A heated exchange on the Eagles sideline, a Tiger Woods cameo, Tush Push talk, and more from the Birds broadcast
The Tush Push made a big appearance early in the game before the focus shifted to pass interference calls (and non-calls) and taunting penalties.
Did Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Davante Adams push off on Eagles safety Reed Blankenship before catching this touchdown pass? Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
What a roller-coaster of a game for the Birds. After a miserable first half on offense, the Eagles finally remembered that they have two of the NFL’s best receivers and mounted a huge comeback Sunday against the Rams.
“The Eagles finally asked Jalen Hurts to be the guy,” play-by-play announcer Joe Davis said on the Fox broadcast. “It wasn’t that he couldn’t, they just hadn’t asked him to be.”
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Jordan Davis blocked the potential game-winning field goal and returned it for a touchdown to bring the Birds to 3-0. If you were at the Linc or just want to relive the 33-26 win, here’s everything you missed from the broadcast:
Tush Push
We already knew the Tush Push was going to be a huge topic of conversation heading into the game, after all the discourse from the Chiefs game.
The Birds pulled off two successful Tush Pushes on the first offensive drive of the game, including one for a touchdown. But the fourth-down red-zone conversion probably isn’t going to help the Eagles beat the false-start allegations.
“You’re going to see there that the right guard does move early before the center moves the ball,” said Mike Pereira, Fox’s rules expert. “It is a difficult play to officiate, of course. We’re looking at this in super-slow motion. In real time, it probably doesn’t look like much, but it was a false start.”
It appears there was a missed false start on an Eagles tush push.
Soon after, they scored a touchdown... On a tush push!
Despite Rams coach Sean McVay’s efforts, it appeared that officials weren’t looking as closely for false starts as fans might have expected.
“You’re probably 2-for-2 on false starts because you can see he moves early,” Pereira said.
Davis reflected Nick Sirianni’s sentiment that when watching the play in slow motion, it’s easy to find faults with something that isn’t as visible in real time.
“On every play, you can find a little something if you slow it down enough,” Davis said.
The Eagles have run more than double the quarterback sneaks of any team since 2022, and have converted them at a much higher rate. The success of the Tush Push allows for Sirianni and the Eagles to be more conservative on early downs and rely more on the running game because they have a shorter field with each set of downs, color analyst Greg Olsen said.
“So much of the conversation around the Tush Push is the aesthetics of it, is it good for the game?” Olsen said. “I don’t think we give enough credit to the Eagles for the sophistication of what that play allows them to do. When they get down there, it’s first-and-8. You have a yard, yard and a half, in your back pocket every possession.”
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis block a field goal attempt by Rams kicker Joshua Karty as time expires in the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis celebrates after running back a late fourth quarter blocked field.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis goes after the football during a late fourth quarter blocked field goal against Rams place kicker Joshua Karty.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis runs back a late fourth quarter blocked field goal.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Byron Young celebrates with fans after the Eagles beat the Rams on a blocked field goal.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni and quarterback Jalen Hurts embrace after the Eagles beat the Rams.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the football past Rams linebacker Omar Speights in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith spikes the football after catching a late fourth quarter touchdown.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith celebrates with running back Saquon Barkley after Smith caught a late fourth quarter touchdown.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown watches the deflected football against Rams safety Kam Curl in the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter taunts the Rams in the fourth quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches the football against Rams cornerback Darious Williams in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches the football against Rams cornerback Darious Williams in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown runs with the football against Rams cornerback Darious Williams in the fourth quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws a incomplete pass on a fourth down play against the Rams defense.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown celebrates a third quarter touchdown.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown celebrates a third quarter touchdown.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter and defensive tackle Moro Ojomo go after Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs with the football against Rams safety Kamren Kinchens (left) and safety Kam Curl in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches the football past Rams safety Kamren Kinchens and cornerback Cobie Durant in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley runs with the football against safety Kam Curl in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith runs with the football past Rams linebacker Nate Landman and safety Kam Curl.