Post-Game Show: Eagles Win 30-23

going to the end zone. End. Thank goodness to have a Vonte Maddox back in the line, had an interception, was covering Josh Rounds on that final play, and Nick Foles does the job on offense. The offense looking Chris looks smooth, you know, able to move the ball methodically throughout the course of the game, came up with key third down conversion when needed. And this defense, I tell you,

this is where we need to begin. Because this Rams offense had not scored fewer than twenty nine points at home this season, averaging close to thirty three, third highest in the league. Coming into this contest. They needed to get to win after losing last week to Chicago. This Eagles defense played ninety nights naps, guys like Malcolm Jacobs, Nigel Bram Corgan ninety nights snaps on the field. Yet

they played with more energy. They took it to the Rams offense and up until those last few minutes of the fourth court, they floud dominated and allowed the Eagles, with Nick Foles coming at quarterback, to get the victory here to Nights. Yeah, just an impressive win by his team to night, Chris, I mean the defense, you gotta

start on that side of the football, you know. Definitely a tough task coming into this game, coming off the game the hard Fall game, leaving everything on the field last week versus the Cowboys to be able to come out and play against this Rams offense. You mentioned the type of explosiveness they've displayed on their home field throughout the season. For the Eagles to come in here and basically hold them to twenty three points and really kept

them under wraps all game long. I thought they had this offense, the Rams offense really on their heels all game. Great job, great game plan from Jim Schwartz with his game planned tonight to really force Jared golf in this offense to throw everything underneath. The Rams live off, the play action pass, big play over the top. You wouldn't even have known Brandon Cooks played in this game tonight. They weren't able to get him the ball over the top.

Eagles defense forcing Jared Golf in this offense to throw everything underneath. I know Todd Gurley got a couple touchdowns, were pretty much they held Todd Gurley and check all game. This game. I just thought the defense did a nice shot. You looked there, eighty two yards rushing for this Rams offense going up against arguably the best running back in all of football. And Todd Gurley really did a number

on the Eagles last year in this football game. Great job by them this year really being able to contain and control him and really put everything on Jared Golf and his arm. And I know he got over three hundred yards passing, but a lot of that came and catch up time, where the Eagles were more than willing to give the Rams completions underneath as long as you kept the clock running and you kept the big playoff

of them. They were more than willing to allow Jared Golf and his Rams offense to have whatever they wanted underneath, and that really kept the score down. I thought that kept the Eagles offense in the game. They came up with some big turnovers to set the Eagles offense up in great scoring position. When you look at this game, it's a great all around effort from all three phases.

Special teams coming up late with a big fumble calls to really give the Eagles some more time to run off the clock and force the Rams to really use the rest of their time out right before the last drive of the game. And then the offense you mentioned it just a balanced attack tonight. I thought they played at ease. Nick Foles coming in really providing a calming

presence over this offense. I think he allows for Doug to simplify the offense, and it allows everyone else to just do their jobs and he's just gonna do his job. When you have a talent such as Carson Wentz who's able to do so much, sometimes it puts you in a quandary as a coach because you want to do so much because you know he has that ability. With some of the limited things that Nick Foles can do within the offense, I think it simplifies it for everybody

on that side of the ball. Nick's gonna get the ball out of his hands on time, He's gonna spread the ball around. We saw al Sean tonight, al Shan's best game, arguably of the season. I thought, tonight, well you look at the connection. Go back to the Super Bowl. Okay, with a big playability, Nick Foles is willing to let the ball out there, receiver, trust him to make a play.

I mean, Alshon Jeffrey's not gonna be a guy who's gonna get a ton of separation, but at six four two and ten pounds, he's gonna be able to win those fifty fifty balls. And tonight we saw both he that one play worth He and Nelson Agilore beat the three Rams defenders deep and they're pretty much saying who's gonna end up with the football? Here? Here's al Shan's numbers here, eight targets, eight reception. That right away shows

you and I what I loved here. Obviously had the big playability, had a fifty yard reception, a thirty six yard reception which I really think turned the game for the Eagles in the second quarter. But I love the way he would utilize in the screen game. He has a big physical frame. He's not so when he gets a tough separation, but he is good with the ball in his hands. He's tough to bring down. I like the way they utilize him in that regard. So it

wasn't just a long game here for Alshon Jeffrey. He was able to get into the short game as well. I think you bring up something very important that when you talk about the quick game going to al Sean Jeffrey. When the Eagles offense, they recognized you have poor tackling at the cornerback position like you have in Marcus Peters. You get that ball out there to al Sean. He's the big body. More than likely one guy's not gonna

bring him down. You don't necessarily think of al Sean as a quick twitch type of receiver that you're gonna get the ball to him in those sort of tight spaces. But if you have corners out there that aren't willing to come up and put a helmet on his big body, then the right thing to do is to get him the ball as quick as possible and make those guys miss. I thought the Eagles did a good job, but that tonight they won the game in the trenches. Really, both

sides of the line screams. The defensive line made life miserable for Jared Goff. You saw that throughout the course of the game, even if the pressure wasn't quite getting there. You were seeing rushing his throws, throwing off his backfoot, not looking comfortable in the pocket. Very much similar to what the Chicago Bears were able to do to him last week. But you have to have the horses up front to do it. I thought Fletcher Cox played a

man's game tonight. All week long. He's in the locker room. What do you think of Aaron Donald? Aaron Donald? This Aaron diald that Fletcher Coss got sick and tirement and said, look, I have been probably the second most disruptive defensive tackle outside you know, in the game this season. Outside of Aaron Donald, I'm probably the preeminent guy. Okay, I don't want to hear this. We need to get this win. I'm gonna carry this defense and help lead the way. Here.

He was getting double team throughout the course of the night, poortized where he was using one hand to shove blockers out of the way. Here, all right, three tackles. There are a lot of plays he was drawing, holding penalties, a lot of stuff that's not necessarily gonna show up in the stat sheet, but still had a sec was

consistently disruptive. Jim Schwartz were lying heavily on the four man rush all right, to be able to get to Jared Goff because you're without Sidney Jones, so you're down to Rasul Douglas and Craveon LeBlanc DeVante Bosby rolling in there. Avonte Max come up huge with some quality snaps for you tonight. You know you're underman in the secondary. Only

had five DB's active tonight. That's all you have, okay, And the Rams like to play eleven personnel three receivers pretty much all of the time, so they're gonna try to make you as thin as possible there on the outside. That front four had to get home and Michael Bennett brought the heat. Chris Long was disruptive in the backfield, and I thought Hellodi Nada probably had his best game as an Eagle. He was shown up there for the

Eagles in a second half. But you have to be so proud of the way that they respond again after last week, the ninety nine snaps on defense. The d lineman aren't playing all of them, but still they're playing way more than they're used to. And at this point in the season, they could have been like, you know what, we're going out on the West Coast. We're facing a team that as a much better record than us. It may not be our time, just may not be the case. We may not have the horses to get it done.

As much as we want to will ourselves to win. They went out there and they brought the energy right from the start, getting the three and out to open the ball game. Oh listen, I can't even hide it, Chris. I talked about this all week on my show. I talked this game up as a loss. I really did. I thought it would be a difficult task for this team to overcome after the tough game last week in Dallas.

That's why my hats off to Doug Peterson this coaching staff for getting these players ready to go this week. I mean the fact they coming off a game against the Dallas Cowboys where you just mentioned you had players out there to play close to a hundred snaps on the defensive side of the ball, out there for forty five minutes last week. I didn't know if they had much left in the tank to go up against a Rams team that were really coming off an embarrassing loss

last week on national TV to the Bears. So for the Eagles to come out tonight and play the way that they did, man Man, I easily the best win of the season. Obviously the opponent you where you beat them in on the road, but I thought the circumstances as well, backs against the wall. Not many people giving them a chance to win this game. Double digit underdogs. I think the line was thirteen. They were underdogs by

going in this game and really dominated this game. This wasn't a flukey win where you say the Eagles snuck out of here with a win. No, they dominated this game against the ram Just just really the best, the best game of the season. This is the urgency we've waited for. Yeah, week after week, you keep saying, all right, the seasons on the line line, it's a must win game. Are we gonna see the team step up and play that championship caliber of football that they're able to And

you just really hadn't seen it. You've seen slow starts week after week after week, It was none more disappointed than last week. When the divisions on the line. You're in the Cowboys house and for three and a half quarters the defense is keeping in it. The offense can't get things going. Well, the offense here gets the first lead of the game up three. Nothing. Look simple stat it's only happened four times this year, but every time the Eagles have scored first, they've won. Okay, that's how

much they've struggled to score early in ballgames. Well, once again they're able to get on the board first, allow the defense to get a little bit of rest. It was what I thought it was very good was you didn't see too many three and outs from the Eagles

offense tonight. Even if they didn't score, they were able to sustain drives long enough, knowing that that Rams offense was gonna move the ball up and down the field, that the Eagles defense at least had time to get some rest because because you're using that front four so heavily, you need to be able to keep them rested as much as possible down the stretch. Now, the stars we talked about, you know, Nick Foles and Alshon Jeffrey and Fletcher Cox having big games. Who would you say is

your unsung hero of the night here? I I would have to go Windale Smallwood. You know, it's been running back by committee for this team all year long. And Darrence Bros. Josh Adams both had nice nights contributed on the offensive side of the ball. But I thought Windale Smallwood running in between the tackles two touchdowns to night didn't get a ton of care But I thought he got the tough yards tonight when needed, had some big runs, picked up some key first downs. I thought Windelle small

was really that running back as a group. I'm just going with Windelle because he got the two touchdowns, But the running back as a group, I thought it did a nice job to night. Well, here's the thing. You've lost Corey Clement for the season with the knee injury. Okay, Josh Adams was in now the lineup tonight. Deal with a back injury was questionable at one point, but fought through it. We all small would provide some juice, Okay.

He's been well arrested. He's had a tough go of things because he was involved in the offense early in the season when when Sprowls and Clement were hurt. You know, he had the nice screenplay for a touchdown against Jacksonville and then Josh Adams emerged and when all smallwood on the backside exactly was not called upon, so out of nowhere, Okay, tonight, look they need number twenty eight, all right. They need

him to come up big. And you see the ten attempts there, two touchdowns, you know, helped move the chains, provide some juice coming out of the backfield. There huge props to him for coming through because this was the game you need. You needed an entire team performance. You mentioned the special teams play with DJ Alexander recovering the punt fumble the punt there late in the fourth quarter, defense obviously stepping up an offense doing enough there score

thirty points. Again, this is an offense that struggle to score points this season, so to get thirty it was a complete team effort. So I'm gonna stick with the offense for my unsung hero as well, and I'm gonna go with Stephen whist Newski. Okay put into the starting lamp at left guard because Isaac Sayamala was at with a peck injury. And who do you draw none other than Aaron Donald, the man who we talked about the best,

most preeminent defensive lineman. Forget that, the best defensive player in the entire NFL came into this game leading the league with sixteen and a half sacks from an interior alignment position, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, and quite honestly, you really didn't hear his name called much at all tonight other than the broadcasters Alan Michaels and Chris Collinsworth to say, what's happened to Aaron Donald?

