Eagles grades: Saquon Barkley might just be the NFL’s MVP after dominating the Rams

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Instant grades on the Eagles’ performance in a 37-20 win over the Rams:

Jalen Hurts managed the game efficiently and made big throws and runs when necessary. He completed nearly 70% of his passes, tossed a touchdown, and had no turnovers. Hurts also ran for 39 yards on 11 carries. He converted one Tush Push and got the Rams to jump offside in the fourth quarter on a fake sneak.

With receiver DeVonta Smith sidelined, Hurts leaned on A.J. Brown, even though he didn’t drop back to throw much. He might have stared down receiver Brown too long on a third-down sack in the second quarter, but the play also didn’t seem to scheme anyone else open. A drive later, he picked up a third down with his legs on a scramble. He did the same on another third down just before the half.

» READ MORE: The Eagles made it clear Sunday night: They’re a Super Bowl-caliber team

Saquon Barkley has been the Eagles’ best player this season and he just might be the NFL’s MVP. He rushed for a career-high 255 yards on 26 carries and scored two 70-plus-yard touchdowns. Barkley also set a career mark for rushing yards in a season in the fourth quarter, eclipsing his previous best of 1,312 yards set two seasons ago with the Giants in 16 games.

Barkley reached a top speed of 21.38 m.p.h. on his first 70-yard touchdown run, according to Next Gen Stats. It was his fifth play of the season reaching 21-plus miles per hour as a ballcarrier, most in the NFL.

He left briefly in the second quarter after getting dinged up. He got cooking a few series later and rushed four times for 29 yards on the touchdown-scoring drive. As a receiver, Barkley converted a third down on a 31-yard screen pass in the third quarter.

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

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

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

Brown got started with a 19-yard grab on a crossing route. Later in the second quarter, he had a 27-yard catch and run in which he broke a few tackles. He caught a 6-yard touchdown before the half in which he got both feet inbounds before the ball was knocked 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. Receiver Jahan Dotson lined up often in the slot. Hurts didn’t target him much, but he did move the sticks with a 4-yard grab. In the second quarter, Dotson lined up in the neutral zone and was penalized. Receiver Johnny Wilson drew a pass interference penalty just before the half.

Tight end Grant Calcaterra had some nice assists in the run game, and blocked outside linebacker Byron Young on Gainwell’s touchdown run. C.J. Uzomah was called up off the practice squad as the third tight end. He had a lead block on a Hurts’ 9-yard draw on the Eagles’ first drive.

If the Rams defense was going to slow an explosive offense, it was going to need its front to dominate. It didn’t come close against the Eagles’ all-world O-line. Jeff Stoutland’s unit kept Hurts from getting pressured for most of the night — he was sacked only once — and it opened many of the holes Barkley ran through.

Left tackle Jordan Mailata had a tough assignment vs. edge rusher Jared Verse. He got pancaked by the rookie on a perfectly-timed rush in the second quarter, but Verse was unable to get to Hurts for most of the game. Right tackle Lane Johnson was near-perfect on his side. He kept the edge Young in check.

The run blocking of the interior of the O-line was pivotal. Left guard Landon Dickerson had a key block at the second level that helped spring Barkley loose on his 70-yard touchdown to open the second half. In the first half, he led the way on a Barkley 9-yard run up the middle. Center Cam Jurgens also played an instrumental role in Barkley’s first long run when he sealed off Rams D-lineman Michael Hoecht. Right guard Mekhi Becton had a nice clear out block on a Barkley rush that converted a third down in the second quarter.

With Bryce Huff on injured reserve, defensive end Brandon Graham played more and the 36-year-old was again up the challenge. He left late in the game with an elbow injury. Hurts’ long conversation with Graham was an ominous sign about the severity of the injury. If this is the way Graham’s career ends, it was a fitting way to go out.

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

The Rams doubled defensive tackle Jalen Carter as often as they could. Carter didn’t get a lot of mention on the stat sheet as a result, but he paved the way for others’ success. Defensive tackle Milton Williams was one such beneficiary. He won his one-on-one and got to Stafford for a third-down sack in the third quarter. He added a strip sack in the fourth quarter. Defensive tackle Moro Ojomo notched a run tackle when he avoided a trap block in the second quarter.

