When a defending Super Bowl champion escapes certain defeat and leaves the field with a thrilling win, we tend to use the term “championship DNA.” It can be a bit trite and not always applicable, but following the Philadelphia Eagles' 33-26 comeback victory versus the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon, those words seem more than appropriate. Facing a 19-point deficit early in the third quarter, Philly found a way.
There was plenty of hard work and nuance, to be clear, but this squad dug deep and willed itself to a home win over what many consider to be one of the top contenders in the NFC. When a second-half eruption occurs and the game ends with a historic blocked field goal, it is easy to feel invincible. It would have also been easy for the Eagles to implode when they were getting thumped by LA. But, and this is an essential quality most successful franchises embody, they maintained their internal strength.
Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni stresses the importance of staying focused no matter the situation.
“We have to keep our emotions in check,” he said, per The Athletic's Brooks Kubena. “‘He’s reserved at the podium while acknowledging how emotional the win was. They have to stay mentally tough he says, to manage the swells of a game, the crackdowns of the league on penalties like taunting.'”
Eagles kept their poise amid Week 3 adversity
The Eagles, who collapsed during the latter half of the 2023-24 campaign, did not lose their composure against the incredibly dangerous Rams. Super Bowl 59 MVP Jalen Hurts reminded fans that he can win games with his arm, completing 21-of-32 passes for 226 yards and three touchdowns (also had a rushing score). Three-time Second-Team All-Pro wide receiver A.J. Brown exploded for the first time this season, posting six receptions for 109 yards and a TD.
Though, even with a fierce passing attack, Philly had to thrive on special teams in order to cinch the W. The Eagles blocked two FG attempts from kicker Joshua Karty, including one that Jordan Davis returned for a 61-yard touchdown in the closing seconds. A probable loss turned into the Eagles' “that is what champs do” moment. But perhaps just as surreal as that victory was Hurts' reaction to it.
He stayed even-keeled, looking like a man who was heading upstairs for bed rather than a wild postgame celebration inside Lincoln Financial Field. That man knows how to keep his emotions in check. The starting quarterback, beyond leading the offense, is tasked with setting an example. Well, the message to the rest of the locker room should be crystal clear: the job is far from finished.