What are the Eagles doing? A hit him out of the game, And certainly Jason Kelsey was helping with double teams.

Stephan Wisnouski is not winning all those battles one on one, but he made life comfortable in the pocket for Nick Foles, so though he could step up and make those throws and credit the Folds, because there was a couple of times or he had to stare down the barrel of the gun, whether it was Nan Dom Consue or Donald coming after him, and he stepped into some big time throws knowing he was gonna take a hit, and he was able to deliver some big time plays. But Stephan Wisnuski.

He is my unsung hero for tonight's game for the way that he handled himself as a crafty veteran has started many games in this league, so no surprise there whatsoever. But still Stephan Wisnouski my unsung hero from tonight's game. Probably a close second if I could almost do a one in a one egg Alvante Max coming back to the line. Okay, he was playing corner, he was playing safety, comes up with the interception early in the ball game, was covering Josh Reynolds at the end of the ball game.

There has missed three games with the knee and ankle injury suffered in New Orleans, and when the injury first took place, when he saw the replays, you were really nervous that it was going to be something that could be season ending. And he's been such a promising prospect here mid round selection out of pit here taking over that safety position, but as brought sparked to that defensive secondary. But certainly you saw Malcolm Jenkins go up to him at the end of the game after that last pass

by golf went incomplete. He has to be increably proud of how Max has handled himself again. You're going from not playing in three really not playing safety at all in your career. Okay, come into this season, you're batting for the nickel corner job. Ronny McCleod gets hurt, you're thrust into the safety position. Okay, you started quitting yourself

nicely there, getting comfortable there. You get to injury, you miss close to a month, and then you got to go back on the field in primetime against again, the third highest scoring offense coming into this ball game, one that had thrived at home. The last time the Rams were home was that memorable Monday night showdown where they scored fifty four against the Kansas City Chiefs. Mind you,

he ended to go in to play corner. Yes, yeah, he went in there and play corner at night, which is not easy going up against this Rams offense when you got the likes of Robert Woods and Brandon Cooks over there, you got Reynolds in there, who's done a nice job filling there for Cooper Cup, and they really had the one on one matchup they wanted with Reynolds

versus a Vonte Maddox. On that last play, Jared Golf just couldn't make a good throw there, But I Vonte Maddox tested all night, came up with some big plays, and yeah, you're right. I think he's been a nice welcome addition to this secondary from this rookie class. They know what we were going to get from him this year, and I know the coaches had to be pleasantly surprised if they've been able to sort of put him in different roles and he's been able to handle those roles

For a rookie, that's not easy to do. And in this league when you have to play the last line of defense, or you have to go out there and be matched up against the likes of Robert Woods or Brandon Cooks as a rookie on national TV, it can be a little scary. But I thought he came in there and handled it past it with flying colors, got the big interception, set up a score for us early in the game. They tried to target him late in the game, he was over there, did a nice job

defending over there. So it was great to see the rookie back in the lineup, and we talked about how shorthanded they were on that side of the side of the ball, particularly in the secondary. Vonte Maddox was a welcome sight to this defense tonight. Yes, indeed, especially again the defense needing all the horses it could get, and you know, again it's been so difficult to limit this Rams offense. The last two weeks have been tough for them.

Do you figure coming back home was going to be kind of the get right game for them going against an Eagles team that was looking at chops and now all of a sudden, as an Eagles fan, you have to feel optimistic going into these finals. All of a sudden, these last two games, we're gonna have significant meeting here. With the Cowboys losing today, the Eagles are still in the NFC East mix, okay, but the wild card is still very much in play here. You have Houston come

into Philadelphia next week. Eagles are now seven and seven on the season, and then you get Washington in week seventeen, so certainly two winnable games. Houston obviously very very hot, won ten of eleven games here at Deshaun Watson, you know, is up and down performance overall, but still has that team playing at a peak level, which is what you

need to be at this time of season. And Washington able to eke out a win late over Jacksonville today with their fourth string quarterback, I guess you would say, you know, with Josh Johnson. So nonetheless, though, the Eagles keep themselves in the mix, and I think you just have to say to yourself, like, where has this been

all season? You know, this up until those last couple minutes when the Rams were starting to rally back, it was just the most enjoyable game just from all sides as an Eagles fan, because this is what we were accustomed to seeing from his team in twenty seventeen. You know, I remember last year that win in Los Angeles that really generated the Eagles. It pushed them to a different

level because you lost Wentz in that game. Okay, you won the game in throwing fast Folds had two scoring drives in the fourth quarters, a comfort by and win. Brandon Graham had that touchdown to seal at the exclamation point at the very end. So they close the division. You pretty much keep yourself in the race for home field advantage, which they eventually got. And the Rams they had to go through the wildcard route to get, you know, in the playoffs, and they got bounced in the first round.

Violin it just made all the difference in the world, and you wonder could the college team provide the same type of season changing spark once again for the Eagles. Well, it's you asked the question about where has this team been all year long. I think the big thing today was it was a couple of things. Ay, they were able to score early, which is rare. You say, it's just the fourth time they've been able to do it. They won all four games when they've been able to

do that. But also they didn't they didn't shoot themselves in the foot early in the game. And I think that's what they've done mostly this season in these games where they haven't been able to put four quarters of good football together, is that they haven't been able to get out of their own way early end games, whether it be penalties, whether it be turnovers early in the game. On the offensive side of the ball, their offense just hasn't been able to get going most of the season

early in the game. The defense for the most partypically comes out and plays well early, they just have a hard time being able to hold on. And so I think when you look at this game, the biggest difference in this game is the obvious one is that they were able to hold on to this game and get it and walk away with a victory. With the exception of the first Giants games, the Redskins game, in the Saints game, every game has been a one score game.

Every game has been a one score game, whether it be in the Eagles favor or being the opponent's favor, They've all been close games, and there's always been a couple plays that we dissect after the game and say, man, if they had just did this right or they had to do that, yeah, they would have won the game. So you know, they sit here right now at seven and seven, you certainly are be about getting to win tonight,

but no doubt about it. Uh, if this season doesn't end up in postseason playing, we're gonna look back on the season and there's a lot of what ifs, what it could have showed us that you're gonna look at these games that you're gonna say, mad, if we'd have just did that or would have did that that game, they could have easily won two or three more games.

What's interesting, though, is they at least have a win that, like you said all week on your show, you didn't think they were going to be able to get and they get one. So let's find out how the Eagles did by going to head coach Doug Pearson at the Coliseum in Los Angeles. The difference we played for sixty minutes quite frankly, Um, we finished the football game, um like we expect to do each week. And great, Uh,

great all around in all three phases. I mean, you know, we we thought coming in that uh, there was gonna be some opper tunity. Um, this is this ram defense is extremely um potent. They got some some talent, they got some rushers up front and and it you know what, what what opens things up is the ability to run

the football, I think. And in the first half we had some success to an ad even in the third quarter, and um, it just opened up a few down the field throws that uh we were able to capitalize on and and uh made some made some nice place players responded, Um,

I thought that it was positive. Um, you know, just just kind of getting back into a rhythm, you know, with him and and it's been a while since Week two of the season that they've they've played together, but they had a lot of confidence, a lot of trusting him and and uh it showed tonight out here and

you employers out for you guys. That's just what I told him, uh in the locker room, just how proud I was the way they the way they continue to fight, how they block out the outside noise and just just focus on the group. And um, this is a tremendous team win tonight against a great football team. And um, you know, our backs were against the wall, and our guys came out and and uh came out aggressively, and um we're fortunate enough to be going away with a win and and um, you know, move on to the

next one. Basic positions this year. Yeah, Vante's a he's a really good player for us, and uh it was good to get him back out there this week. And and um, you know he's a smart guy to play multiple positions and and uh and do the things that he's been capable of doing. I think it's just a credit to him. But uh, he trusts his coaches, he trusts the scheme on defense, and uh puts himself in a position to to make plays and and and that's what he's done. Yeah, I mean I thought I thought

all the backs really did a nice job. Um, you know, Windell is uh you know, UM always had a lot of a lot of confidence in Windell and and he did a nice job tonight. I really felt like the offensive line did some nice things and and uh, um kind of controlling the line of scrimmage at times and opening up you know a few of those few of those gaps and those lanes, and he just hit it and hit it hard and did a nice job dust

off some of the concepts that he was during that playoff. UM, you know really didn't really you know, kind of came out of last week's game really against against the Cowboys and just wanted to kind of get back to our basics, our fundamentals, regardless of who was playing. This was before um, you know, anything about Carson and and we just wanted to get back to the things that we were successful at and good at and what the guys really knew and under stood. And so we really didn't have to

change or tweak much, uh during the week. And I thought that um, you know, Nick played uh played solid um you know, and and and did the things that that you know, we asked him to do. UM. And he had a good week of preparation, and it showed tonight. We're gonna enjoy this win. We're gonna get on this plane. We're gonna enjoy it. We'll take a couple of days and we'll make those decisions later in the week, not

at this time, Not at this time. Yeah, I really think that the old line, I mean this is this is a good defensive line now that our old line

has played. And um, they really they really rose to the to the to the challenge, you know, and and uh did did some nice things and and really really kept our quarterback, you know, kept Nick clean and and uh, I think too as a credit to Nick, just just being able to you know, get the ball out and and I dialed up a few more quick throws, and and the ability to run the ball too on some of those third downs to h the ball and have some success really also helped in the uh in the

past protection games. Yeah, I mean it's very satisfying. Um. And like I said, our backs have been against the wall now for the last a few weeks, and um, you know, hopefully this is now a little momentum for the rest of our season. And uh, you know, our goals are still in front of us. We're still making a making a push here at the end and and two games to go, and you know we'll see what happens. But very satisfying play watching four seconds last they got

shot where yeah, oh there you are. Very four seconds last shot. Yeah. Um, you know Jim had dialed up a blitz at the time just to kind of you know, force uh forced Jerry to possibly you know, release the balls five man protection and just release the ball a little bit sooner and and uh, you know we were playing playing right at the right at the goal line. It was you know, a last shot into the into the end zone. And you know Avante was in good position.

