Eagles grades: The Birds defense didn’t look good on the Rams’ first drive but bounced back

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in their 23-14 win over the Rams:

Jalen Hurts appeared to get his sea legs back and had a number of breath-taking runs — three that converted third downs. He finished with 15 carries for 72 yards and a touchdown. He was a little less efficient as a passer, but still threw for over 300 yards. He had a some tight-window tosses and mostly avoided negative-yard plays. His lone interception came on a back-shoulder pass that A.J. Brown didn’t look back for.

D’Andre Swift got the start, but Kenneth Gainwell got nearly as many snaps. Neither was very productive on the ground early. But the Eagles didn’t abandon the run and Swift had some big rushes in the second half. Both did well as receivers, too, with Swift catching six passes for 38 yards and Gainwell converting a third down after breaking a tackle.

Tight end Dallas Goedert was the go-to guy early, catching four passes for 45 yards and a touchdown on the Eagles’ opening drive. He later caught a 49-yard pass and finished with 100-plus yards receiving and easily his best game of the season, statistically speaking. Brown had a great sequence before the half that set up the Eagles’ second touchdown. He caught a 39-yard pass over the middle and drew a horse collar personal foul at the end of the run. A play later, the same Rams offender — cornerback Derion Kendrick — was called for pass interference on Brown in the end zone. Brown was just as elusive in the second half and finished with six catches for 127 yards. Quez Watkins was back after a two-game absence. He ran into a defender on a third-down screen rather than upfield behind his blocks. DeVonta Smith caught just 1 of 5 targets.

Sua Opeta had plenty of assistance, but the right guard, who filled up for the injured Cam Jurgens, kept Aaron Donald in check. It was a multi-lineman effort, though, with center Jason Kelce often sliding protection his way. Swift and Gainwell chipped in, as well. Donald had to be frustrated with his fellow D-linemen, who did little to get consistent pressure on Hurts. Tackles Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata were excellent on the edges and kept their quarterback clean. Landon Dickerson had a couple one-on-ones vs. Donald and held up well. He did take the Eagles’ lone holding penalty.

With Fletcher Cox sidelined with a back injury, Jalen Carter stepped up and notched two sacks. The defensive tackle used a devastating inside move before rag-dolling Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford to the turf. Josh Sweat was the Eagles’ next most effective D-lineman — until Haason Reddick exploded late. Sweat played a role on back-to-back third-down stops in the third quarter, hitting Stafford on the first and forcing a fumble — that the Rams recovered — on the second. Reddick sacked Stafford twice late in the game. Milton Williams didn’t show up much in the stat sheet, but he affected a number of plays. Jordan Davis clogged the middle and helped keep the Rams’ run offense in check. He had a tackle for loss on a third-down screen.

Nicholas Morrow and Zach Cunningham were decent against the run, and helped hold Rams tight end Tyler Higbee to just one catch. They came up short in a couple big spots. Morrow dropped a would-be interception after a James Bradberry pass breakup in the third. Cunningham got called for a face mask penalty that gifted the Rams a first down on third-and-26. The good news in both circumstances: the Rams failed to score points on either drive.

It was an early slog for the cornerbacks with the return of receiver Cooper Kupp. Sean Desai’s solution for his slot personnel was to rotate between Mario Goodrich, the recently-acquired Bradley Roby and rookie Eli Ricks. Goodrich and Ricks were shaky on the first drive, but Roby helped settle the group down. Darius Slay had his ups and downs. Kupp beat him in man coverage. But the Rams’ All-Pro went a long time after without a grab with Slay and Bradberry keeping the other receivers from going off.

The back end of the Eagles’ secondary kept the Rams from getting over the top. There were a few shot plays that Stafford just missed, but Reed Blankenship had another solid outing upon first glance. He did take an unnecessary horse collar penalty, but led the team in tackles with seven. Justin Evans was back in the lineup and was an immediate upgrade over his replacement, Terrell Edmunds.

Michael Clay’s cover units didn’t allow a long return. Jake Elliott made all his kicks — again. Braden Mann had just one punt, but it was a good one – a 41-yarder that was fair caught at the 9-yard line. Britain Covey had two punt returns for 35 yards.

Nick Sirianni was aggressive late in the first half with 32 seconds and three timeouts remaining and it paid off. He kicked a questionable 34-yard field goal rather than go for it on fourth-and-3. But the Eagles are 5-0 and a lot of the credit, obviously, goes to the head coach. It’s a good thing games aren’t decided after one drive. Desai’s plan for Kupp & Co. appeared doomed after the Rams’ opening drive, but the Eagles defense was mostly on point the rest of the way. The offense needs to get better in the red zone. Some of that falls on execution, or the lack of, but Brian Johnson’s calls down there have often lacked imagination. He has been much better in other situations and deserves credit for sticking with the run down the stretch.