Turf Show Times
When the NFL released the schedule in May, it’s safe to assume that the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles circled this game on the calendar. Last January, the Rams gave the Eagles their best run in the playoffs, losing 28-22. It was a game that came down to the final drive and Matthew Stafford nearly pulled off the late comeback. These teams will meet for the third straight year in the regular season. Here’s what the Rams will need to do to have a chance against the defending Super Bowl champions.
For the most part, the Rams did a good job containing the Eagles run game in the playoffs. Take away the two big runs from Saquon Barkley and he averaged just 2.5 yards per carry. Barkley had just a 34.6 percent success rate which was one of his five worst performances from a success rate standpoint in 2024. Essentially, on a down-to-down, the Rams did a nice job. However, it was the big, back-breaking explosive plays that did them in. This season, Barkley has an explosive run rate of just 2.5 percent and only 10.8 percent of his rushing yards have come from explosive plays. Last year, that number was 39.6 percent.
Avoiding the big play in the run game is not exclusive to Barkley. Jalen Hurts also had a big touchdown run in that game and actually led the Eagles in rushing yards in their Week 1 win against the Dallas Cowboys. It’s going to be crucial for Jared Verse to remain disciplined in the run game and not crash down, leaving the edge exposed. The Rams defensive backs will also need to be willing to tackle on the backend. In two games against the Rams last year, the Eagles had four runs of 60 or more yards. The Rams made moves this offseason to avoid that and it’s something they’ll have to stop if they want to win on Sunday.
Similarly to the 2023 season, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is not pushing the ball downfield. Hurts has yet to attempt a pass between 10-19 yards this season. They have two completions of over 10 yards through two weeks. On passes under 10 yards, Hurts is averaging 4.9 yards per attempt which ranks 31st out of 34 quarterbacks. The Eagles quarterback is averaging 5.9 yards per target despite having one of the longest average times to throw.
This is something that the Rams need to find a way to exploit. They may not have the cornerbacks for it, but it might make sense to man up and press to force the Eagles to attack vertically. Chris Shula needs to find ways to create quick interior pressure which is where the Rams should have an advantage. Landon Dickerson, Tyler Steen, and Cam Jurgens can be exploited. Hurts ranks 20th in EPA per dropback on quick throws. In the...