Why should well, I think I think that Um, you know, what you saw tonight was was a was a total a team effort from all three phases um, offense, defense, and then of course our our special teams came up huge at the end with the with the fumble recovery on the punt and so you know, it's not about one guy and and it never has been. It's about the team. And that's what that that locker room in there focus is on. They just focus on you know, they don't focus on the result. They focus on the

process and trusting everybody, and it really doesn't matter. And and um, and that's what you saw tonight was it was a really a really good team effort. Mentioned ability to block out the voice. How hard was that? That? Super? I mean, it's it's a tough thing, you know when uh, you know, you have to you have to change qbs and and and go a different way. And but I think it's a it's a credit to you know, each each guy. You know, really just again focus on the

things that we can control. Um, you know, focus on our process that we talked about quite a bit, lean on one another. Um. And and and you saw it tonight, you know what I mean. You saw you saw those guys played together as a team, as units, and it was it was a fun game to be part of. All right, thanks guys. All right, there's coach Pearson addressing the media at the Coliseum in Los Angeles following the

Eels thirty to twenty three. Went over the Rams. The question, ike is does this go down as a road win or home win for the Eagles With the way the crowd was cheered through the course of the game, with the fights all chance after the Eagles touchdowns, there you know, the RAM the Rams are having to like pipe down the crowd because it's you know, the fans. It was Eels then exactly. So shout out to our fans that do what they do when they go on the road,

which is take over opposing team stadiums. If you don't have the fam you're very able to dust off the fall champ there. Yeah you do. You don't have a packed house stadium full of your fans when you play the Eagles. Our fans are gonna come in and we're gonna be heard. And a city like Los Angeles where they don't really have a true home fan base. Uh, just like last year, our fans went out there and

took over. They went out there and did it again this year and it was it was greatly needed and appreciate it because you could definitely hear the difference when the Rams offense was on the field. You can hear the crowd getting loud. Yeah, you can hear it getting loud. So, uh, kudos to all the fans that made the trip out to Los Angeles. Often you have players at a road stadium trying to get the crowd into it. That never happens, No, it doesn't happen. Only Eagles fan. The Eagles. Of course,

one interesting thing may interesting things from Doug. We'll on them throughout the course of the show here, But throughout the course of the week, the big storyline was Carson went to Nick Foles who was going to play, and the players were asked ad nausea about how is Nick looked? What's going on with Carson? Has this been bothering him for a while? And the players got to the point where they're like, look, Nick won a Super Bowl last year, right, he was the MVP. We know what he can do.

He's played games this season. We're focusing on trying to beat the Rams, like we understand on to the outside that this season's over. Okay, there six and seven. Probably I can win a division wildcard. It could be a long shot, but the playoff, like, we're focused on a huge game, a task at hand, and they were able

to see it out to completion. That I thought was quite remarkable because it's one thing for the guys in the locker room to be saying it, but to go out there and show it and show that you believe you know what the coach is preaching to you. I think it's a totally different thing, and it just shows the maturity that this team has to be able to overcome the adversity that it has this year and still put that type of effort and to be able to

get that type of win on the road. Well, I tell you, Chris, I'm old enough to remember Nick Foles leading his team to a super Bowl victory in February. They didn't happen that long ago. So a lot of these players were on this team last year when Nick Foles was able to come in for Carson Wentz right around this same time of the year and lead this team to his first ever Super Bowl victory. So I can understand the players from their standpoint looking at it, like, listen,

we know what Nick Foles can do. He just did it last year. This is not a big deal to us. We played with Nick Foles early in the season, they were able to go one and one with him. They pretty much practiced with him all offseason as Carson Wentz was rehabbing, So I don't think to the players this was any big deal. You know, they look at Nick Foles, I believe, as they starting in caliber quarterback, which a lot of us look at Nick Foles as as you

look at the amount of starts under this belt. You see the big games that he's played in and that he's won. He still arguably the best backup quarterback in all of football without a problem. So when Folds has to go in there for Carson Wentz, this offense typically doesn't miss a beat. Now do they run different plays shortage? Because there's things that Nick likes to run that Carson doesn't particularly run, and so from an offensive personnel standpoint,

they don't. They don't look at it as if they need to make some sort of big changes, right other than maybe the offensive line, because Carson can sort of move around a little bit back there in the pocket. For an offensive line, they kind of know Nick is

gonna be where he's supposed to be at. But for the receivers, the tight ends, the running backs, no big changes need to be made other than the fact that a guy like Alshon Jefferies can say, well, I know he's gonna throw them in the ball whether I'm covered or not, because he's gonna give me a chance to go up and make a play. And so I know al Shan had to be happy to see Nick back in there, because they built some chemistry late last year.

Al Shan wasn't healthy early in the season when Nick played in the first two games, and we hadn't seen a whole lot of al shot over the last month or so. So it was good to see Alshon still making big plays. And I know Nick feels comfortable putting that ball up there to that big body because Alshan is a type of receiver. He's not going to let his quarterback down. He's gonna go up there and at least fight for the ball. If he's not gonna catch it,

no one's gonna catch you. You mentioned the offensive line and the protection that Nick Foles had tonight. One of the people key to that was Lane Johnson. We're gonna hear from him as well as the quarterback in just a little bit here. But you know, it's very interesting from the standpoint of you mentioned Alston, Jeffrey and the offensive players getting involved. It seemed like it was a more diversified offense because it was very for most of the season, very zach Ert centric, and he was the

guy making the plays for you. Okay, that's the big thing, But tonight you're getting guys like Wendell Smallwood stepping up and making plays you're getting Dallas got, you know, continue to be more involved in the offense, gold and tape, you know, having a couple you know, key catches there for the offense. It's the biggest thing is this offense has been at its best and we've seen it this year with Carson and we see it here with Nick where you spread the ball around. That's the biggest thing

right there. Yeah, and who's ever playing quarterback is gonna have to learn how right? We have a special special press conference Malcolm Jenkins now addressing the media at the Colseum. Phases of the game contributed all the way up until the end. It was you know, we needed every single play that we made to win on the road against a really good team. UM, and we had a lot

of fun doing it. I think the energy um either last week, even though we didn't get the result we wanted, we had a lot of fun and competed um and did what we needed to do to give ourselves a chance. And this way, you know, and this time we got the result we wanted. A lot of well, I think you know, at the end of the day, it starts with the leadership on the team. You know, just kind of you know, putting our foot in the ground, um, and just saying we're gonna make a stand at the

end of the day. You know, if we want to continue to play and we want our dreams to continue, we got to go take it. And so that's why you see the ski masks, that's why you see the renewed enthusiasm, because we got the mentality that we got to go steal whatever it is that we want if we want to continue, and it's not gonna be easy, and then nobody asked it to be. We're fine, we're doing something special, um in extraordinary, but that's just gonna take it, you know, one week at a time, keep

competing and keep having fun. Struggle this season is that a lot of the injuries and you can come in here when a lot of people find this, not a lot of people everybody, we'll go ahead, okay, but for you guys to do it where the Rams had the boss, how priority all this team to fight you with all the injuries, especially in the second I mean very proud we've been We've been hit it with adversity all year, even to start out the season, all the way through now, um,

and we just found a way to continue to fight, plug guys in the trust in each other to to adjust, um, you know. And that's that's been our mantra, you know, all all year, even last year, and so that that doesn't change regardless of who we have on the field. Um. And so we'll continue to grow. I think we've seen a lot of those young players who've been you know, playing more significant roles because the injuries grow today. And

so we'll continue to you know, our process. We'll get back, we'll watch the tape, try to improve on the things that we didn't do well. I'm gonna get ready to go compete against another good team. What's the significance of that? And what do you got to do with it? Like I said, man, you know where we are right now. If we want to continue to play, we got to

go take it. And so for us, it's kind of that season where we're gonna go steal every everything we got, whether it's the ball, where it's the game, you know, our our chance to go play in the postseason. We gotta go take it. And so that's kind of what that sche mask is doing. And you know, for us, I think it's it's bringing back that that energy, having fun. Guys are enthusiastic about you know, contributing, and it's so many different people, um, you know making plays. Uh, it's

right on time. I believe it was Jalen Nils. Yeah, it's not your side of the ball. But having Nick in there, do you guys seem to rally around him? What's that the case? No, he's a Super Bowl MVP. We don't have to rally around Nick. Um. You know, we we trust fully that Nick can go on there and compete um and command of offense, and you know,

a hell of a game today. Put the ball up to to our playmakers, guys who were making big plays for him, um, you know, and it's exciting to watch and all of a sudden, you know, those things on our offense gets rolling. Um and and as a team we played better. And so you know, Nick Nick's performance

today was obviously a huge part. And while we got a wariness to seeing back in the coliseum back under center, it is ironic, but we got a lot less wins this time around coming into the game, but we knew it was gonna be one of those games where we wasn't going to be a blowout. This is a great team, a lot of great players that they're on a role this year. We knew we'd had to fight you know, the entire game um and even the momentum that we got early in the game. We needed every every bit

of that obviously coming down to the end um. But you know, it definitely feels good to to put it all together and come to a place on the road against a quality team and come out with a wint that the final drive there and in particularly the last play when you sent of Glitz, I think that the biggest thing was there were like two or three huge tackles that kept them in bounds. And so we talk

about situational football. Those the things we talk about all the time, um, and sometimes you worry about with with younger players especially. You know that we're having the secondary. But guys made up and made some really good tackles on either sideline to keep that clock running, to give us that opportunity to then rush the passer um and you know, play the end zone basically on one last

shot to the to the to the end zone. I mean, I just I know the situation that he's in and I know it's not easy, and we're putting a lot on the shoulders as a young guy, as a rookie, come in you're drafted as a corner and then move the safety. Um, and you're learning all of it. And we're not just spoon feed and we're giving them the whole defense, making them make calls. He gets, somebody gets hurt, he gets to go into the nickel with no preparation

throughout the week. This week, didn't even know if he's gonna play. Then he's at corner. He hadn't played corner all year. Um, and he's making plays. That's making differences in our season. And so you know, I take a lot of pride in making sure that you know he's prepared to just you know, encouraging him. But he's a player that I think it's going to come into his own. These explosives made a ton of plays this year. Um,

it's fun to watch. Quite frankly, you set the tone in that locker room last year after the game to know what was the environment like and what was the message. I think it's very similar. I think guys, you know, as you you get wins like this, it creates energy, It creates um, that belief, not that it wasn't there, but you you prove it to yourself, you know, and you know, uh, you have examples of when you put

