​Oct 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni watches game play against the Los Angeles Rams during the first half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Source: Lastwordonsports.com – Drew CrabtreeThe good news for the Philadelphia Eagles is that the last time they started a season 2-2, they won the Super Bowl. The bad news: the road toward contending for another looks very steep.A battered Birds team battled hard with the Los Angeles Rams on an unpleasant Sunday afternoon in Philadelphia featuring near-constant rainfall. Despite holding a 10-point lead in the final five minutes, the Rams scored two late touchdowns as the Eagles’ offense malfunctioned again in the second half to fall 24-20. However, more so than in their first three games, when the Eagles notched two shaky wins and one unfathomable blowout loss, they had some legitimate excuses.Philadelphia Eagles Run Out of Gas in Week 4 Loss to Los Angeles RamsOct 4, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) snaps the ball against the Los Angeles Rams during the second half at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn ImagesInjuries, Injuries, and More InjuriesThe Eagles knew they faced an uphill battle heading into this game. DeVonta Smith, Zack Baun, and Marcus Epps were all ruled out during the week with various ailments. That’s three starters, including two star players in Smith and Baun.Another couldn’t play on Sunday, with Lane Johnson ruled out in the morning for personal reasons. Then, Saquon Barkley’s day ended after just three carries with a hamstring injury. The Eagles effectively haven’t had Barkley for two games this season, as he was injured on the first play of Week 2. He returned for just three carries in the second half and still had the cowboy collar he wore after suffering that stinger during his brief workload this Sunday.Things kept going from bad to worse. Quinyon Mitchell and Jonathan Greenard both exited the game with injuries and didn’t return. This was supposed to be Greenard’s first full game as an Eagle after missing the first two weeks with an offseason injury and playing a limited role on Monday. Mitchell’s replacement, Jonathan Jones, dropped a potential game-winning interception late in the fourth quarter, a few plays before Kyren Williams’ game-winning touchdown.Six of Philadelphia’s nine highest-paid players, according to Spotrac, weren’t available for all or most of the game. That doesn’t even count Mitchell, who is among the team’s most important players. The Rams have their fair share of issues, especially at defensive line without Myles Garrett and Aaron Donald. But winning any game with such a depleted roster, especially a Super Bowl contender playing with desperation to avoid a 1-3 start, is tough.Second Half StrugglesMany NFL games are a tale of two halves, but rarely to the extre