Eagles Host Rams as Barkley Slumps and Takeaway Drought Hits 265 Days

Philadelphia, the NFL's only team without a takeaway, meets Los Angeles on Sunday with DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert sidelined and Saquon Barkley in a career-first fantasy slump.

Saquon Barkley enters the Los Angeles Rams' visit in the middle of a statistical skid unlike anything in his past. According to ESPN's Week 4 fantasy preview, the Philadelphia running back has posted fewer than 10 fantasy points in three straight games — a career first — and no appearance this season has included more than 15 carries.

The schedule does not offer an easy way out. ESPN points to the Rams' front sitting eighth in run stop win rate, which spells another difficult assignment for Philadelphia's blockers and rushing attack. Bleeding Green Nation's film preview adds that Los Angeles has defended the pass well through three weeks, though injuries in the secondary might create openings — a possibility complicated by the Eagles' own problems at receiver.

Those injuries are central to the week. DeVonta Smith and Dallas Goedert are both unavailable, and Turf Show Times counts just three healthy Philadelphia skill players: Barkley, Dontayvion Wicks and Makai Lemon. That outlet makes slowing Barkley the Rams' first defensive priority and expects the Eagles to funnel touches to him so that Jalen Hurts, himself a threat as a runner, is spared dropping back on every snap. Barkley has delivered big performances against the Rams in past meetings.

Philadelphia's defense carries a drought of its own into the game. NBC Sports Philadelphia reports the Eagles last intercepted a pass 265 days ago and have gone 279 without an opponent fumble recovery or a two-sack showing from their edge rushers in one game. They are the league's only club without a takeaway and just the 15th in NFL history with none through three games; of the earlier 14, only the 1979 Broncos and 2004 Rams reached the playoffs. Philadelphia's three sacks are level with Los Angeles for a share of 28th, with only the Cowboys (2), Giants (1) and Dolphins (0) lower.

Cooper DeJean said the defense wants those splash plays but noted the season is only three games old and that, once the first arrives, more tend to come together. An Inquirer column argued the injury situation demands a lower bar for this stretch: losses to the Rams and Jaguars would not necessarily be ruinous, but the manner of defeat would matter, and another blowout is not acceptable. The Eagles can survive the period, it concluded, so long as Nick Sirianni keeps them from unraveling, with improvement plausible once the roster heals, defenders settle into Vic Fangio's system and Mannion gets more chances to justify the team's faith.

Elsewhere, Week 4 brought a wave of practice-squad activity. Detroit raised safety Jalen Mills on Saturday ahead of its Sunday night matchup with Carolina, his second call-up in two weeks, as Brian Branch and Kerby Joseph remain on the physically unable to perform list and Avonte Maddox and Thomas Harper went onto injured reserve during the week. Branch's return, per Pride of Detroit, appears close.

New England brought veteran defensive backs Kindle Vildor and Mike Brown up from its practice squad. Vildor, 29, is a 5-foot-11, 189-pound cornerback from Georgia Southern who entered the league as the 163rd overall pick by Chicago in the 2020 fifth round, later passed through Tennessee, Philadelphia, Detroit and Tampa Bay, and signed a one-year Patriots contract in March as an unrestricted free agent. Released at the 53-man deadline as a vested veteran, he remained on the practice squad after a preseason interception. His career totals: 80 games, 27 starts, 140 tackles, one sack, one forced fumble, two interceptions and 2,105 defensive and 573 special-teams snaps.

Seattle made moves as well, signing Velus Jones Jr. while raising cornerback Trevon Diggs and former Eagles safety Maxen Hook. Diggs, who joined the Seahawks during the preseason, intercepted a pass in his only August outing, against Kansas City; Hook is up for the second straight week after handling nothing but special teams a week ago.

The Rams visit the Eagles on Sunday, October 4 at 1:00 PM EDT at Lincoln Financial Field, with the game airing on FOX.