LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD (Philadelphia) — The Los Angeles Rams’ dream season was on the verge of becoming a full-fledged nightmare. For three-plus quarters on Sunday, they looked much like they had for most of the first three games: an overrated mess. But then they reminded everyone why the world was so high on them in the first place. When they’re clicking on all cylinders, they (still) are capable of being the best team in the league. That’s what separates these Rams from the NFL’s last supposed “Dream Team” — the overrated Eagles of 2011 that went 8-8. These Rams are capable of greatness, as they demonstrated by scoring two touchdowns in the final four minutes of a 24-20 road win against the overrated Eagles of 2026. The Rams’ comeback was quite a departure from the first 50-plus minutes, in which they appeared old, feeble and tired. It was as if the jet lag from their poorly planned trip to Australia in Week 1 never wore off. But great teams know when it matters most, and that’s when the Rams suddenly woke up. With the game on the line and their season perched on the brink, they played like the Super Bowl-bound juggernaut they were supposed to be. “That says that they’re mentally tough,” a giddy Sean McVay said of his team. “And I think that will serve us well. Tough times don’t last. Tough people do. They found a way. It was really cool to see.” The emergence of the real Rams couldn’t have come at a better time. In a division with the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks and the powerful San Francisco 49ers, there would’ve been no coming back from a 1-3 start. Only the 2001 Patriots have opened a season 1-3 and won the Super Bowl, and the Rams were two yards away from falling into that hole. Stops on third- and fourth-and-goal with less than eight minutes remaining gave Matthew Stafford and Co. an inch. They responded by taking a mile — driving 98 yards for a touchdown and then, after the defense forced a three-and-out, executing a second 10-play drive for the go-ahead score. The defense then sacked Jalen Hurts twice to force a turnover on downs and seal the 10-point comeback. That’s championship mettle. The three huge defensive stops were even more impressive when considering star pass-rushers Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald were sidelined. Stafford, who looked every bit of his 38 years as he struggled through a two-interception day, overthrowing and misfiring to most of his receivers, went 12 for 15 for 140 yards on the final two drives. The final eight flawless minutes served as a reminder of what the Rams are capable of, and of why the hype surrounding them always had a stronger base than their “Dream Team” predecessor in Philadelphia. The 2011 Eagles were built on a foundation of good (but not great) free-agent additions and a high-risk, high-reward QB in Michael Vick. These Rams are backed by the reigning MVP and were a play away from reaching last season’s Super Bowl, where they would have been heavy favorites against the Patriots. And that was before they traded for Garrett, lured Donald out of retirement and added stellar cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Jaylen Watson. In other words, the Rams were on the cusp of greatness a year ago, and there’s still no reason to think they won’t be great again. Their wild comeback on Sunday proved they still have the talent to make a Super Bowl run. And maybe that was the wake-up call they needed to come out of their slumber and remind even themselves that they’re still good enough to achieve all of their dreams. “If you don’t have belief, then what are you doing?” Stafford said. “That’s what you put in all the work for. … Not every game is going to go exactly how you want it. Sometimes you’re going to have to find ways to win football games. “That’s what we did today.” The Eagles were about to shut the door on the Rams (and perhaps their 2026 title chances) when Nick Sirianni found a way to prop it open. Then the Eagles left the door open to the NFC East as well. After blowing a game they absolutely should have won, the Eagles are tied with the Dallas Cowboys and one game behind the New York Giants, in a division they’ve basically owned for the better part of the past three seasons. That’s not all on Sirianni, but his decisions are certainly fodder for his critics — particularly choosing to go for it twice on fourth-and-2 in the second half against the Rams. The first time was from the Eagles’ own 38, though the failed Tush Push didn’t ultimately hurt the Eagles. The second one was from the Rams’ 2-yard line when a field goal would’ve put Philly up by two touchdowns with less than eight minutes remaining. That was a killer. Sirianni inexplicably ignored that his team was already 0 for 10 on third downs Sunday and was missing receiver DeVonta Smith, running back Saquon Barkley, tight end