(Photo: Athlon Sports)
Intriguing Game- NFL, Week Five
Philadelphia Eagles at Los Angeles Rams
Eagles: They are 4-0 in back to back seasons. Last year, they dominated the opponent and beat you in many different ways. This was also with a Quarterback in a new system and no defense had the answer for it because there was no tape on it. I often said last year that the Philadelphia Eagles were the most complete team in the National Football League with a balanced offensive attack, a punishing Offensive Line and a defense that could throw many looks at you and rush the passer. After all, they led the league in sacks as a team last season with 70 total. This year, the offense isn’t as prolific as it was a year ago, but they can still score points. I think there’s more tape now on Jalen Hurts because he hasn’t looked as strong as he did in 2022. The saving grace of this Eagles offense has been the Running Back, D’Andre Swift. By far, he’s been their best player and has been the bellcow of this offense. On Sunday against the Washington Commanders, they got a challenge from their divisional rival and it always appears that Washington plays them tough, especially at Lincoln Financial Field. Remember what I said two weeks back prior to their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It’s one thing to lose one coordinator, but they lost both their Offensive and Defensive Coordinators to coaching jobs. Of course, the results they had last year will be tough to duplicate because now, they’re in a new system and they’re still in the learning curve of things. I always say the first four games of any NFL season are almost an extended preseason because not many of the starters play during the actual preseason and some are still learning, such as this instance. On Sunday, the defending NFC champions will look to start 5-0 for the second consecutive year and to do so, they’ll make a trip to SoFi in Inglewood.
Rams: Next to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, this has been one of the more pleasant surprises in the NFL. They were an absolute mess last year and struggled to find any type of consistency at any point during the year and it also didn’t help their cause that the injury bug was hurting them as well. Through the first month of the year, they’ve played surprisingly well, even without their best player in Cooper Kupp who’s been dealing with a hamstring injury. What’s the saying in football? The next man up and this offense has received a major spark from a rookie Wide Receiver named Puka Nacua. It’s something about the later rounds of the draft because the Rams took him in the fifth-round this Spring during the draft and he’s been excellent for them. Puka is a 6’2 receiver who glides over the field and knows how to pick his spots to make a play for the offense. In order for a receiver to consistently get the football, the Quarterback must trust you and you see that Matthew Stafford has all the trust in the young receiver. I’ll admit the Rams had me a bit concerned on Sunday in Indianapolis because when you’re up by as many points as they were, you keep your foot on the gas pedal and put them away but they allowed the Colts to stick around and the game ended up going into overtime where L.A. was able to put it away and come away with another road win on the year. The defense definitely isn’t the same. To be respectful, it sounds like it’s just Aaron Donald and ten other guys. Everyone from the Super Bowl winning group is just about gone (Jalen Ramsey, Leonard Floyd and Von Miller). They return home on Sunday for a showdown with the Eagles.
Eagles X-Factor: Darius Slay– Big Play Slay! He provides some veteran presence on this Eagles defense. What people don’t realize with him is how smart he is as a Defensive Back. Darius has a strong recognition when it comes to noticing certain routes. He’s seen his share of routes and patterns and he also plays his position so patiently. Throw the football in his vincinity and he’s going to find a way to come away with it.
Rams X-Factor: Tyler Higbee– He benefits greatly being in this offense because he knows how to sneak his way behind coverages and Matt will find him the ball. Tyler is a lot more shifty in space than he’s given credit for and I love the way how Sean McVay uses him. They run him using a ton of Tight End screens which you see more of today because the guys playing the position now are so much quicker than they were 20 years ago.
Three Things I’m Watching
1. Donald vs Eagles O-Line: This will be a war. Don’t be surprised if you see the Eagles double or even triple team Aaron Donald in this game. When you neutralize him, you normally have a chance to move the football on this defense. This won’t be an easy challenge for Aaron because this Eagles Offensive Line is one of the best groups in all of football. I’ll be watching this war in the trenches very closely.
2. Return of Mr. Cooper?– Cooper Kupp is expected to practice some this week. Here’s what I see happening, he’ll continue to be listed as a game-time decision up until kickoff and I’m saying this because McVay wants to throw off the Eagles and how they game plan for the Rams. It’s almost like having one up on your opponent. A duo of Kupp and Nacua will be a tough test for the Eagles secondary.
3. Healthy Stafford– The veteran Quarterback has been dealing with a hip pointer and you can tell how affected he is. How 100 percent will he be for this game? This will be a fast and electric defense the Eagles will present to him. I expect a lot of different looks and disguises to be thrown his way to test his movement and mobility. There’s not much of anything you can do on a football field with an injured hip.
Final Thoughts: These are the last two NFC champions (hence the title). The Eagles don’t have that statement win on the season, but they still find a way to win games nonetheless and the Rams are a team that many people are still trying to figure out, myself included. The only way the Rams have a chance in this game is through the air because Philly has been very stout against the run this year. I need to see the Eagles start quickly here. Don’t give the Rams any type of opportunity to hang around because you’re the stronger team. If there were any chance for that statement win I mentioned, it’s right here for the Eagles. I can see the Rams keeping this game all the way interesting until the 4th quarter. I still like the Eagles to win this game on the road.
Prediction: Eagles 30, Rams 21.
