The Los Angeles Rams entered their “Sunday Night Football” game against the Philadelphia Eagles with an opportunity. Win, and they would be tied atop the NFC West.
They couldn’t capitalize on the opportunity. Instead, they were trampled by Saquon Barkley in a 37-20 blowout.
The Eagles (9-2), meanwhile, extended their win streak to seven games and further distanced themselves from their closest competition in the NFC East. The win — coupled with the Washington Commanders’ wild loss to the Dallas Cowboys earlier on Sunday — builds a two-and-a-half-game advantage in the division with six weeks left to play. The Eagles remain in contention for the NFC’s top playoff seed, as well, sitting a game behind the Detroit Lions (10-1).
Barkley’s performance certainly will boost his MVP candidacy — if voters are willing to select a player who isn’t a quarterback for the award. Barkley rushed for a career-high 255 yards (that’s the ninth-best single-game total all-time) and scored two touchdowns.
With the Seattle Seahawks’ win over the Arizona Cardinals (both teams are now 6-5), the Rams (5-6) entered Sunday night’s game with a chance to move into a first-place tie in the division. Instead, they will hope to stay within contention until the season’s final weeks when they play both the Cardinals (Week 17) and Seahawks (Week 18).
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
NFL NEWSLETTER: Sign up now to get football news delivered to your inbox
Saquon Barkley put the game away, and attained a career high for rushing yards in a game (255), with a 72-yard touchdown run. It was his second 70-plus yard touchdown run of the game. This one sealed the Eagles’ ninth win of the season.
After an offensive pass interference call on Puka Nacua set up a third-and-19, Williams got pressure on Matthew Stafford. He found his way into the backfield behind Jalen Carter and Milton Williams forced the ball out of Stafford’s hands.
Los Angeles center Beaux Limmer recovered the ball, but the Rams were forced to punt rather than try to go for it on fourth-and-33. Time is running out for Los Angeles to make the comeback with 5:13 left in regulation.
Matthew Stafford found Tutu Atwell for a 7-yard gain on fourth-and-3. The Rams remain alive, trailing by 16 with about seven minutes left in regulation.
The Rams couldn’t stop the Eagles from scoring, but they held them to a field goal. Jake Elliott made another chip shot, his third of the night, to give the Eagles a 30-14 lead with 10:30 left in the fourth quarter.
The Rams nearly got the three-and-out they needed after their missed field goal. Instead, Jalen Hurts threw an accurate pass downfield to A.J. Brown, who about doubled the length of the reception with a nice after-catch run.
The Eagles offense now has 376 yards and counting to the Rams’ 199. If the Eagles can score again, it will be hard for Los Angeles to get back into the contest, which Philadelphia currently leads 27-14.
Joshua Karty was called upon to try a long field goal after the Rams’ red zone drive stalled out. He missed the kick right, marking the third consecutive game in which he had missed a field goal.
The Rams offense made Karty’s first attempt of the game more difficult after committing a 10-yard holding penalty on third-and-3 and allowing Matthew Stafford to be sacked on the ensuing third-and-13. Now, it will be on their defense to prevent the Eagles from extending their 13-point lead.
The Rams decided to go for it on fourth-and-1 from midfield. Rather than run Kyren Williams up the middle, Los Angeles ran a play-action pass. Matthew Stafford his Puka Nacua for a gain, and the receiver ran with Isaiah Rodgers on his back for a 29-yard gain.
The Rams are now on the 21-yard line, threatening to score again. Meanwhile, the Eagles are tending to an injury to edge rusher Josh Sweat.
NBC announcer Mike Tirico revealed on air that he is nursing a torn Achilles. The broadcast showed an angle from inside the booth that revealed he has a boot on his left foot. He assured viewers that he is doing OK.
Tirico did not clarify exactly when he had suffered the injury.
After a 31-yard gain from Saquon Barkley on a screen pass, the Eagles put Kenneth Gainwell into the game to spell him. Gainwell got a carry on the next play and dodged a couple of Rams tacklers on a middle-of-the-field run to get his first touchdown of the season.
Jake Elliott converted the extra point to extend Philadelphia’s lead to 27-14.
Darius Slay suffered a concussion that will keep him out of the remainder of Sunday’s game, USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon reports.