it together, this is what it looks like. And so now the challenge to the leaders on this team is how do you keep that energy going through practice? How do you you know, you pay attention to every detail so that when we show up again next week we have that same energy, We have that same resolve, um, and that same drive to to come out with a win. And I think the biggest thing was, like, this is what it looks like when we put it together as

a team. UM. And the biggest thing that most things, you know, and I'm proud of at least, is that we had fun doing it. And this is what you know, we've been trying to get to all year. UM. It's obviously hard to have fun when you're not winning, but for us, we're not a front running bunch, and so we want to be able to have fun and and fly around have energy regardless of what the scoreboard looks like. UM. And that's what we've you know, been doing, I think

over the last couple of weeks. UM. And we let the cars far where they may, but we're gonna come out and have some fun. That's that's what we enjoy doing. We get this. This is a game at the end of the day that we enjoy playing with each other. Um and so yeah, we want to keep that going in searching team, there's a question there's going to be in searching up and teams. What do you say, stock, I mean, at the end of the day, you look at what you see on tape. Nick came in and

had a great game. It helped our team win. You know, we don't get into a comparison game of who's doing what, but right now, Nicks the quarterback, and he had a hell of a game that helped us win a game. And we know that we have that in Nick. And so for us, it's always about you know, we'll we'll go through the week. Who were going into the game with. That's who we're gonna try to win with. We and we have wholehearted you know, belief and everybody that puts

those pads on. You've seen the young guys a year, a little experience one hundred eleven. Yeah, what what do you kind of learn about? They're growing? You know, to be honest, a lot of these guys been put in some crazy situations been forced into the fire. Um have struggled at times, but you know, have have persevered, have continued to improve and and now are making the plays that are helping us win games. And so you know,

it's it's something I take great pride in. I enjoy watching these young dudes, that energy and the juice that you know, we've been really searching for all year and you know, hopefully that that they continue to grow. When we watched the mature in front our eyes, cool number. There's Malcolm Jenkins. Absolutely love what he brings on and off the football field. Perfect answer when asked about Nick Foles and the you know juice that he brought to

the offense. It's like, look, this is a Super Bowl MVP who went out there and played a heck of a game. Okay, this isn't a comparison between he and Carson Wentz, and I know that's the game that everyone on the outside is going to be playing this week. You're gonna have fun with down Sports Radio ninety four Wip the Marks and re show. But nonetheless, tonight Foles was outstanding. Helped the Heels get this, you know, season saving victory, and that's what it needs to be right now,

we don't know if Carson Wentz is gonna be available. Okay, he was questionableed and doubtful than out. You know, certainly number eleven wants to be back out in the field, especially with the home game with the season on the line, Houston Texans coming to town next weekend, but we don't know if that's going to be the case. It's a good sign that he traveled with the team, you know,

to Los Angeles, even with the stress injury. But nonetheless, though Carson you know, wants to come back, but it's going to be in his best interest to come back or in terms of protecting himself, not just again the short term, but the long term, because Doug Pearson said on Friday, most likely we're looking at three months before a full recovery. So it's gonna be worth putting them back out there on the field. We'll sta have to

figure out. But for this night here, this Sunday night against the La Rams, nick Foles started and delivered big time performance once again. Yeah, and I think Malcolm has the right mindset when you're talking about you know, Nick Foles, Carson Wentz like, the players can't worry about that. You know, these guys that are teammates, they have a job that they have to do. Just make sure that you do

your job. Who's ever gonna line up behind center is gonna wind up playing well when he gets the opportunity too, But they're also going to need the help of their teammates. All right, speing Nick Foles, let's send it to the call seem where he's standing by right now. Environment against team that had now lost, I'm extremely proud of our team. Um. You know, it was a complete team game, was a complete team winning. That's one of the best teams in the NFL right now, Um, and they showed it as

I mean playing against them. Every single play they were bringing it. But I'm really proudly the guys for facing adversity. That's what we preceed this week was you know, in any game, there's gonna be adversity, there's gonna be things that happened, just you know, leaning on one one another, sticking to one another, sticking with one another. And that's what we did today. There was a couple of adverse things,

but we were able to create turnovers. I had the one you know to leave made a great play on that interception. But we bounced back and we kept playing. And you know that's really what Eagle football is about, you guys fight. Yeah, I mean I think the big thing is also we focus on the moment, so you know, we don't need to worry about that. All we gotta worry about now is you know, getting back to Philly, getting our bodies right, prepping and going back at it,

and we'll just see what happens. You know. There's a couple of times where you know, just reading the defense letting him go get a chance. I mean, he's a great player. Um, he's shown that he can make those plays, and he made him tonight for me and helped me out a lot the first time he played with him this year. Yeah, if I remember he didn't play those first two games. How were you able to kind of

get that chemistry back so quickly with him? I mean, you know, I watched all the practices, um, you know than doing the scout team, and I know the guys, I mean, you go out there. I'm a thrower. I just read their body language and throw the ball. Um. You know, they made a lot of great plays Outron went up and made some you know, great catches as well.

We were able to spread the ball around. That was important, and we were also the line did a great job of you know, we're able to run the ball really well too, so I thought, you know, with Doug's play calling, keeping him off balance, giving him different looks. Um, you know, we were able to execute at a high level. Spent the past twelve thirteen leads in the background. What was this past weekly for you? It's really emotional. I mean, anytime you know, you you hate for your teammate to

get hurt. I said before, you know, I feel really bad for Carson. I mean, we're tied in that QB room. But then when you you know, you sort of you don't really know what's gonna happen. You start taking reps. It's been a while, you go through the human emotions. I don't care what you've done in the past or what I've done in the past. It doesn't matter. When

you step on that field, it's a new day. So um, it was really just dealing with the emotions, prep, you know, prepping as far as I could, and then realizing I'm not alone. I have great teammates out there. All I have to do is spread the ball around, lean on them, Uh, stay in the moment, and we're able to do that tonight. Um, you know it's a it's a huge win for us. Really, each game is different. You know. Sometimes you get a bunch of little hits. Sometimes you don't get hit much,

and there are a couple of big ones. Today it was the you know, they got a couple of good licks on me. But you know, I'm perfectly fine as far as learning how to stay engaged. Like Zach said, you hadn't played in twelve weeks, kind of going out there and still getting better even if you're not playing. Yeah, I mean my role has been different the last twelve weeks, Um, you know, with the scout team and then just helping guys in the locker room or whatever it may be.

UM watching practice, UM watching you know, obviously you're in all the installs, you know, the offense, just in case something happens. Um. And then you know, when I'm called upon just going out there and you gotta trust my you know, read and react. I have to trust my instincts, Um, And like I said, I'll lean on my teammates and realize I'm not out there alone. So it's all those things. It's there's a lot going on in the head. But

I was able to simplify it. And that's the key is you know, when things are going on your head and there's a lot, you know you detending not to play, to play that well, Um, the thing was simplified, what's going on in my head and just play fast, different the same field that needs to be in the last season, and you know, I know, I know that's gonna be the story. Um, but no, it's a new year, it's a new team, different situation. Um. You know, at the end of the day, I always talk about staying in

the moment, Tomorrow, take care of itself. And uh, you know we're gonna enjoy this. This was a great team win. Just seeing the excitement in the locker room. It's been a it's been a crazy year. Um, and you know we're gonna keep fighting, We're gonna keep working, we're gonna keep growing. Lost year I lost, my senior year, Uh, we came, we came back from we were down by quite a bit. Um. Unfortunately we lost. But my sophomore year we were able to upset usc here. So that

was a good memory. I don't I don't really thrive on it. Um, it's just sort of the way things have fallen. Um. Once again, it's not about me. Um. I have great teammates, great organization, great coaches, and we were able to rally together. Um. That's the thing that I love about being an Eagle is is you know, we lean on each other. Adversity does hit. What are you gonna do? You see teams when adversity hits start turning on each other. Where's a couple of There's a

couple of moments in this game. They were pretty big and there was never any turning on each other say hey we got you. Hey, offense, go hey we got you. D Like, that's what it's about. So Um, I don't thrive. I just you know, enjoy being a part of this team. This is our first two guys. I'm pretty sure I was seeing a Dominican sue and then just hoping that al Sean was where I where he was gonna be. So Um, I had a you know, a quick reaction. I was able to see the safety sort of void

and just let it rip. Um. You know, it was hard to see much. I just let al Sean go make a play. That was the key with conversation, especially what you're trying to do that we're going to be started. You know. I think the big thing is we've been together the last you know, a couple of years, um, just being there for one another, UM, going through the game,

playing together. Obviously, this is unfortunate for him, but I also know that you know he's gonna bounce back and whenever that may be, and you know he's gonna be better for it. That's just how he handles his business and that's something I respect about him. Within the emotion of the best week, would you consider the big picture part of this and what this would mean for the future at all? You know that part does creep in.

I do say there is a human side, but no, I'm very self aware of those distractions don't do any good. And I think a big part of that was a couple of years ago, you know, gonna step away from the game. I really thrive and staying in the moment and just enjoying it. And you know, we'll see what happens. But I really just want to enjoy the moment and just being present and all I do. That's why I try to focus on daily talk about simplify things in your head. What do you mean exactly. I mean when

you step on a field, I mean it's emotional. There's a lot going on. It's Sunday night football, you're in LA, you know. I think honing in on being in the huddle, not worrying about the score, not worrying about the clock, because that can affect your tendencies of reading different plays, forcing different things, and just playing. There's different things I do. I'm like I said, you gotta be self aware. You

gotta know your tendencies. I know where I fall short, but it's just going in that huddle just that's my sanctuary. That's why I'm be I just want to be with those guys no matter what happens during the game, not worrying about the score, not worrying about the clock, just playing. So, as you've discussed with us a few times, you have your own unique leadership style. How did you kind of put your staff on the on the team this week? What did you do to get them the rally around you?

You know, not much, It just just being there for the guys, just going in the huddle, taking a hold of it. But really just me communications, big me, showing love to the guys is big The way you win games in the fourth quarter, in my opinion, is you got you love one another, you work, you care for one another. It's hard to win it. It's hard to win in the NFL, I always say, especially against a team like this. So what you see there and that's why we don't turn on each other as those relationships.