Defensive tackle Jordan Davis clogged the middle against the run. Running back Kyren Williams had some early success on the ground, but when the Eagles went ahead in the second quarter, Stafford was forced to drop and throw often. Outside linebacker Nolan Smith helped effectively set the edge vs. the run.

Defensive end Josh Sweat was given another chance to rush Stafford before the break when the quarterback dropped for a Hail Mary pass, but Sweat beat his man and scooped up a sack — his seventh in eight games. Sweat left the game with an injury.

Nakobe Dean had a strong outing. He was stout vs. the run and had 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 for no gain on a Williams run in the second. Just before the half, he sacked Stafford on a blitz and after steamrolling Williams.

Zack Baun wasn’t around the ball as much as Dean, but he chipped in with three stops. He broke up a third-down pass to receiver Puka Nacua in the third quarter before the Eagles accepted a Rams holding penalty.

Darius Slay was in and out again, leaving for good with a concussion in the third quarter. Slay got banged up on the Rams’ opening drive when he ran into — and injured — safety Reed Blankenship. The collision resulted in a missed tackle on Williams’ 27-yard run. He returned on the next possession and appeared to be late to cover Nacua on a 18-yard catch off a naked bootleg. A few moments later, he was flagged for pass interference on receiver Demarcus Robinson. The Rams scored a rushing touchdown on the next play. He broke up a pass to Nacua in the second quarter.

Isaiah Rodgers was Slay’s replacement both times. He forced Williams to fumble the first time he was called upon. The second time, the Rams went at him and, successfully so. The cornerback was flagged for pass interference on a deep ball to Nacua in the end zone. It looked like Rodgers grabbed his jersey. A few plays later, Rodgers trailed Robinson as he caught a short touchdown pass. He trailed Nacua on a 29-yard crosser that converted a fourth down in the third quarter.

Stafford mostly stayed away from Quinyon Mitchell. The cornerback did get beat by receiver Tutu Atwell on a fourth-down conversion in the fourth quarter. But Mitchell, who had one breakup on a pass thrown to a receiver he wasn’t covering, was impressive again in his first season.

Fellow rookie Cooper DeJean was almost Mitchell’s match. He kept a pass to receiver Cooper Kupp off a naked boot to just a 4-yard gain in the first quarter. A drive later, he broke up a third-down pass to Kupp. He knocked the ball away on a 50-50 pass to Nacua in the fourth quarter.

Avonte Maddox played sparingly as the sixth defensive back in dime personnel.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Blankenship kept the deep post covered for most of the game as the Eagles appeared to utilize a lot of two-high safety shells. Gardner-Johnson came up and got Kupp down short of a third-down conversion in the third quarter.

Blankenship came up and popped Kupp short of the marker on third down in the fourth quarter. He injured his shoulder on the collision with Slay, but returned for the next defensive series.

Jake Elliott bounced back from one of the worst games of his career and made all his kicks — three field goals and four extra points. He didn’t have an attempt longer than 33 yards, though. Britain Covey returned from a shoulder injury and to his job returning punts. He had one return for 8 yards and two fair catches. The Eagles’ cover units were sound.

Nick Sirianni has the Eagles 9-2 and in command of the NFC East. Only the 10-1 Lions remain ahead of them in the conference. Sirianni’s offense was mostly sound and the defense was stout after first half adjustments. Sirianni almost lost his mind when officials initially missed him tossing his red challenge flag after Williams’ fumble. But Sirianni proved correct in his challenge. He conservatively elected to kick a field goal at the Rams 3 at the end of that drive.

Offensive coordinator Kellen Moore did another splendid job of calling plays. In the first half, he again did a good job of balancing the run-pass play calling. With the Rams bracketing coverage toward Brown, he still found ways to get the ball to his best receiver. Moore once got him matched up against a Rams linebacker on a short cross. Two first-half drives into the red zone ended with field goals.

The Rams offense averaged 8.4 yards on its first two drives. But defensive coordinator Vic Fangio made adjustments, mostly to his coverages, and the Rams went three and out on their next three possessions before the half. Fangio’s unit has been among the best defenses in the NFL since the bye.