Sean McVay was celebrating like he just won the Super Bowl after the Rams squeaked out a 24-20 comeback win over the Eagles. And honestly, who can blame him?
Rams’ Wild Ride: A Win, But Still a Mess?
Man, those margins in the NFL are wild, right? Week 4 was proof, with seven out of ten games decided by just one possession, and even the Cardinals at Giants came down to the final snap with Deonte Banks’ pick six making it a multi-score game. So yeah, McVay’s visceral reaction to beating the Eagles, avoiding a 1-3 start, it makes sense. He’s been there, done that with Super Bowl wins, and this one, despite how it looked, was crucial.
But let’s be real: calling the Rams Super Bowl favorites after that? Nah, that’s a massive overreaction. You can look at that 24-20 victory in two ways: it was super unimpressive for 52-plus minutes, or it was an impressive comeback in the last 7:26. And both are true! L.A. struggling against a Philly squad missing DeVonta Smith, Saquon Barkley, Quinyon Mitchell, Zack Baun, Lane Johnson, Landon Dickerson and a bunch of others, that was rough.
But then, boom, they flipped a switch. Two lengthy scoring drives: a 10-play, 98-yard touchdown march, followed by forcing a three-and-out, then another 10-play, 79-yard touchdown drive, and finally forcing a turnover on downs. Matthew Stafford, who usually struggles against Vic Fangio-coached defenses and in the rain (and both were happening!), finally got his first win against Fangio. When it mattered most, he was 12-for-15 for 140 yards on those two late drives. Kyren Williams pounded in two touchdowns, Puka Nacua hauled in nine catches for 125 yards and even ran for a score. The scoreboard lies a bit here, because the Rams put up 415 yards of offense and averaged 5.4 yards per play, compared to Philly’s 172 yards and 3.0. Yeah, they had horrible turnovers and penalties, but play-by-play, they were far superior. Oh, and they did all this without Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald, and Jaylen Watson on defense. So yeah, it was a crucial win, proving they can grit one out when everything goes wrong. But Super Bowl favorites? Pump the brakes, buddy.
Cowboys Just Locked Up the NFC East, Call It Now
Speaking of crucial wins, the Cowboys just snagged their most important one since the 2023 season, beating the Texans 34-30. This wasn’t an overreaction, this is reality: Dallas is taking the NFC East. That game had everything, especially a whole lot of CeeDee Lamb. No doubt, they are serious contenders in their division.
So, Week 4 gave us a mix of “wait and see” and “it’s already decided.” The Rams proved they can fight, but not necessarily dominate, while the Cowboys showed they’re ready to run their division. This early season action is telling us a lot about who’s for real, and who’s just giving us a good show.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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