So I just step in the huddle on me. I'm not going to try to be I'm not a big raw rock guy. I just want to be who I am and just makes it easy reaching that. Stay with the experience in the last couple of years and maybe about three four five years ago, I think in every life experience you learned something, and you know, through the

last couple of years, absolutely I've learned that. You know, being president, being the moment um, you know, it's important because I think today, like we there's so many distractions, I mean, phones, all the Instagram, Twitter, everything, you get distracted, you get the lights, everything, even this, but just being in the moment and being president, there's something that's really

special about that. If you can do it. And then you know, being a husband and a father, being president at home, I mean that makes my days, you know, even better as when I can go home and just be president, just block out football when I get there, and you know, then I can be I'm actually a better football player because of that. Right, So that's the first time we've had been able to hear from Nick

Foles all week. We didn't get to hear from either Carson Wentz or Nick Foles leading up to the game because you didn't know who was going to be the starter. So you know, obviously a lot of questions is about the whole week, the preparation, and then of course his outstanding performance tonight, and we're gonna send it back to the colle s team for the man who caught most

of the passes there tonight. Alshon Jeffrey game, like I felt it like just the atmosphere, all the fans, and the print, hardwork and the preparation from we had during the week, just playing the game, just football, I mean, just Nick just playing football, just just playing within the offense. I mean, it didn't matter if it was this week, next week, just being patient, I mean football things like

it happened this this week. It just happened. It was me making a place like everything that's happened to season, all the injuries and some time. I don't think we stole a win. I mean everyone in the locker room we believe in each other. So I don't think we stole the win. We just went out there and play Eagles football. I mean, you think we stole a win because you didn't you countered this out well, like like now was talking about the dirtalities that come in and

then starts the old Winnson something about it. I think that's just some the defenses probably just uh something that they got going on in the locker room. I don't think they believe in that we're still in wins because each and everyone of us we believe that we're gonna

win every game. Catching quarter and Nelson, but just Nick just did a hell of a job just telling us just be alive on the post and me, me and Nelson was just probably fighting over the ball at the same time, just one of us is gonna make the play. I mean I could see that it was only me and Nelson there, so one of us is gonna catch the ball. I just broke it up. It's been a while, so shout out to all my teammates. I mean, these this there is the reason I'm up had the old

line did the health of a job? Defensive the health of a job. Special teams did the health of a job. So shout out to my teammates, how you got your ways? You played together? Yeah this year, how are you able to kind of recreate that chemistry? Just practice is just working hard every day in practice, coach, I always preached the next man up, and don't matter who's out there.

Nick Nicka's our quarterback right now. So we're just rolling within it against Leave the last year when he was a Rockets this game, did you feel like that wasn't actually making win? I don't really look up in the matchups. Like I said, Nick just did the hell of a job just finding me, just throwing the bottom the heck of a job, just making plays. From the outside this

it seems like having a better chemistry in Carson. That's just as an outsider on the what's up with that is, let's just think just who's ever out there just making plays like it don't matter who's if it's Carson, Nick Urts me, Nelly, We're just trying to make plays and win the game. They don't matter who's catching ball, who's throwing it. The number one the receiver. Obviously, you haven't been over one hundred yards since playing four. What did this do for me? None of that really matters. As

long as you win the games. That's all I care about. Just winning games. Set your starting quarterbacks, your message to the guys, to kind of keeping coach. I always appreciates a man up and we believe, like last year around this time, it started from Nickel last year. So it's the same thing. We came to La. We got the job done. We just got to keep building from this. Get the ball. Good things come to those who wait. Wait, I'm just patient, man. Just if I'm just trying to

I'm just, like I said, control what I control. If I'm open, I mean, whoever get the balls, making the player don't matter. As long as you win the game, that's all I care about. It. You're you're a big basketball man. To those opportunity to kind of go up and get those rebounds with those bass I tell Nick can Carson all the time, just started up. Give me a chance, I'm gonna catch no one else gonna catch. Appreciate Alsh didn't know he was gonna be the postgame

press conference. Obviously, obviously he did. Yeah, he must stay handed straight for the bus he had on that outfeel like they hand you that box lunch. Yeah, bust number three jump on there. But he was he was so happy he took the game ball. He got the NBC stud like game Ball. Well, we'll find out if he's one of the Toyota Player the Week nominees a little bit later here on the postgame show presented by Rico.

But he talked about the hell of a job that the offensive line did, allowing him to thrive get eight catches on eight targets over one hundred yards here tonight, one of those linemen, Lane Johnson, we call up with him one on one after the game. Let's go to that interview right now. Well, Lane, what a great effort. Tell me about the offense and the energy and just the confidence as you guys had your name, Yeah, we

knew coming in. You know, they probably have one of the more dynamic pass rushers you know, in the league. Um So in order to do well, we had to stay bounced. We're able to run the ball effectively, and that was that was the key tonight. Did you feel like the offense built a lot of confidence as the game went along, Yeah, I started early, I'll started rolling. You know, Nick's getting the ball out, so everything he had a good rhythm to it. Um, we're really proud

of our guys. How did it feel with Nick out there? Kind kind of felt like last year a little bit, um, you know when your numbers called, no hesitation, just stepping up and leaving the group of goss if you like, you're back in the game here in the playoff race. We gotta get win tonight. I mean tonight was much needed. Um, next week, guess use is gonna be big games, a lot at home, so we needed How much fun was this atmosphere with all these Eagles fans out here in

Los Angeles? Every game I played here, it's been it's been a live, live atmosphere. Tonight was so different. Thank you Grice up there from the Insider dais spiderra Remember he's gonna have is on the inside column as well as the Eagles Live podcast, the Instant Reaction addition coming up in the early morning hours. If at least if you subscribe now, you'll have it there waiting for you

wherever you consume podcasts for your morning commute. So it was Lane Johnson who helped bring the dog mask with Chris Long last year, we got the scheme mask this year. Jalen Mills and Malcolm Jenkins talking about there in his press conference. You think that's what it takes. We we just need the accessory DuJour of the year to kind of spark the team. Just make sure we only wear those ski masks on the field. That's all I'm saying. That's right there, that's all I'm saying. Yes, yeah, using

those as accessories everywhere isn't necessarily a good idea. But but the field tonight, And how about the Corey We talk about the Corey Graham where Jared Goff just didn't know what was he doing. He it was a third and one, Okay, he tripped over the lineman and I guess in a desperation attempt to make a play, just flip the ball up and Corey Graham was the lucky recipient who was right there and you almost thought it was be escorted right into the end zone there, And

that was a huge play. You talked about it being third and one, I mean at the rounds pick up that first down there, who knows that they're able to extend that drive and then go put points on the board. But the fact that that not only did the Eagles stop them there, they got the turnover, and not only did they get the turnover there, they put themselves in scoring position. So that was a great job right there. A boy, the defense, Corey Graham, just a bone head play,

Jared Golf here, you can't make this play. You know, you made a bad play worse way while doing that. And then it's fortunate, fortunate for the Eagles, like I said, set the Eagles up in scoring position. Just another one of those big plays by this defense tonight, a timely big play. So Wendell Smallwood took advantage scored a second touchdown of the night in the eight yard score there after that interception, we called we went all small Wood

after the game. Let's check out that interview right now. All right, Wendell, it had been a while here since you really got involved in the offensive, getting into the rhythm and must They wouldn't take you long at all to do it. Yeah, it was. I was pretty much comfortable out there. I knew what their defense was gonna do. We knew they had a tough defense. We knew we had to run the ball against these guys, a lot of people have been running the ball good. So we

just came out and took advantage. How about for you near the goal line and that that thirst that you had get into the end zone. I was just determined to get in. I've seen a whole and I'm like, I'm not gonna let nothing to stop me. I'm gonna get us in this end zone. We've we've embraced the red zone challenge. We know we got to score to win these type games, and that's what we did tonight. Nick Foles and quarterbacks seemed like a lot of energy

out in the field. Yeah. Always he brings that energy. We're confident in him. We don't look down when he comes in the game. He just picks he just picks him up and he balls out every time. So he didn't surprise us to the How big is this win window. I'm a huge It's huge. Just a confidence booster and the team. Now we beat this ain't ald lottery team.

We give them credit. They played hard. They've been beating beating people up all year and we came out and we were the underdogs, and we came out and sold people we could beat anybody. Und your dogs again, I like that, sir, Hey you, that's gotta be such a challenge for a young player, even though he's in his third season, still still a young guy with that too too much experience for someone who for a couple of weeks,

you you're involved in the offense. You know, you're heavily involved in the game plan, so you're mentally focused and you know that you're gonna get some touches each and every week. Then all of a sudden, you have a few weeks where you're kind of left off to the side. You're seeing Josh Ams step up, Corey Clement was getting healthy, and you know you're you're biding your time. Maybe you'll get a snap here too on special teams, but by and large, you're not as involved. You're not you're not

a focal part of the game plan anymore. What is that like? Then, all of a sudden, to come here tonight in a must win game, to deliver two touchdowns and you know, with Josh Ams being a little nicked up here to be the go to guy for the

rushing game tonight, what's huge? And it shows you why when Delle Smallwood has value on this team, and you mentioned he's been in the league, what three this is his third year, third year in the league, and the way that you survive in this league when you're not necessarily the quote unquote starter at your particular position, it's being ready when your number is called. You know, I played nine years in this league as a backup linebacker.

I had to play all three linebacker positions, and it didn't matter whether or not I got the reps that we can practice. I needed to be ready from a mental standpoint whenever my number was going to be called in case one of those starts went down and when theoll Smallwood has shown throughout this season, more so than the previous two in his career, that whenever his number

is called, he's ready to go. And I really have been proud of him this year because I know he's fighting to get that opportunity to show what he can

do in this league. And it's not always the opportunities that he hopes he's gonna get, but when those opportunities do present himself, I think he's answered the call every time this year, and most of those opportunities have come in the middle of a game where he may not have expected to be the focal point of the running game at that time, and much like tonight, I guarantee he didn't expect to get the amount of carries he got tonight. But you mentioned Josh Adams getting banged up,

so he has to go in. They rely on him for the tough yards in between the tackles. He's able to get two touchdowns. He's gonna play a long time in this league. Being prepared, being a professional, being ready when your number is called a great point and taking advantage of it. Listen, we all would like to be the guy, but we all want to have a career in this league, and the way you establish a career in this league is being ready when your number is called.