Dallas Goedert and two offensive linemen. Simply put, he overplayed his analytical hand. “I’m very well aware of how important that decision was as the head coach,” Sirianni said. “That’s on me.” Indeed it was, even if there was some logic in leaving the Rams in “a true backed-up scenario” once his offense failed. He never imagined the Rams would drive 98 yards the other way, nor did he think his Eagles couldn’t pick up the two yards they needed for a 17-point lead. But sometimes a head coach has to know his team better than he knows the math. And Sirianni’s team has struggled offensively all season long. And that goes back to another Sirianni decision: turning his offense over to 34-year-old, first-time coordinator in Sean Mannion, who’s in just his third season as an NFL assistant. There’s still plenty of time for Mannion to piece this dysfunctional and battered Eagles offense together. But at the moment, he looks like Sirianni’s third swing and miss at the position in the past four years. And if you don’t think that puts Sirianni on the hot seat, you are underestimating the pressure of Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie. This is an organization that expects to be playing in the Super Bowl. There’s no excuse for giving away games like this, much less a division this weak. The San Francisco 49ers play in a division with the defending Super Bowl champions and the superteam many expect to win Super Bowl LXI. Yet four games into the season, they’re looking down in the standings at both the Seahawks and the Rams. In fact, the 4-0 49ers are looking down at everyone. They’re the best team in the league. They showed that pretty clearly Sunday with a convincing 24-14 victory against the Denver Broncos — who remain one of the best teams in the AFC. And the Niners did it by showing off their remarkable versatility. They got 218 yards and two touchdowns from QB Brock Purdy, 140 rushing yards from a combination of five ballcarriers and nine catches for 146 yards from TE George Kittle and WR Mike Evans. No team in the NFL has as many ways to win as San Francisco, which can beat you in the air and on the ground or with its stout defense. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Kyle Shanahan’s club went 12-5 last season despite being battered by injuries. While this year’s Niners are notably banged up on the defensive line and at receiver, they boast the league’s best point differential. Should they ever get healthy, which can never be assumed with the 49ers, they may prove impossible to beat. Jaguars head coach Liam Coen showed last year that he’s a brilliant offensive strategist, capable of turning his Trevor Lawrence-led team into a contender. It’s time the Jaguars get credit for their top-notch defense, too. That unit, led by defensive coordinator Anthony Campanile since 2025, got the best of the high-octane Cincinnati Bengals in a 22-17 Jacksonville win on Sunday. Yes, the Jags gave up a lot of yards to Joe Burrow — 428 passing yards in all. But he had to throw 54 times to hit that total and was picked off twice, including once at the Jacksonville 10-yard line in the fourth quarter. The Jags also stuffed the Bengals’ running game so much that they simply stopped trying, running just 15 times for 23 yards. It was the third time this season a Jaguars opponent failed to score 20 points. In fact, they’ve given up just 53 points total this season — the second-fewest in the league. That’s why the 44-year-old Campanile is soon going to appear on a lot of head coach hot lists. More importantly, it’s why the Jaguars need to be taken seriously as a Super Bowl contender. For three games, Drake Maye looked like the worst quarterback in football. We all should’ve known he wasn’t that bad. The 24-year-old was still far from his 2025, near-MVP self, but he was finally at least good Sunday as the Patriots knocked off the Bills in Buffalo. Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns and one interception, while running eight times for 54 yards. And that included going 4 for 7 for 68 yards on the game-winning drive, including a 23-yard touchdown. That flash of his talent is exactly what the Patriots needed, and why it’s still too early to concede the AFC East race to the Bills. Maye showed last year that he was capable of carrying a flawed Patriots team a long way — all the way to the Super Bowl, in fact. His ability didn’t just mysteriously vanish. He’s clearly capable of doing it again. It’ll be harder this season, against a much tougher schedule. And it’ll be hard for a few more weeks until top receiver A.J. Brown returns. But this could be the performance that finally gives Maye his confidence back and lets him settle into a groove he was clearly missing. If so, we can’t count the Patriots out just yet. In NFL Fallout, Ralph Vacchiano breaks down the impact of the biggest events every Sunday. Click Here for more
