Bleeding Green Nation
Philadelphia must win in Los Angeles to stay alive for the No. 1 seed.
The Philadelphia Eagles are three-point road favorites in their Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Rams, according to FanDuel.
This is a sneaky important matchup for the Birds. Losing this one would be a big hit to their chances of catching the Detroit Lions for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoff picture, as outlined by the great Deniz Selman:
Week 12 — at Los Angeles Rams
Week 13 — at Baltimore Ravens
Week 14 — vs. Carolina Panthers
Week 15 — vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Week 16 — at Washington Commanders
Week 17 — vs. Dallas Cowboys
Week 18 — vs. New York Giants
Week 12 — at Indianapolis Colts
Week 13 — vs. Chicago Bears
Week 14 — vs. Green Bay Packers
Week 15 — vs. Buffalo Bills
Week 16 — at Chicago Bears
Week 17 — at San Francisco 49ers
Week 18 — vs. Minnesota Vikings
In the scenario where they lose to the Rams, do you the see the Eagles winning out AND the Lions losing at least three of their remaining games? Not impossible but not easy.
And so beating the Rams is crucial. Can the Eagles do it?
Sure. They won in SoFi Stadium last year, 23 to 14. Both Jalen Hurts and Jalen Carter had good games. The Eagles could use big performances from those guys again. The team should also stand to benefit from Philly fans taking over the opposing stadium to make the Rams have to go with a silent count in their own building.
The Eagles notably have a rest advantage in this game. The Rams played on Monday night in Week 10 to then travel to Massachusetts on short rest to play the New England Patriots before flying back to LA. The Eagles are coming off a mini-bye following their Thursday night win over the Washington Commanders.
Matthew Stafford figures to test an Eagles defense that’s looked really good. The veteran quarterback’s thrown 10 touchdown passes to four interceptions over the Rams’ last five games, where they’ve gone 4-1 following a 1-4 start. Puka Nacua’s return has been key for LA; it’ll be very interesting to see how Vic Fangio plans to defend the Rams’ top target.
Following Aaron Donald’s retirement, the Rams’ defense is able to be had. Only six teams have allowed more yards per play. Nine teams have allowed more points per game. The Rams have been especially vulnerable against aerial attack, with only two teams allowing more yards per pass attempt and six teams allowing a higher average passer rating. This could be an opportunity for the Eagles’ passing attack to get going better than it has lately.
The feeling here is that the Rams will offer some resistance but the Eagles will ultimately get it done and cover.
What say you?
