ fumble on the Rams’ first series. Dean had a tackle, but to no avail compared to Williams’ run in the second. Just before the half, he sacked Stafford on a blitz and after crushing Williams.

Zach Baun didn’t have as much possession as Dean, but he made three stops. He broke up a third-down pass to receiver Puka Nacua in the third quarter before the Eagles took a Rams penalty.

Cornerback: B

Darius Slay was in and out, leaving for good with a concussion in the third quarter. Slay was injured on the Rams’ opening drive when he ran into a defender and was injured. Reed Blankenship. The collision led to Williams’ 27-yard miss. He returned on the next possession and appeared to be late to cover Nacua on an 18-yard bare bootleg catch. Moments later, he was flagged for pass interference on receiver DeMarcus Robinson. On the next play, the Rams scored a rushing touchdown. In the second quarter, he broke up Nacua’s pass.

Isaiah Rogers Both times he was Slay’s replacement. He made Williams fumble the first time he was called upon. The second time the Rams went after him, they were successful. The cornerback was flagged for pass interference on Nacua’s deep pass in the end zone. It looked like Rodgers grabbed him by the jersey. A few plays later, Rodgers trailed Robinson with a short touchdown catch. He trailed Nacua on a 29-yard cross that converted on fourth down in the third quarter.

Stafford mostly stayed away from Quinion Mitchell. The cornerback did lose to receiver Tutu Atwell on a fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter. But Mitchell, who was fumbled once on a pass to a receiver he wasn’t covering, impressed again in his first season.

Fellow Newbie Cooper DeJean was almost Mitchell’s rival. He kept a pass to receiver Cooper Kupp with his cleats bare and added just 4 yards to the gain in the first quarter. A drive later, he broke up a pass to Kupp on third down. He knocked the ball away on a 50-50 Nacua pass in the fourth quarter.

Avonte Maddox played sparingly as a sixth defenseman in a penny lineup.

Safety: B+

C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Blankenship covered the deep post for most of the game as the Eagles appeared to be using a lot of double-height safety tackles. Gardner-Johnson stepped up and struck out Kupp, preventing a third-down conversion in the third quarter.

Blankenship stepped up and knocked Kupp out of the marker on third down in the fourth quarter. He injured his shoulder in a collision with Slay, but returned for the next series of defenses.

Special teams: A

Jake Elliott bounced back from one of the worst games of his career and made all his shots—three field goals and four extra points. However, he did not have an attempt longer than 33 yards. Britain Covey returned from a shoulder injury and returned to punt return duty. He had one return for 8 yards and two fair catches. The Eagles’ coverage units were fine.

Coaching: A

Nick Sirianni has the Eagles 9-2 and commanding the NFC East. Only the Lions are ahead of them in the conference at 10-1. Sirianni’s offense was mostly solid, and the defense was solid after adjustments in the first half. Sirianni nearly lost his mind when officials initially failed to see him throw a red challenge flag after Williams failed. But Sirianni was right in his challenge. He conservatively elected to kick a field goal at the Rams 3 late in that drive.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did another superb job of crafting plays. In the first half, he again did a good job of balancing the run game. Even though the Rams were in coverage against Brown, he still found ways to get the ball to his top receiver. Moore once brought him on the field against a Rams linebacker with a short lob. Two trips into the red zone in the first half resulted in field goals.

The Rams offense averaged 8.4 yards on its first two drives. But the defensive coordinator Vic Fangio made adjustments, mostly to their offense, and the Rams were down three going into the half and punted on their next three possessions. Fangio’s unit has since ranked among the top defenses in the NFL.