Slay left the field after tackling Rams tight end Colby Parkinson following a 10-yard game. He was seen walking without his helmet on the sideline and didn’t return for the rest of the drive.
Slay was replaced by backup cornerback Isaiah Rodgers. The veteran from UMass was called for pass interference and then gave up a 2-yard touchdown.
The Rams answer the Eagles’ half-opening score. After a first-and-goal run by Kyren Williams was stuffed, the Rams ran a quick pass to Demarcus Robinson with Matthew Stafford rolling to his right. Robinson broke away from cornerback Isaiah Rodgers and made the catch in the end zone with ease.
Los Angeles is now trailing 20-14 and has reversed the trend of its negative-yardage second quarter.
Stafford and the Rams are looking to answer Saquon Barkley’s touchdown, and he connected with Puka Nacua on a beautiful pass to get into Eagles territory.
Matthew Stafford feathered the ball into an incredibly small window between Darius Slay and the sideline. Nacua made the grab going to the ground despite Slay interfering with him. The entire sequence drew an amazed reaction from color commentator Cris Collinsworth, who credited Stafford for being able to thread the needle on the throw.
The Eagles started the second half with a bang. Saquon Barkley found a hole on the right side of the offensive line and burst through the middle of it untouched. That turned the game quickly, as the Rams are now trailing by 13 points.
The 70-yard scoring scamper represents the second longest rushing touchdown of Barkley’s NFL career. Barkley is now up to 143 yards on 14 carries, good for a 10.2 yards per carry average.
Brandon Graham moved up to No. 3 all-time on the Eagles’ all-time sack leaders list with his first-half sack against Matthew Stafford. Below is a look at the top-five sack men in franchise history:
No other players in Eagles franchise history have more than 57.5 total sacks to their names.
Below is a look at the Eagles’ statistical leaders at halftime of their Week 12 game against the Rams:
Below is a look at the Rams’ statistical leaders at halftime of their Week 12 game against the Eagles:
The Eagles inexplicably tried to run the ball on a fourth-and-11 with seven seconds left in the first half and failed to convert. That gave Matthew Stafford a chance to take a shot at the end-zone with just two seconds left in the half.
The issue? Stafford didn’t have the time needed to get a pass off. Josh Sweat got pressure on him quickly and brought him down before Stafford could escape. That allowed the Eagles to take a 13-7 lead into the second half, where Philadelphia will get the ball first.
The Eagles’ pass rush is starting to become an issue for the Rams. Nakobe Dean came on a blitz and de-cleated Kyren Williams before wrapping up Matthew Stafford for a loss of eight yards.
The Rams waved the white flag on the drive following that sack, running the ball and punting it back to the Eagles, who will have 26 seconds left to try to get into scoring range.
The Eagles finally scored their first touchdown on their third red-zone drive of the day. Jalen Hurts found A.J. Brown open breaking toward the left side of the end zone, and the veteran wide out managed to catch the pass, get two feet down and take a step before defensive back Quentin Lake punched it out of his hands.
The play was initially called an incomplete pass but replay review ruled that Brown had completed the process of the catch. That, plus an extra point, gave the Eagles their first lead of the game, 13-7, with 1:27 left in the first half.
Brandon Graham, a 36-year-old veteran who has spent his entire 15-year career with the Eagles, continues to make plays in the 206th game of his career. He brings down Matthew Stafford to bring his career sack total to 77.5 and forces the Rams to punt.
Graham put a solid hit on Stafford and avoided a body-weight penalty while sending the quarterback to the ground.
The Eagles once again stalled in the red zone and were whistled for three penalties on their final set of downs before settling for a field goal. Jake Elliott once again made the kick and cut the Rams’ lead to one with 6:17 left in the first half.
Saquon Barkley took a hard shot on a 3-yard run early in Philadelphia’s second drive of the second quarter. He was able to walk off the field under his own power, but his status will be worth monitoring. He was replaced in the contest by Kenneth Gainwell.
Barkley returned to the contest seven plays later.
Puka Nacua nearly made a spectacular catch on second-and-4 for the Rams, but he couldn’t reel in a one-handed grab going to the ground. Matthew Stafford threw consecutive incompletions to end the drive, and Los Angeles kicked the ball back to Philadelphia.
