Jordan Davis clutched the football in his massive right hand, froze at the goal line for a split second, and then braced himself as a wave of green jerseys engulfed him. The 336-pound defensive tackle had just rumbled 61 yards for one of the most improbable touchdowns in Philadelphia Eagles history — and one that capped a comeback for the ages.
Davis blocked Rams kicker Joshua Karty’s 44-yard field-goal attempt on the final play of the game, scooped up the ball, and returned it for a touchdown to deliver the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles a thrilling 33-26 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field. It was Philadelphia’s second blocked field goal of the fourth quarter and extended their home winning streak to 12 games.
Try 18.59 mph — the fastest recorded speed by a player over 330 pounds since at least 2017, according to Next Gen Stats.
The Eagles (3-0) trailed 26-7 in the third quarter before Jalen Hurts and a revitalized defense and special teams unit staged the franchise’s biggest comeback at the Linc since it opened in 2003.
“This team finds ways to win,” Hurts said. “That’s all you can ask for.”
The rally began midway through the fourth quarter, when defensive tackle Jalen Carter burst through the line and stuffed Karty’s 36-yard attempt. Though Carter was penalized for taunting, pushing Philly back to its own 9-yard line, Hurts responded with his best drive of the season.
The Super Bowl MVP went 8 of 10 on a 17-play, 91-yard march, finding A.J. Brown for 25 yards and DeVonta Smith for 10 before hitting Smith on fourth-and-goal for a 4-yard touchdown that gave Philadelphia a 27-26 lead with 1:48 left.
Matthew Stafford coolly led the Rams (2-1) back into position, setting up Karty’s 44-yard try with three seconds remaining. But Davis, who hadn’t blocked a kick since high school, bulldozed through the middle, swatted the ball, scooped it, and sprinted to glory. The stadium erupted as fans celebrated the Eagles’ improbable comeback.
Hurts, sluggish early with just 42 first-half passing yards, threw for 204 yards and three touchdowns in the second half. Brown hauled in six passes for 109 yards, while Smith added eight catches for 60 yards and the decisive touchdown.
The Eagles have now won 19 of their last 20 games, including the postseason — the best 20-game stretch in franchise history.
Stafford finished with 196 yards and two touchdowns, connecting with Kyren Williams for a 10-yard score after Jared Verse strip-sacked Hurts in the third quarter to build a 26-7 lead. Karty was perfect on his first four field goals (51, 28, 33, and 46 yards), and Puka Nacua continued his emergence as Stafford’s top target with 11 catches for 112 yards.
But the Rams, who lost to the Eagles in last year’s NFC divisional round, couldn’t close it out this time.
For the second straight season, Saquon Barkley’s name loomed large in this matchup. A year ago, he torched the Rams for 255 yards in the regular season and 205 more in the playoffs. This time, Los Angeles bottled him up. Barkley rushed for just 46 yards on 15 carries, marking his third straight subpar outing to open the season.
The Eagles’ comeback from 19 down was their biggest at home since 1988, when they rallied from 20 behind to beat Dallas at Veterans Stadium.
“Special teams won us the game,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said. “And Jordan Davis just gave Philly a memory for the ages.”
Rams (2-1): Host the Indianapolis Colts next Sunday. Eagles (3-0): Travel to Tampa Bay for a primetime showdown with the Buccaneers.
