Week 5 Eagles vs. Rams Picks
The Philadelphia Eagles will travel to Southern California to take on the Los Angeles Rams for a Sunday afternoon game. The Rams are potentially the most surprising team in football and have exceeded many expectations thus far this season. Most recently, they are coming off an overtime win against the Indianapolis Colts and have overall been impressive throughout the season no matter the opponent. They have put themselves firmly in the playoff race in a season where many believed they would be one of the worst teams in the league. While, the Eagles have still not quite put it all together yet, squeaking out an overtime win against the Washington Commanders. The Eagles passing game finally performed, but there are still questions that they must answer. This matchup will be an interesting battle, particularly between the on-fire Rams passing game and the struggling Eagles secondary.
Eagles Secondary Has Been Rough
Through four weeks of the season, the Eagles defense ranks 27th in passing yards allowed, a statistic not many Eagles fans would’ve thought would be the case. There wasn’t much good to say about the Eagles’ secondary last week against the Commanders. There has been a problem at the safety position since the beginning of the year and that may have led Eagles DC Sean Desai into playing more conservatively with their coverage. Against the Commanders the secondary played very passively and awarded way too much room to the receivers to run their routes.
Eagles Defense All22 vs. Washington. 1) I found some of the off-coverage (especially from Slay) just too passive throughout the game. This is just so easy to get 15 yards. It happened too often. I don't just see all 'Fangio defenses' as passive like some but this is annoying. pic.twitter.com/MAdNDj5hth
— Jonny Page (@JonnyPage9) October 4, 2023
With players like Darius Slay and James Bradberry, they must be able to trust them to hold their own, but the problems at safety and slot cornerback have ended up hurting them as well. While not letting up the big sixty-yard plays, they have allowed teams to attack the medium range of the field with ease for 20–30-yard plays. That could be a big issue against the Rams who frequently utilize throws in that range.
The Rams’ Passing Game Has Been Electric
The Rams passing attack is the biggest factor in their surprise run to start the season. While only at 2-2 they had chances to beat the Bengals and the 49ers with an average offensive line and minimal running game. A lot of the credit is going to go to the young receivers Tutu Atwell and rookie Puka Nacua, who have been awesome to start the year. Atwell is a true speedster, who has been burning corners down the field all year. Puka is a talented and savvy route runner with solid speed and size who just knows how to get open. They are both dangerous receivers who complement each other well and fit into the offense great. Even scarier, there’s speculation that star wide receiver Cooper Kupp may play in week five coming off the injured reserve.
With Sean McVay’s offensive expertise, the Rams have utilized their weapons well and have put them in perfect positions to make plays or to get them completely open. But a lion’s share of the credit has to go to Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford who has been phenomenal this season. There were questions about Stafford’s health coming into the season and how effective he would be at his age. However, there should be no doubts about Stafford’s ability anymore as he has made a handful of incredible throws and plays every game. If the Eagles allow him to either sit in the pocket or make quick decisions with the ball, it will be another long day for the Eagles’ defense.
I can't get over how well Matthew Stafford played against the Colts. I'm not sure how many QBs attempt this throw, let alone complete it on fourth down.
This is such a tight window and Stafford places it perfectly. pic.twitter.com/cn4DHBQpgk
— Blaine Grisak 💭 (@bgrisakTST) October 4, 2023
Eagles vs. Rams Picks: Bottom Line
Eagles win 30-27
This should be another tough game for the Eagles this week as it’s unclear if the Eagles’ secondary can slow down Stafford and the offense. The Eagles’ defensive line may wreak havoc and slow down the passing attack themselves, but it’s hard to imagine a head coach of Sean McVay’s caliber will not have a plan for them at least early on. On the other side, the Rams are a good unit on defense thanks to defensive coordinator Raheem Morris. He tends to have a good game plan against opposing offenses and surprisingly the Rams rank in the top ten for least passing yards allowed. The Eagles run game will be another key to this game and if they can effectively control the ball through Swift and the offensive line, that may be the best answer to slowing down the Rams offense.
Main Photo: [Isaiah J. Downing] – USA Today Sports