And I think when Dell has been that way for this team all year long this year. Really a forgotten man last year with the amount of running backs that we had, and really didn't know what his role was going to be this year. But like I said, whenever he's been called upon to show to the load, he's done a nice job. He was on the bubble all throughout training camp in preseason, he was right there on that roster bubble, and you were kind of debating whether or not they would even keep him on a final

fifty three man roster, and he earned a spot. And thankfully he did get that spot because that the deals have been able to rely upon throughout the course of the year. And it's got to be so mainly tough. You know, like you talked about, one week you're the guy. Next week, you don't know if you're going to be involved or not. And at a moment's notice, really he came into the game of late against Dallas, yeah okay, and had some key d the one key carried down

by the goal line. I know. Doug Pearson was like, why was Smallwood getting touches there? Oh, Corey Clement was out. He's the guy in that situation. He's the backup, so he had to be ready, and you know, with a week of practice, knowing that was going to be primarily a three man rotation with Clement being placed on injury reserve,

he stepped up and answered the bell tonight. So he scores two touchdowns and I could only imagine what those touchdowns must have sounded like coming from the broadcast booth. Sports Radio ninety four w I P. Merrill Reese and Mike Quick Let's listen to the sounds of the game through our Merrill Camp feature, including the game winning call, Jared Goff's incomplete pass where Avonte Max had the coverage on wide receiver Josh Reynolds. Fifty one yard attempt Johnston

the holder. The kick goes away. It's got plenty of distance and it is god of the Eagles take the lead. Frams leading seven to three. Eagles tried to tighten it to a point. This is roughly the length of an extra point, maybe one yard more. It'll be spotted at the It's twenty four thirty four yard attempt for Elliott, spotted, kicked up, and it is good. We have a one point game. Ramsley Golf lines them up. Three receivers left tight ends down to the fourth side of the field.

Back again, goes Golf. He steps up. He is head. They've sick twenty five. Give this one. The Fletcher Cox, he apparently is alive and very well. Yeah. They needed him to come back into the game, and he comes back in and he makes his mark, an opportunity for them to keep moving closer. Freedger Cocks knocks them back

folds us back folds, looking stepping up. He is going deep and in his cart dead across the thirty five running with it is Jeffrey tell the twenty five what a great catch, a great cash by a Sean Jeffrey. And there was a two minute morning at the score. The Rams ten the Eagles six. Adams in falls in the gun on first down, they give us to Adams,

push us forward. He's in the end zone. Eagles take the leader just as straight inside zone run and excellent blocking off of that left side and Josh Adams and rookie just powers in right behind that left side of the offensive line. What a nice job. Zach Ertz gets a really good block hered as well. You know, Mike, listening to the crowd, I think there were a lot of Eagles fans here. You didn't know, well, you could hear it. You didn't know that already. I knew there

were last year. On first down, that goes inside small one up the middle. He's in small one, spining tone for the touchdown. What a great job of blocking up front. They just knocked the Rams off of the football, create that space. And look how quickly when Dell Smallwood gets to the second level. This is a forty yard attempt. Ball of spotted the kick is away and the kick is good, three for three under Sunner. Golf girling behind him.

Does he go to girl on a power play. Golf takes the snap, he trips, he goes down, he gives it. It's fumbled into the arms of the Eagles, and running with the football is Graham and grams down to the thirteen small one to the left of Folds. Folds gives it the small one up the middle of Goes. He's in touchdown. He's sucking the light again. The offensive line

blowing that rams defense off of the football. So now it's going to be up to number one the special teams and number two the defense backing up his Nutson. He's back at his thirty. Right now, Cameron Johnson can kick out a mile. He needs one of those right now. He rubs his palms together, he accepts the snap, he steps forward. He hits it very high. Wobbler coming up his Nutson. He's gonna try to take it back and he doesn't get any place. He fumbles the football. Let's see,

he fumbled the football. Beavils have the Eagles haven. The Eagles haven. It has Tray Sullivan who made the head thirty to twenty three. Eagles lead thirty to twenty three. Can this team that has had so much adversity this season rejoice with a win? Empty backfield for golf, Eagles lined up across the goal line, golf. Here comes the rush that come again. He is firing, incomplete, incomplete. The game is over. The Eagles win. Intended for Reynolds. The

Eagles win. The Eagles win. They have upset the Rams. A tremendous win for the Eagles as they shook the NFL underdogs once again. Fight them way out of it, They fight their way out of it, and they live to play a meaningful game against Houston. They suddenly at the lake. The Eagles have even the record at seven and seven, and they have beaten the Los Angeles Rams thirty to twenty three. Oh, that's absolutely tremendous, Absolutely tremendous. You knew that it was gonna be a special one.

There from the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Marorice delivering the calls as always. It's actually interesting for us because the last five minutes of so of the game, I'll come into studio. Ike has his superstitue or he has to be in the cafeteria here the Novocare Complex watched until the last possible moment, rushing in here to get miked

up and writing for the show. But we hear Merrill's call through the speaker before we see it on the screen, so it's almost it's like ten fifteen second delay, so

we're waiting for the play to start. That last one to Josh Reyls that Avonte Max was covering on but we already here that it's been incomplete, So it's like you're like, you're excited, but you used to see the actual thing take place, so you actually could watch how it came to fruition, though very very special edition Merrill came and if you want to watch it, relive it all day tomorrow we will have an available on philadelphias dot com and the Eagles Apps. So more interviews to

get to here. We're gonna hear from head coach Doug Pearson, the one on one with Mike Quick in a little bit. But first defensive lineman Hellodi Nada, big part of the rotation tonight, stepped up in a huge way. He caught up with our Eels entire day spare after the game, Hello Da talk about the defense and what you guys did to stop Todd Gurley. I mean that's all we focus on all week, stop and talk early he's we know he's a dual threat, and stopping him on the run.

It was definitely a huge trust got a little closer at the end. What was your like out there with the defense on the field of the end of the game, it just felt like we finally got something going our way. We haven't did it all year, I mean, haven't got anything to go our way this year, and um, it's just great to feel like we uh finally got something going our way. How big is this way? In Helodi? Choose?

You choose? It's a must win for us. Two more to go, So two more, two in a row and we go in a man of many words, there the Hellodi Nada? It was coming off last week's game. Okay, we've harped on the ninety nine tolls snaps and obviously again the defensive lineman are playing that. But when you look at the players on a DA line, Brandon Graham, Chris Long, not Michael Bennett. You know guys who are up there in age, they have a lot more experience.

So asking those guys coming off the heavy workload the week before, and really there were no Tim Jurnakin for all but one game, you know, no Derek Barnett. Since early in the season, these guys have had to shoulder more of the load. You're coming off that high impact game, which again was on the road in Dallas, so you're playing all those snaps in Dallas. You come home, you gotta go back on a West coast trip, No one,

you're gonna playing a lot of snaps. Once again, I just have to credit Chris Wilson and Jim Schwartz and a defensive line for stepping up to the task tonite the way that they did. Yeah, I think Jim schwartzon his staff really do deserve a lot of credit, and not just for tonight. I think, you know, for the majority of the season he's been undermanned over there, and I know he catches a lot of flak on the outside, people wanting to bring extra pressure. They want him to

lench Moore. But when you're down personnel, you got to be selective when you do blitz, when you do decide to put your back in in a vulnerable position, because when you send extra guys, that means guys on the back end have to cover man to man, and for a while there, I don't know if Jim Schwartz knew what he had in some of these secondary players. I mean, you're bringing in guys one week, you know this guy

is here. Next week, another guy is here. It takes a while for these coaches to even understand what they have, what a guy can do, and what he can't do. At the same time, he's trying to put together a game plan to stop some of the game's most lethal offensive weapons week the week. And like I said earlier, I think this defense has kept us in games just

about every week. I mean, with the exception of the Saints game, I think the defense has showed up pretty much every week, and they've been under man for the most part all year long, so this week was no different. Under Man got the next man up mentality. Not many players over there for a rotation style type of the defense.

They didn't have that available to them. So having a Holy nod Out there available to go tonight was huge for him because we haven't seen a lot of a loading nod Out this year, so having him able to go tonight was big time because I know, any extra bodies they could get to help along with their rotation, so these guys would be fresh in the fourth quarter would certainly be appreciated. And I think another thing people don't understand when they talk about this defense latent games.

I just mentioned keeping guys fresh, the rotational players. Well, when you're down men on all three levels, secondary linebackers and your defensive front, it's hard to have the rotation that you're accustomed to. And that was really the strength of his defense last year. It was in the numbers. It was because we had so many players playing on that side. We went eight deep along the defensive line,

no player playing more than four hundred snaps. I mean over eight players playing four hundred snaps last year and led the league. That was the calling card of his defense, and they really haven't had that at their disposal. And Jim Schwartz has really had to mix and match put this thing together with glue and patches the best that he can, and I think he's done an admirable job. He doesn't get enough credit for at least giving this

team a fighting chance every week. While the offense is sputtered in the first half to get off to a good start, the defense has kept us end games. They typically have just worn down late end games, and tonight they were able to hold on. That's the thing is you compare this to last year. The turnovers the takeaways are different, not as many as last year, but they got a couple tonight certainly aided in the Eagles cause getting them to win. And you mentioned the ability to finish.

They were playing with the bigger leads throughout the course of the game last season, and album of course, that doesn't excuse the losses to Carolina and Tennessee when you had big leads and weren't able to finish. And I think a lot of people have said, are we going down this road again? Tonight after they yeah, you know, and look Sunday Night Football the broadcast, they were ready up. Here's the Eagle struggles this season and closing out game.

So but outside of that, this defense has pretty much played at the same level as a year ago. It's the offense that has not been able to go up to fast start. This was an offense that was great in producing points in the first quarter. Got something tonight and look what happened. You're playing with the lead for most of the game. The Eagles never trailed in the

second half. That's rare. Okay, The Eagles did not trail this game in a second It was thirteen to thirteen and a half time after Zeroli kicked the late field goal as time expired. But the Eagles jumped on them in the second half and opened up a big lead and they were able to hold on for the thirty to twenty three victory. Okay, it doesn't matter at the

end how it comes to fruition. The bottom line is the Eagles found a way to get to seven and seven on the season, and the man responsible doing the head coaching job, Doug Pearson. After the game, he talked with Eagles Hall of Fame wide receiver Mike Quick as

well as NBC Sports Phillies John Clark. Let's go to that interview right now, all right, joining us now the head coach, Doug Peterson, And I know you don't pay attention to to Vegas and what the odds are on games, but you were thirteen point underdogs, largest Super Bowl underdog the next year in twenty three years, and you came here and you really shocked the world. A lot of people didn't give you a chance. This team believed how did you get them to believe with all the injuries.