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown catches the football past Rams cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jordan Davis runs down Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua with linebacker Zack Baun in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter goes after Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Rams safety Quentin Lake points after Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts fumbled the football in the third quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts sits on the grass after getting sacked and fumbling the football in the third quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Rams defensive tackle Poona Ford (left) and defensive end Kobie Turner go after the third quarter fumbled football by the Eagles.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Rams running back Kyren Williams scores a third quarter touchdown past Eagles cornerback Cooper DeJean.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts sits on the bench after a four and out late in the second quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Rams place kicker Joshua Karty kicks a second quarter field goal past Eagles special team members Jalen Carter (right) and Jordan Davis.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Rams safety Quentin Lake breaks up a pass for Eagles wide receiver Jahan Dotson in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Rams running back Kyren Williams runs with the football against the Eagles defense in the second quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts gets sacked by Rams defensive tackle Poona Ford in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts throws the football against the Rams in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles running back Saquon Barkley gets stopped by Rams safety Kam Curl in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Rams running back Blake Corum gets stopped by Eagles linebacker Zack Baun in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Rams wide receiver Davante Adams catches a first quarter touchdown reception past Eagles safety Reed Blankenship.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver DeVonta Smith catches the football past Rams safety Kam Curl (left) and cornerback Emmanuel Forbes Jr., in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the football against Rams safety Quentin Lake in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts runs with the football against the Rams in the first quarter.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts stands up after scoring first quarter touchdown.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown gets pass interfered by Rams safety Quentin Lake in the first quarter.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles linebacker Zack Baun celebrates his first quarter interception.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts prays before the Eagles played the Rams.Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts during player introductions.Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts meets with fans before the Eagles played the Rams.
Read moreDavid Maialetti / Staff Photographer
Former Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins with his camera before the Eagles played the Rams.
Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Actors Tom Pelphrey and Mark Ruffalo, from HBO’s Task, meet with the media before the Eagles game against the Rams.
Read moreMonica Herndon / Staff Photographer
Pass interference
After all the discourse about the Eagles’ false starts, as soon as Matthew Stafford found Davante Adams for a deep ball touchdown, of course every Eagles fan was looking at Adams’ little push-off at the end of the play to separate from Reed Blankenship. But they actually did call it out on the broadcast.
“That separation there at the end, I know it looks ticky-tack, I know it looks like he had him beat anyway, but that’s PI,” Olsen said. “They got away with one there, but great throw and pass regardless.”
DEEP BALL STAFFORD TO ADAMS! Touchdown Rams and they lead in Philly!
The Birds had all kinds of trouble fielding kickoffs. Pretty much every Joshua Karty kickoff ended up bouncing right out of the hands of the Eagles’ John Metchie and Tank Bigsby.
But it wasn’t all their fault. Olsen, good friends with Rams special teams coordinator Chase Blackburn, gushed over Karty’s ability to mix up his kicks to give the Eagles bad field position.
“It must be really good: You hate talking about special teams,” Davis said jokingly.
“It’s amazing, last year, we just kicked every ball out of the end zone,” Olsen recounted Blackburn saying. “Now we’ve developed this ability to, he calls them dirty kicks, and he’s like, people just really struggle fielding them.”
Now that the Rams have mastered the new kickoff rules, are we going to ban the squib kick?
After 2½ games, the Birds finally started taking shots down the field and using A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. Predictably, they started to find success.
After pulling within one score at 26-21, Jalen Hurts and offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo appeared to have a heated conversation on the sideline. No hot mic moments here (unlike last week), but whatever it was they started trying in the second half worked.
Jalen Hurts grilling Kevin Patullo and Jemal Singleton on the sideline after the TD. pic.twitter.com/87i0PRW1Hd
Here’s the Jalen Carter hand gesture that pushed the Eagles back 15 yards after the blocked field goal. Olsen was confused and circled on him gesturing from a distance after the play, but this has the close-up angle at the end.
Saquon Barkley’s mantra for the year? “Tiger-mode,” according to Davis. Barkley talked to Tiger Woods in the offseason for advice on how to follow up his massive season.
“If the Rams had read the clips, they’d have known that was going to be a handoff to Saquon when they heard Tiger Woods!” Davis said.