A 10-point fourth-quarter lead should have been enough for the Philadelphia Eagles to close out the Los Angeles Rams. Instead, the offense disappeared, the defense eventually cracked, and a game that looked under control turned into another painful loss.

That collapse has former NFL star Rob Gronkowski questioning whether Philadelphia can win games playing this way. The biggest red flag for him was not one missed throw or one coaching decision. It was the Eagles’ complete inability to keep drives alive, as he highlighted: “What about the Eagles as well? They’re kind of a tale of two halves.”

Julian Edelman helped Gronk recall some stats that the Eagles were 0 for 12 on third down throughout the whole game, to which Gronk responded on NFL on FOX and The Gronk & Jules Show on Tuesday, “Oh, that’s not good at all. If you don’t convert a third down, I doubt you’re ever going to win.”

The number tells much of the story. Philadelphia finished with only 172 total yards and failed to convert any of its 12 third-down opportunities on October 4. The Eagles also went scoreless in the second half, allowing a 20-10 lead to disappear as the Rams scored twice in the fourth quarter.

For Gronkowski, though, the problem goes deeper than one disastrous afternoon. He pointed to the offensive line, which hasn’t looked like the dominant unit that helped Philadelphia win its most recent Super Bowl in 2025.

“The difference with the Philadelphia Eagles this year is that their offensive line isn’t dominant in the trenches like it was when it was the year that they won the Super Bowl,” Gronkowski said. “Offensive line, not bad. They have a standard from when they won the Super Bowl.”

That standard is important because Philadelphia entered the season expecting its offensive line to remain one of the team’s foundations. Instead, injuries and lineup changes have forced the Eagles to rely on younger players, and the protection issues became particularly obvious against Los Angeles.

What went wrong with the Eagles last week?

Lane Johnson’s absence was a major part in those struggles which the Eagles faced during their Week 4 game. The veteran right tackle was a surprise inactive before the game for personal reasons and subsequently announced his retirement on Tuesday, leaving the Eagles without one of their most important leaders.

Rookie Markel Bell was forced into the starting lineup against the Rams, while Philadelphia was already without other key offensive pieces. Saquon Barkley also exited early with a hamstring injury, and the Eagles were missing DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Landon Dickerson. Tank Bigsby was later placed on injured reserve, adding another problem to the offense heading into Week 5.

Injuries were not the only concern. The Eagles had trouble keeping drives alive against the Rams. Philadelphia went 0-for-12 on third down and 1-for-4 on fourth down. That included a key fourth-and-goal try from the 2-yard line late in the fourth quarter.

Nick Sirianni chose to keep the offense on the field instead of taking a short field goal that would have put Philadelphia up 13. Jalen Hurts’ pass to Darius Cooper fell incomplete, and the Rams responded with a 98-yard touchdown drive before completing the comeback.

Sirianni accepted responsibility for the decision afterward.

“You go for it, and you get it, great. You go for it, and you don’t get it, that’s on the head coach,” Sirianni said. “We didn’t get it, so that’s on me.”

Gronkowski’s warning goes beyond one bad loss. Philadelphia has now lost two straight after opening the season. The Eagles are 2-2, and their offense has struggled badly in key areas.

Nevertheless, the team still has Jalen Hurts, elite defensive talent, and enough star power to recover. But they cannot afford another afternoon where the offense vanishes when the game is on the line.

Their next chance comes in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars, who enter Week 5 at 3-1.

For Philadelphia, it is no longer just about bouncing back from a loss. It is about proving Gronkowski wrong before the doubts surrounding this team become much harder to silence.