I just think it's a credit to that locker room. You know, each guy really took it upon himself. This week starts in practice. I talk about practice a lot, but it really does. And we we win games like this on how we prepare and and I give a lot of credit to the players and the coaches really for um really having our guys well prepared. And uh, I can, I can. I can think back when I

was into Super Bowl. I guess at Denver Broncos where we were, we were we were the heavy uh favorite, and got beat by the Broncos in the Super Bowl. So you know, I've been there, and these guys just they don't listen to that, you know. And um, I don't know if you could probably ask any of those guys, they probably wouldn't even know the spread quite frankly. And and they just played together, played with a lot of

passion denying. It was good to see Doug was in anything that you saw about the build up this week that would lead you to believe that they were going to come out and play the way they did against the Rams. You know, I just think it's again the way the way they attack each day in practice. Um, you know, I know we had some adversity with the quarterback and making the change and and you know, a different guy in the huddle, but this guy started our season two, you know, for the first two weeks. So

guys were comfortable with Nick in there. And and the defense, I mean they they practiced all week against a high octane, high powered, very fast Temple offense, and they really handled a lot of the movement parts extremely well. And it's just a credit on how they prepared it. You had great balance with the running game, stuck with it, and you won the time of possession, so you keep their

offense off the field. How do you think it got of course the offensive line comfortable with the running game, but also Nick getting him settled in and then it opens up some other things downfield. Well, I think that's just something I as a play caller, I have to I have to trust the run game. I gotta trust the offensive line. And I felt like for the most part,

you know, I was able to do that. But but then the guys really took it upon themselves to execute and um, you know, did a great job, and that just kind of settled your quarterback in then you know, a lot of the RPO, a lot of the play action game can come off of that. And um had some opportunity down the field. Al Shan had a tremendous game, you know, catching the ball down the field and just you know, I think you just saw just a team effort and guys just just playing together and then having

a lot of fun out there. Speaking to the team, ever, talk about the compliment. You got some turnovers, you got a good special team play, good defensive play. Talk about how the each phase complimented the other phase of the team, you know, and it's it's what we've talked about all season long. When when you can generate turnovers, your offense can capitalize and they can score and score points. And we did that tonight. You know, we had Avante Mattocks

had a huge back. Of course, we had the biggest turnover all at the end of the game, and then we had you know, we had the other interception, so the ball was kind of bounced around him. Our defense got that ball too, So I mean, that's that's what happens when when when you can create those turnovers, and I thought our defensive line just got after the rams and and then listen, that's that's a good that's a good team, and give them a lot of credit. They're gonna go a long way. And um again, just a

great team effort. A lot of people in the off season said, hey, maybe trade Nick Foles for something. This is exactly why you kept him here and wanted him here. Right,

that's exactly right. You know, you get to moments like this and you have a veteran, veteran back up and and really, uh, you know, you can you can just just kind of kind of put last year but you know behind us and just focus on this this year and having a veteran player who can come in and under under adverse situations that he did, and um, just

lead this football team. And it's a credit to him obviously, and and I think really too uh for the for the rest of the team to really around rally around him and support him as well. Go and enjoy this win. We will. We ask you one question though, Yeah, who's your starting quarterback next week? I'll let you know later in the week. Perfect stretch it all the way to Saturday. Right. It has been a while since we've seen Doug smile like that. It was good to have a nice little

postgame interview to enjoy of that nature. All right, So what we're gonna do now is, if you are watching us on Facebook or Twitter, we've still got more show to go people. Okay, it's almost one o'clock in the morning on the East Coast. We're gonna keep things rolling. It's gonna be breakfast here on the Postgame Show presented by Rico. Okay, I used to go into Cafeier's gonna get some coffee Friday. Nonetheless, though, we're gonna take our

first commercial break. We've gotten almost ninety minutes without a commercial to this point, so we're gonna take a quick break. On the other side, we're gonna go inside the film room and explain how the Eagles pulled off some of the biggest plays to get the win tonight. In our Rico review, fran Duffy and Grego Sell they've been champing at the bit to get into the show here after this big win. So if you want to follow the rest of the show, coming over to Philadelphias dot com

or the app, we will see you all. On the other side. M h, Well, I'm trying to gain home, but it feels like another lie. Yeah, I'm trying to stay strong. Sometimes I realized that the further wrong go, the more that I you know that I won't go home. When you and your money are treated with respect, you prosper and it's fantane bank. Respect adds up. You might already know that PGW brings cleaner, greener natural gas to every corner of the city. Did you know we use

natural gas right here at PGW. It approves air quality and stays money. We're bringing that same technology to local companies so they can do more but use less. All across the Failey, PGW sports thousands of local businesses and almost every dollars we invest it right here Philadelphia. It's where we work and we're proud to say it's where we live. I want to think my mom, my manager, my babysitter, Look girl, Damie River is ready, and I

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the eggs, where's the coffee? All right, We'll get you a longer break so you can make that half. So maybe maybe you could do that when we go inside the Rico whiteboard for the Rico review. So again, the Eagles led thirteen to ten late in the second quarter. The Rams tied it just before halftime thirteen thirteen. Well, the Eagles took the lead on a Wendell Smallwood nine yard touching round, which followed an Alshon Jeffrey fifty yard reception.

So let's go into the film room where fran Duffy, an NFL film senior producer Greg co Sell, breakdown Smallwood's touchdown to give the Eagles a twenty to thirteen lead in the third quarter. All right, so stop me if you've heard this before. The Eagles in twelve personnel one back to tight end or get their staple run play right inside zone, down in the low red zone. It's going to go for a touchdown. Very much the same thing what we just saw on the last play greg

But tell us why it's a little bit different. When the formation's flipped. Here you have the two tight ends on the right side of the formation, not the left side, and you have the back here win Dell Smallwood, not Josh Adams. He's also on the right side of the formation. But this is a little bit different, and we can kind of draw it using Smallwood because Adams on the previous one he went straight just kind of the way you just drew that. Here, Smallwood's path starts the other way,

and then he's going to work off the blocking. So the path of the back is different because the blocking scheme is different. If you'll lose that, they have what we call duo two double teams, a double team right here and a double team right here, and obviously they're then going to work up to the second level linebackers. They're going to combo as we say, So this is a little different run than the other one, even though

the formation is the same, just flipped. So let's clear this and you'll see Smallwood Now as we start to run this, you'll see look at his path a little bit different, working off the combo blocks, the double teams, and he's able to then take it in another really well executed zone run. Yeah, that's the beauty of the zone run is that you're gonna you have the ability for the back to hit that in a number of roles,

all depending on how the defense deploys itself. Absolutely, that's the great thing about that inside zone had another great job by Dallas Guy and Zach Hursts on the back side of that zone run play. Eagles take the lead here early in the third quarter twenty to thirteen, and by the time this show ends, the complete all twenty two review will be available for you at Philadelphia Eagles dot com and the Eagles EPP. I love the way the Eagles utilize both the eleven and twelve personnel in

this ball game. It's obvious that Dallas got is not just a weapon in the past game, but very very good as a blocker, very advanced as a rookie because he didn't really show that as South Dakota State. So it's interesting coming into this ball game how they were going to utilize the offense, which you know, what game plan would they how would they approach it, and how would they get falls most comfortable in the early going? Yeah, and I think Dallas Dallas has gotten better at blocking,

you know, since earlier in the season didn't. It wasn't asked to do a whole lot of it at South Dakota State. But in this offense, you're gonna have to be a tight end. It's gonna have to stick your head in there and do some of the dirty work. And with zach Ertz being the primary pass catching tight end Dallas Goddard, the way you're gonna see yourself out there on that field is you gotta be willing to do some of that dirty work and then you're gonna

be rewarded with some passes here and there. But yeah, I just love the way he's grown throughout the season, and you want to see a little more of him because you love the athleticism his size. I think he's he surprises people with his size and his athleticism when you see him out there on the field, a little bigger than zach Ertz. Probably why he's a little more stouter in there as a block. We're a linear though,

that's the thing. It's like Urt is more stockier, like six five two fifty, but still I would have a little a little more side there from from Goddard, so, uh, it's interesting that Chris Collinsworth, I know Eels fans don't want to hear anything that he might have to say to the Super Bowl. He said, God, it's gonna be a star in this offense and it will be interesting to see not so much for rest of this year,

but next year. How do they build the offense? Is it gonna be very twelve personnel centric to have Urt and Got on the field, or do you make it eleven personnel where God is that one tight end and Art's you know, kind of mixes in there. So that's gonna be one of the things we could talk about more for twenty nineteen and beyond. Problem, it's a great problem to have. It's it's again a night like this, Guys like Wendell Smallwood, you know, Vonte Maddox, Dallas Got

or the young guys stepping up. You know it must win game. And you know, with the case of someone like Maddox, you need injuries for these guys even come to your forefront. Sure, you know it's as much as you don't want to see guys get injured. You know, Ronny McCloud's injury has had a severe domino effect on the rest of the defense, because you know, Corey un

and Jim Schwartz and Tim how could count on. We had Malcolm and Rodney there at safety, we could pretty much put them out there and not have to worry about Those two are iron men, you know. I think the first two years together they missed I think one game combined. So you can rely upon them each and every week. Well, no, Rodney, all right, So Corey Grant's gonna play more snaps. That's not ideal. So you gotta now working Vonte Max there. Well, all of a sudd

Now you have an injuries at the cornerback position. You're two starting corners are injured, you lose Ronald Darby Jail Mills for the year. Where's masking a play? I mean this is a guy who, again coming back off injury, had not played outside corner really since training camp. Yeah. Ok, I haven't seen him do it all year. Yeah, we haven't seen him do it. Yeah, And that's why you got to give a guy like Malcolm Jenkins a lot

of credit as a leader back there. And you can tell when he's up there talking about a Vonte Maddie, Roysula Douglas. Those guys. He's like a proud big brother because he's poured a lot of work into these guys because he's the only true veteran back there. So it's like Jim Schwartz telling how Corey Ellen. They lean on Malcolm to get those young guys line up, but they also lean on Malcolm to help get these guys mentally ready to go. So I know that there's extra film

sessions going on. Malcolm's taking out time watching watching film with these young guys, going over certain calls, making sure they're all on the same page. Because I know that first game back a couple of weeks ago, when Malcolm was out there along with all these young guys, it was difficult for him to get guys lined up and they had to simplify some things in order for them to play. They was the Giants game, right, Yeah, with

the Giants game. And so you can tell just since then until now that young secondary has sort of grown up a little bit, and it allows for Jim Schwartz to be able to go a little deeper into that playbook instead of being so vanilla. When you're going up against a complicated offense like the La Rams, you want to give them some different looks to sort of slow them down. I thought that's what they were able to

do tonight. And with Avante going out there and playing corner, I don't know if the Rams were ready for that because they had only really seen him play safety. We saw him playing a little bit of nickel corner, but we hadn't seen him on the outside. Well, Malcolm said during his press comments earlier in the show, he makes the young guys make the calls at practice. That's how you do it. That's how you know it. That's how you really know the defense. So they put him through

the ringer. It's not they just just get to sit and watch and absorb and learn, which, you know, it might be good enough. But these guys are playing. They are helping down the stretch. If the Eagles are gonna make the playoffs, they need these guys to contribute quality minutes, quality reps, and make plays out there on the field. So what does the playoff picture look like for the Eagles after tonight's win. We're going to delve into that after this final break here on the postgame show presented

by Rico. How many think my mom, my manager, my babysitter, girl, Dani River is reading about dog Walker. It feels like a big win when you get a deal like this. Introducing the new six dollar Classic Meal Deal. Make a meal with one of these favorites for just six dollars.