The Eagles will start their next drive with good field position on their own 36-yard line.
The Eagles couldn’t follow up their first-drive success with a quality second drive. Jalen Hurts was chased down by Rams rookie second-round pick Braden Fiske, who brought him down for a loss of 12 yards on third-and-6.
Los Angeles brought the return back to their own 21-yard line, where the Rams will look to continue their offensive success from the first couple of drives.
Los Angeles is defending its home field well through one quarter. The Rams racked up 117 yards of offense in the first half and reached the red zone on each of their two drives. They are averaging 8.4 yards per play compared to 6.7 for the Eagles in what is shaping up to be an offensive battle.
Jalen Hurts (5-of-5, 47 yards) has yet to throw an incompletion while Matthew Stafford is 5-of-7 for 56 yards through the air and ran for 15 yards on a scramble. Entering the game, Stafford had negative rushing yards for the season on 10 attempts.
Kyren Williams atones for his first drive fumble, taking a 1-yard carry into the end zone to give the Rams their first score of the day. It marks Williams’ first rushing touchdown since Los Angeles’ Week 7 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
Williams now has 45 yards and a score on six carries in the first quarter. He’s on pace for just his second 100-yard rushing game of the season.
Yes, the Chargers and Rams both call SoFi Stadium home. Rams owner Stan Kroenke built the stadium as part of the Rams’ move to Los Angeles in 2016 and has rented it to the Chargers since 2017.
It is one of two NFL stadiums that is home to two teams — MetLife Stadium, home of Giants and Jets — is the other.
Like the Rams, the Eagles weren’t able to find success in the red-zone after a quality opening drive. They settled for a 21-yard field goal that Jake Elliott made with ease to give Philadelphia a 3-0 lead.
Jalen Hurts went 4-of-4 passing for 43 yards on the opening drive while adding 11 yards on two carries. Saquon Barkley accounted for most of the rest of the offense, racking up 26 yards on five carries.
The Eagles gave long-time Baltimore Ravens left tackle Ronnie Stanley a shout out during their first drive against the Rams. As Jalen Hurts came to the line, he yelled Stanley’s name a couple of times, presumably to communicate a call to his offensive line.
The Rams had a nice first drive brewing, but Kyren Williams coughed up the ball on Los Angeles’ first red-zone play of the game. The Eagles jumped on it quickly to create the turnover.
Initially, the officials ruled that Williams was down by contact before the fumble. Nick Sirianni challenged the play — though the officials almost missed that he had thrown the red flag before the Rams quickly ran another play — and the call was overturned.
“Heaven Can Wait” is a 1978 sports fantasy movie about Joe Pendleton, a backup for the Los Angeles Rams, being mistakenly taken to Heaven by an inexperienced guardian angel who presumed he was meant to die in an accident. After the mistake is realized, Pendleton is transferred into a new body on Earth, that of multi-millionaire Leo Farnsworth. The story then follows Pendleton/Farnsworth’s efforts trying to get the Rams a Super Bowl, with him as a quarterback.
The movie was nominated for nine Academy Awards and was evidently a favorite of actor Rob Lowe. He cited it for inspiring his love of the Rams in a monologue during NBC’s “Football Night In America” pregame show.
The Rams and Eagles game will wrap up Sunday’s action for Week 12 of the 2024 NFL season with “Sunday Night Football” at 8:20 p.m. ET.
NBC will broadcast the Rams vs. Eagles Week 12 clash. Mike Tirico will handle play-by-play duties during the game, with Cris Collinsworth providing color commentary and Melissa Stark reporting from the sidelines during Rams vs. Eagles.
NBC’s weekly “Football Night in America” pregame show will begin at 7 p.m. ET and feature insight from a panel of analysts, including Maria Taylor, Jason Garrett, Chris Simms, Mike Florio, Devin McCourty, Tony Dungy, and more.
For cord cutters looking for a live stream for the matchup, you can turn to Fubo TV. Fubo TV carries NBC, as well as CBS, FOX, NFL Network and the ESPN family of networks, meaning you can catch NFL action through the remainder of the season.
Peacock, the proprietary streaming service of NBC, will also carry the game.
