Eagles vs. Rams score, takeaways: A.J. Brown goes off again as Philly moves to 5-0 for second straight year

Brown has 125-plus receiving yards for the third straight game

A.J. Brown said his favorite Philadelphia Phillies player is Bryce Harper. Brown certainly plays like Harper in October, as he finished with six catches for 127 yards to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 23-14 victory over the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on Sunday. The Eagles are 5-0 for the second consecutive year, the first Super Bowl runner-up to win their first five games of the season since the 1991 Buffalo Bills. 

Brown was the catalyst toward the Eagles taking the lead for good. Getting the ball down, 14-10, with 32 second left in the first half, Brown made a one-handed catch for a 36-yard gain -- combined with a 15-yard penalty by the Rams -- to get the Eagles to the Rams' 15. A pass interference penalty got the Eagles to the 1-yard line (on a pass intended for Brown), and they scored on the next play to take a 17-14 lead at the half.

The Eagles took the lead for good thanks to the "Tush Push," which is how Jalen Hurts scored to close out the half. Philadelphia was 4 of 6 on the "Tush Push" in the game and is 13 of 16 (82.1%) on the season, but converted the first four attempts. Hurts finished 25 of 38 for 303 yards with a touchdown and an interception, along with 13 carries for 70 yards and a score. Dallas Goedert, who caught a touchdown on the opening possession, finished with eight catches for 117 yards. 

The Rams (2-3) took the lead for the only time in the second quarter, as Cooper Kupp got the Rams deep into Philly territory with a 39-yard catch. That play set up Puka Nacua to give the Rams the lead with a 22-yard catch to put Los Angeles up, 14-10, with 32 seconds left in the first half. 

Los Angeles got eight catches for 118 yards from Kupp in his return and seven catches for 71 yards and a score from Nacua. The Rams were held to just 81 yards in the second half (31 in the final minute when game was decided), punting the ball three times and having a turnover on downs. Jalen Carter and Haason Reddick each had two sacks for the Eagles, with Reddick having consecutive sacks in the fourth quarter to seal the win. 

Takeaways from this game are below, and a review of this game can be found in our live blog as well. 

Why the Eagles won

Sean Desai's defense made crucial adjustments in the second half to get the Eagles a victory. The Eagles defense allowed zero points in the second half and 50 yards on the first four possessions (final possession was garbage time in the final minute), holding the Rams offense to three punts and a turnover on downs. Jalen Carter and Haason Reddick each had two sacks as Desai dialed up pressure throughout the final 30 minutes. The Eagles also controlled the ball for 37:55, keeping Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua off the field. Time of possession and defensive adjustments were the difference. 

Why the Rams lost

The Rams scored 14 points in the first half, but were held scoreless in the second half as the offensive line couldn't protect Matthew Stafford (18 pressures, four sacks allowed) and the defensive line had issues stopping the Eagles on third down (Eagles were 13 of 18). Los Angeles couldn't run the ball efficiently either (54 yards, 3.9 yards per carry) and the Rams only scored on six of eight possessions (touchdowns on two of the first three possessions). The defense also couldn't get off the field, as the Eagles had the ball for almost 38 minutes and scored on five of eight possessions. 

Turning point 

A.J. Brown was the catalyst toward the Eagles taking the lead for good, singlehandedly making sure the Eagles scored in just 32 seconds on four plays. Down 14-10 with just 32 seconds left in the first half, Brown made a one-handed catch for a 36-yard gain -- combined with a 15-yard penalty by the Rams -- to get the Eagles to the Rams' 15. A pass interference penalty got the Eagles to the 1-yard line (on a pass intended for Brown), and they scored on the next play to take a 17-14 lead at the half. Brown was responsible for 65 of the 75 yards in 32 seconds, while Hurts had the other 10. 

Play of the game

Brown's one-handed catch with 17 seconds left in the first half went for 38 yards on a perfect throw from Hurts. To add more yardage to the play, 14 yards were tacked on after Derion Kendrick had a 14-yard horse collar tackle to bring Brown down. Brown, who finished with 127 yards, set the Eagles up for the go-ahead score.

One-handed catch and a gain of 36 for AJ Brown 😮 @1kalwaysopen_

📺: #PHIvsLAR on FOX
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/LxW25sxPWA pic.twitter.com/F5TPweuFr8

— NFL (@NFL) October 8, 2023

The quote

"I'm not going to hide my emotions. It's fun. I can't make plays anymore doing anything, so I celebrate when our guys make big time plays." -- Nick Sirianni on his sideline celebrations when the Eagles make a big play or score points after the game." 

Up next

The Eagles (5-0) travel to New York to face the Jets (2-3) while the Rams (2-3) host the Cardinals (1-4). Both games are next Sunday at 4:25 p.m.

[Oct 8, 2023 at 7:05 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

Philadelphia was 4 of 6 on the "tush push" in the game and is 13 of 16 (82.1%) on the season. 

[Oct 8, 2023 at 6:42 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

The Eagles didn't even try to score a TD on that red zone possession. 2 of 5 in the red zone. They're up 23-14 with under five seconds left.

Up to the defense for another stop in a two score game. 

[Oct 8, 2023 at 6:37 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

Dallas Goedert is having himself a game. Catching and blocking.

He set up that Swift third down run. 

[Oct 8, 2023 at 6:29 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

The Eagles defense does get another stop.

Matthew Stafford missed a TD throw to Tutu Atwell, but a stop (again) is a stop. 

[Oct 8, 2023 at 6:22 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

Quez Watkins was wide open in the middle of the end zone for the TD. That's a bad non read by the Eagle sthere and they'll only get 3. Up to the defense now.

It's 20-14 with 12:29 left.  

[Oct 8, 2023 at 6:17 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

We're through 3 quarters and A.J. Brown is taking over this game. Same with the Eagles offensive line. They're having their way in the second half. 

[Oct 8, 2023 at 6:04 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

The Eagles were a recovered fumble away from another timely takeaway from Sean Desai's defense. Rams will punt. 

[Oct 8, 2023 at 5:55 pm ET · Jeff Kerr]

Something about some of these Jalen Hurts throws to the right endzone this year.

That's one he certainly would like to have back. Just a misfire.