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I'm trying to stay strong. Sometimes realize and the mode and when you and your money are treated with respect, you prosper. At Fontan Bank, respect adds up. This season, The Eagles High School Football Showdown, presented by Rothman Orthopedics at Jefferson Health, celebrated local high school football coaches and their teams. Visit Philadelphia Eagles dot com Slash Showdown to check out the weekly results and videos and to find out which coach will be selected as the Coach of

the Year. Now is your chance to vote for the Toyota Player of the Week. Go to Philadelphia Eagles dot com slash Toyota Player of the Week to cast your vote and get a chance at a brand new Toyota. All right, let's start things off here with the defense, and again Number ninety one was tired of answering questions about Aaron Donald. I mean, he fut saying that there are two different players. Okay, you know, Aaron Donald is more of a quick twitch guy who can get up

the field. Cox typically wins with strength, bulldozing people. You see the way he's pushing lineman into the quarterback's lap. Okay, but still the two most disruptive interior lineman. But a lot of people this week we're going to Fletcher and say what about Aaron Donald? What about Aaron Donald? Fletcher Cox newt he had to put this team on his back,

and he was able to do so tonight. Again, the stats don't maybe jump off the charts, but the impact he had in being able to provide quality rush from the inside, setting the tone and being able to draw penalties. Things that aren't going to get noticed there. I thought Cox did everything he had to. Again, it's primetime Pro Bowl. Team's gonna be announced on Tuesday, and that man number ninety one will hear his name called on Tuesday night

as well. He should. Did Aaron Donald play tonight? I didn't even know Aaron Donald played tonight ninety one though I saw him all over the field everywhere being a disruptor. And listen with his buddy on the other side, he's answering a lot of questions. They share the same agent, so I know there's a little bit of friendly competition there when you're talking about the two two of the higher paid defensive tackles and all the football. Both of them very good. Both of them be playing in the

Pro Bowl if they're not in the Super Bowl. But Fletcher, when when you know you got a guy who plays the same position as you, gonna be on the field tonight as you are, and you know that other guys regarded as the best at that position, you certainly want to make sure you're heard from throughout the night. And I thought Fletcher Cox did a great job. But that tonight then to Stemy, a high scoring offense, one that had dominated at home. Okay, say what you will the

last couple of weeks in Detroit Chicago. Certainly struggling last week against Chicago, but entering tonight, the fewest points that they had scored at home at the Coliseum was twenty nine against Greenback. So it's a season low point total and again handing the ram another loss, knocking them back

in the NFC standings. All right, our second nominee. Okay, we're gonna go offense here and al Shan Jeffrey doing a great job again those fifty fifty balls, providing some deep plays, probably the under ray play for me, maybe the turning point for me came in the second quarter led to Josh Adams's touchdown. But second quarter, third and five, Jeffrey gets a thirty six yard completion, moves a change, keeps the Eagles offense on the field, and again they

ended up getting a touchdown after that drive. But you look at the numbers, one hundred and sixty yards. We haven't seen that very often from al Sean. You know, was dominant very early in the season. First couple of games, got off to a red hot start, coming back from the offseason older surgery, the rotator cuff injury that he played with through all of twenty seventeen, but he and Nick rekindled that magic's first time that they were out

there together this season. And yo, you go back to the super Bowl with some of those improbable catches, saw some of those again tonight. Yeah, and you know, kudos to this Eagles coaching staff recognize it that this ram secondary, particularly at the cornerback position. They'll give up some plays, you know, keep to league, particularly Marcus Peters, a big gambler over there, not a real physical corner. So they the Eagles knew that they would have some shots available

to them. They just needed to take them and feel confident that that players and be able to go up and make the plays. Great job of Nick putting the ball out there, letting al Shan go up and make plays. And then great job from Alshan putting them all in all eight of his targets. He pulled them in a hundred and sixty yards. Can't do much better than that last, but not least the man who delivered the ball to al Sean and the rest of the offense, the triggerman,

Nick Falls. Coming in first start since Week two against Tampa Bay and you know, picked up really right where he left off here. Second win as a starter this season, must win game for the Eagles, you know, huge, huge performance. You heard it from Malcolm jen Gets earlier when he was asked about you know, what does it say about this team that it seems that everyone takes her game to another level when Nick Foles comes in. Malcolm just said Nick had now stand in the game tonight. Let's

leave it at that. And that's what it was here. Seventy seven percent completion personage two hundred and seventy yards, the one interception in the red zone, a drive that maybe could have put the game away a little sooner. That was really his only one hiccup. I just loved the poise he had in the pocket because you mentioned

Aaron Donald. Aaron Donald had a couple of hits on him, and dominkans Wu had a couple of hits on as he was delivering the ball, and he stood in there, took those shots and still was willing to throw the ball deep and allow his receivers to make plays. Yeah, you know, I don't know how anyone can be surprised by how well Nick Foles plays when he's called upon to play, particularly the first game that he's out there,

he just seems to catch people off guard. You know, you watch him on the film and you kind of feel like, hey, there's nothing really special about him. And then and then you get out there against him on the field and he's dropping dimes on you everywhere out there. So Nick Foles doing with Nick Foles typically does. Former Super Bowl MVP came in the night in a big moment primetime. I think he's won his last seven games in primetime television with the Eagles, so he certainly knows

these moments, knows how to rise to the occasion. Did it again the night You mentioned the one bad pick that was really his only bad of the whole game other than that, made big throws at the big throws all night. And it was nice to see the deep ball be a part of the offense again. Had been a while since we've seen the deep ball down the field, especially to al Sean, So it was good to see

the deep ball a part of the offense. Contrasted to Jared Goff tonight, Okay, very good with the dinkin dunk the underneath stuff, but struggled with the deep ball and it got to the point where the Eagles were like, if you're gonna beat it, you got beats with your arm deep, you gotta make it happen. And he struggled to do that. Tonight got some you know, picked up some yards at the end of the game, but before that, no, it wasn't happening at for them. So Eagles get to

seven and seven, two games left. Okay, They're taking on to Houston, Texans at home next week and then they're at Washington to end the season. So here are the standings as of right now. The Saints and the Panthers. They've played later on tonight Monday and Night Football. So the Saints are in the driver's seat in the NFC. The Rams they lose, but they still clinch their division. The Bears now have a shot possibly getting a first round by there, they're in a mix. They clinched the

nc North today. The Cowboys getting shut out against the Colts day dropped back to the pack a little bit, but still the Eagles will have to win their final two games. The Cowboys will have to drop theirs in order to win the NFC East and then the wild card. That's kind of what you're focusing on for the Eagles. Seahawks losing to the Niners in overtime, they're eight and six, just one game ahead of the Eagles. The Vikings remained

a half game ahead of the Eagles. What's nice there is you don't have to worry about the tiebreakers with that tie there, They're not gonna be finishing with the same record because the Eagles did lose to them. Panthers in the mix there again. They played tonight against the Saints Washington staying alive somehow with their fourth string quarterback beating Jacksonville. Yeah, I look at this. You know, Minnesota,

they still got a couple of tough games left. You know, they got to go to Detroit, or they got Detroit coming to them. That's a divisional opponent, and they got to finish with Chicago at home. So you could see. I could see two losses there. I could see two wins there. At Seattle, they just need to win one in order to get in. But they play the Chiefs and then they have to play I believe it's the Cardinals they finished up with in that final game of

the season. So we know what the Cowboys have left or in their schedule They got Tampa Bay at home next week, and then they play in New York. The final game of the season should be interested. I think the toughest game the Eagles had to win was tonight one out in LA. So the final two you take care of business at home against the Texas next week, and then go down to Washington and take care of business and you finish help in nine and seven. And then we still need a little help. We need a

little help from from some of these other teams. But nothing that's outlandish, right, nothing that isn't feasible. So the Eagles got to take care of their business first. Like I said, they got the toughest leg taking care of tonight by knocking off the Rams out there in Los Angeles. Come home next week, take on to Shaun Watson, DeAndre Hopkins, well Jason, but what's his situation coming He injured his ankle at the very end of the game. He did, so we'll have to wait and see what that is.

He had to be helped off the field by his teammates after catching the game where yes, so still that would be nice if he's not able to go. Yeah, one only hope, one only hope. But certainly that's a team that's won ten of eleven and to take control of the South. So but at least you know the fans. The fans were fired up in LA, so you know they're gonna bring it the link because this is this is the last stamp. Yeah, it's the last home game.

Couldn't be the last home game of the season. You're probably if you're a fifth or sixteed, you're probably not going to host a playoff game, even if you can get to the MC Championship. So for the fans, one last hurrah at home in twenty eighteen. Let's go out with the bank. Why yeah, why not? So we gotta play it so you may as well win, exactly, and something's on the line. That's the most important things, big

things on the line here. So that's next Sunday one pm for you, two pm, Marks and Rishow, what are you gonna be talking about? Well, I would love to say we're gonna be talking about this big wind from the day. I know it'll be part of the conversation, but it won't take long before these fans are ready to talk about who's starting their quarterback next week. And I'm sure there'll be a lot of people that feel like Nick Foles needs to be in there as a starter.

Can't necessarily argue against that. But I also understand if number eleven is healthy and he's able to go. He's the starting quarterback of his team, he's the franchise quarterback, he's the future of his team. So I certainly would understand why people will want Carson Wentz out there. If nothing else, there'll be no shortage of topics this week leading up to that big game. Hot takes will be in full effect all week long. So that is going to do it for us here on this marathon edition

of the Postgame Show presented by Rico. We've been waiting for a game like this all season long. Eagles going on the road, getting a big win over the Los Angeles Rams by a score of thirty to twenty three. He's like, Geese, I'm Chris McPherson, Thanks for joining us, have a great night. Doug Pearson will be live at noon. We will have that press conference for you, So get a couple of hours rest and we will see you later on today