Here’s how the USA TODAY Sports staff feels the “SNF” matchup between LA and Philadelphia will turn out:
The Eagles are favorites to defeat the Rams, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024 including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
Not interested in this game? Our guide to NFL betting odds, picks and spreads has you covered with “Thursday Night Football” odds and “Monday Night Football” odds.
New to sports betting? USA TODAY readers can claim exclusive promos and bonus codes with the best online sportsbooks and sports betting sites.
FEELING LUCKY? Here are the best parlay bets and odds for NFL games this week
The Rams vs. Eagles game is being played at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California. SoFi Stadium is also home to the Los Angeles Chargers, who will host the Baltimore Ravens this week on “Monday Night Football.”
➤ Ranking NFL’s stadiums from 1 to 30: What we love (and hate) about league’s venues
SoFi Stadium has a roof, but it is an open-air stadium on the sides, meaning the weather could have a minor effect on Sunday night’s game.
It is expected to be 51 degrees during Sunday night’s game, per Weather.com. There is an 8% chance of rain, 4 mph of wind and it is expected to be cloudy and eventually foggy during the evening. Overall, the weather shouldn’t have a significant impact on the playing conditions, save for it being a bit chillier than usual on the field.
According to BetMGM Sportsbook, the Eagles have odds of -10000 to make the playoffs entering Week 12. That gives Philadelphia an implied probability of 99.01% to qualify for the postseason.
BetMGM Sportsbook has set the Rams’ odds to make the playoffs at +310. The sportsbook also offers odds for Los Angeles to miss the playoffs at -400.
BetMGM’s odds imply a 24.4% chance of making the postseason.
Philadelphia’s seven remaining opponents have a combined winning percentage of .486, per Tankathon. That gives the Eagles the 16th-toughest remaining schedule among the NFL’s 32 teams.
The Eagles have three games remaining against teams with three wins or fewer, so it’s easy to understand why NFL oddsmakers favor Philadelphia to make the postseason.
Below is a full look at the Eagles’ schedule:
With seven games left to play, Los Angeles has the 11th-hardest schedule remaining, according to Tankathon. Their upcoming opponents have a combined record of 39-29, good for a .542 win percentage.
In addition to three divisional games remaining against each NFC West team, the Rams will have to face a couple of tough opponents in the next three weeks. Los Angeles has to face two teams contending for the top seed in their respective conferences: the Eagles and the Bills. Once the Rams get through that, three of their final four games are against divisional opponents.
Here’s who the Rams will face over the final seven weeks:
If you’re looking for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year favorites, then Sunday night’s Rams-Eagles matchup is for you:
1. Jared Verse, DE, Los Angeles Rams (-190)
With his mix of pedigree and production, Verse is likely to be the favorite for the rest of the regular season.
2. Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Philadelphia Eagles (+320)
Mitchell doesn’t have the same production as other defensive backs but Philadelphia’s getting the attention needed to move him up the order.
3. Laiatu Latu, DE, Indianapolis Colts (+2000)
Latu’s pedigree has him third behind Verse and Mitchell but he’s pretty far out of it, barring a second-half surge in production this season.
View more rankings here.
The New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers are tied for the most Super Bowl wins with six.
Pittsburgh and Dallas have the unique distinction of playing each other more than any other team combination in Super Bowl history with three matchups.
The Rams have played in five Super Bowls — winning two, most recently Super Bowl 56 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Eagles have played in four Super Bowls — winning one against the New England Patriots in Super Bowl 52.
NFL franchises with most Super Bowl wins:
➤ Super Bowl winners: All-time scores, results for NFL title game
Do you like football? Then you’ll enjoy getting our NFL newsletter delivered to your inbox. 📲
Get the latest news, expert analysis, game insights and the must-see moments from the NFL conveniently delivered to your email inbox. Sign up now!
We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY operates independently, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.
Gannett may earn revenue from sports betting operators for audience referrals to betting services. Sports betting operators have no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. Terms apply, see operator site for Terms and Conditions. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, help is available. Call the National Council on Problem Gambling 24/7 at 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ, OH), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN). Must be 21 or older to gamble. Sports betting and gambling are not legal in all locations. Be sure to comply with laws applicable where you reside.
