Rams All-22 Review: Analyzing What Went Wrong vs. Eagles

The Los Angeles Rams have pressing issues following their incredible defeat on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles, where they traded one massive blow after another. While some players stood out in major ways for the Rams despite the loss, the real issues came from simple execution in critical situations.

After re-watching the broadcast and taking a closer look at the All-22 coaches' film, I decided to analyze the issues that plague Los Angeles in their loss, something that has been an issue for the early morning hours of the 2025 regular season, and how they can improve on it. Plus, I take a closer look at performances from Quentin Lake, Jared Verse, and others.

Let's dive into the tape.

Analyzing third-down and red zone issues

McVay Ram — Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

The Rams are a great football team, and at their highest potential, the best in football. However, through three games, the Rams are in the bottom 10 in red-zone conversion rate, according to Team Rankings. Opportunities to have three consecutive games of 30 or more points have gone into the gutter because of the lack of consistency in these areas.

It was especially an issue against the Eagles when Los Angeles finished the game 3-10 on third down attempts and was one for four in the red zone. That has been a problem, but notice the trend here with one specific player in particular.

What happened in these short-yardage, red-zone situations? I clipped four plays from the tape to break down, beginning with third-and-goal from the 10-yard line following the Coleman Shelton holding penalty:

Clip No. 1: Salem concept on the weak side off of the motion from No. 89 Tyler Higbee (corner) with No. 17 Davante Adams running the dig. No. 88 Jordan Whittington runs a spot route, and Puka Nacua runs the backside fade. Kyren Williams chip blocks the strong side edge and works into the flat. It is excellent coverage, but quarterback Matthew Stafford never sees Williams open and throws the pass away.

Clip No. 2: Five-yard out from Adams on the close side of the field against the man defender, Quinyon Mitchell. It is a great matchup for Adams, who wins seamlessly at the top of his route. However, it is a high throw, resulting in a field goal on the next play to make it 16-7, Rams, instead of potentially 20-7.

Stafford Ram — Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Clip No. 3: Insert out of a trey formation with Nacua in notion to "insert" on the shallow crosser from the inside shoulder of the right tackle from the close side against Cover 3 match. It is another high throw from Stafford to a wide-open Nacua that falls incomplete. Another field goal makes it 19-7 instead of 23-7 had the Rams gone on to score on this final drive before halftime.

Clip No. 4: Spacing concept with close side dig and No. 2 field side corner. Williams in pass protection against a simulated pressure. There is no checkdown outlet, which turns into a scramble for no gain from Stafford, forcing a punt, and the score remains 26-14, Rams, as the Eagles make their furious comeback.

These four third-down attempts by the LA Rams were frustrating. Red-zone execution has been an issue for them to overcome at the start of the szn. Credit should be given to the Eagles for great coverage, but these are situations that can be infuriating to watch. pic.twitter.com/V9UL3atAfe
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) September 24, 2025

This was a bad day for the Rams to have underwhelming situational football execution in short-yardage situations and red area attempts, as well as a bad day from Stafford. He noted after the game about his "physical" misses, and those are ones he would like to have back.

Even so, while it is understood McVay would want to be aggressive in these types of situations in that type of game, you have to live to fight another down, and not trusting your talented trio of running backs seems unideal in these short-yardage situations.

Stafford has to make his throws to Adams and Nacua on third down under four minutes in the second quarter, especially the 3rd & 1 in the fourth quarter; McVay has to do a better job trusting his running backs and offensive line in short-yardage situations and allowing for checkdown or underneath outlets; you can’t make mistakes that nullify plays such as Shelton’s holding call in the second quarter that could’ve made it a 10-point game.

These aren’t unusual mistakes; this has been consistent to start the year. Time will tell if these issues are corrected sooner rather than later.

Quentin Lake's big game in coverage

Lake Ram — Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams safety Quentin Lake (37) before action against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Lake was a key defender from Sunday’s game and turned in a great performance with four passes defended and ample coverage across the board. Whether it was in split alignments, nickel, or in the box, Lake was making plays for the Rams defense against the Eagles.

I loved seeing Lake play through the hands and gain depth in his drop to track and attack the ball at the catch point. He was a physical, hard-stop tackler who did not allow much ground after the catch. Lake is one of the more disciplined playmakers in Los Angeles’ secondary, and had they won the game, Lake would be widely considered as one of the top players from Sunday’s event.

#Rams SAF/NB Quentin Lake had a great day in coverage against the Eagles.

He was tracking the ball and getting depth, playing through the hands at the catch point, and playing through the receivers to force incompletions. Fun day from 37. pic.twitter.com/4mAWX7ERB3
— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) September 24, 2025

Jared Verse is hitting his stride

After watching the last couple of weeks, I circled Sunday’s game as one where Verse could have a productive day and begin to hit his stride. Philadelphia was the same place where he broke out as a rookie in the postseason last year with two sacks. This week, he tallied four pressures and a sack, and the duo of Verse and Byron Young is only going to grow more into a stout duo.

Verse has a way of just being an overwhelming pass rusher because he is an expert at combining his explosive get-off with pure power and brute strength at the point of attack. If he doesn’t win with speed, he wins with power by ragdolling opposing tackles and devastating them in their pass sets. If not with power, his speed around the arc makes him a nightmare to push him up beyond it, especially from wider alignments.

Nacua Ram — Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) reacts against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Quick-Hitting Takeaways

Where is Terrance Ferguson? Los Angeles’s No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft has not seen the field often through three weeks, an interesting choice considering the potential value he provides as a big slot to form more unique 12 personnel packages in wider formations to create mismatches. While he still has to improve as a blocker, McVay should be more lenient in working through the rookie mistakes.

Sep 21, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) reacts against the Philadelphia Eagles during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Puka Nacua remained as good as ever, catching 11 passes for 112 yards on 15 targets. I’m not concerned about the lack of red-zone or goal-line targets, and that should come with time. He is one of the most reliable pass catchers in the NFL, who is so dangerous in a variety of ways that defenses must account for. He showed that again on Sunday, and he’ll need to do it again against the Indianapolis Colts without star nickel defender Kenny Moore II.

The Rams' run game remains consistent with about a 75:25 split between touches for Kyren Williams and Blake Corum. This is a productive group of running backs whose skill sets complement each other well. Corum’s explosiveness and lateral burst remain on display, but I think a lot of fans, myself included, would love to see more of Jarquez Hunter in the run game, especially in short-yardage situations at any point of the game or field position.

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