Eagles-Rams Movie Preview – Bleeding Green Nation

I’m not the biggest fan of Eagles game previews, mainly because I don’t have time to watch even more film during the season. But these are the playoffs! Let’s move on to the Rams.

Full disclosure: I struggle with previews because there is too much to say. I could go on forever. So I’m not going to break this down into strengths and weaknesses. I’m just going to give some thoughts on the Rams after watching as much film as I can and looking at the stats. I use a bunch of stats in this one, and credit goes to Team rankings, PFFAnd Sports Information Solutions. Finally, my podcast co-host @ShaneHaffNFL is responsible for putting together some graphics in this one. I will also use film from the Eagles’ Week 12 game. Let’s go!

Rams offense vs. Eagles defense

• This is a very diverse Rams offense that can win in many ways. I would describe them as a good team, not a great one. The figures confirm it.

• Sean McVay is a fantastic offensive mind. He’s changed the Rams’ offense a lot over the last few years, and it’s a lot more multifaceted than before. However, a leopard does not change its spots. This is still a Sean McVay offense. You can expect to see a lot of 11 personnel, movement and play action. The Eagles had a similar offense last week, which should help them prepare for this one. The Eagles must be disciplined to deal with bootlegs of game action.

• Let’s focus on the passing game first. Matthew Stafford has superstar abilities. The arm talent and awesome arm angles he can throw at are rare. If the Rams offensive line keeps him clean, he will be difficult to stop. However, Stafford is a statue in the pocket and doesn’t want to get hit. If the Eagles can get the pressure on early, Stafford will really struggle. The Rams were 0/8 against the Eagles on 3rd down in Week 12 because the Eagles did a good job after Stafford.
• Despite what I just said, the Eagles shouldn’t blitz Stafford much. Stafford is too smart and he can destroy the blitz. Brian Flores bombed him hard last week, and Stafford made him pay. The best way to attack Stafford is with a simulated pressure, like “Whip”, a Vic Fangio favorite! Unfortunately, Nakobe Dean is usually Whip’s blitz linebacker, which makes his injury even more annoying.

• The Rams use a lot of condensed splits. They will test the Eagles defense a lot in the middle of the field, and it will be interesting to see how the Eagles fare without Nakobe Dean. Expect to see a lot of them. Puka Nacua is excellent. He is exceptional in the contact game and has excellent hands. He’s a brilliant run blocker, and the Rams will use him in the C-gap as well.

• The best offensive minds know how to attack a weakness. The Eagles might have a weakness at linebacker in this one. I expect the Rams to run a lot of Hi-Lo concepts from groups/stacks to test Oren Burks/Jeremiah Trotter Jr. The Rams love to target the middle of the field and I expect them to do this week.
• The Eagles had a problem with missed tackles on the field last week. Keep an eye out for short throws to Puka Nacua in this one. Luckily, Cooper Kupp doesn’t break tackles like he used to!
• Let’s talk about the running game. McVay’s running game used to consist of zone runs, especially out of zone. They’re still a zone team, but they run a lot more gap schemes than they did a few years ago. They pull their guards a lot more and love to run in pairs. When the Eagles faced the Rams in Week 12, the Rams had a lot of success early in the football.

However, the Eagles immediately made a schematic change. They went to a 5-man front on the first drive, which nullified the Rams’ running game. The problem is the Eagles kicked Brandon Graham inside and moved Zack Baun to EDGE. Unfortunately, the Eagles won’t be able to do that this week. I expect to see a little more of Jordan Davis this week.

I’m still sad for Brandon Graham.

• The Rams running game is led by Kyren Williams, who has developed into an excellent back. He’s patient behind the line of scrimmage and he breaks a lot of tackles. He doesn’t have the explosiveness of Saquon Barkley, but he’s a tough interior runner who will test the Eagles’ ability to tackle down the field. If the Eagles stop the run on first downs, then I think they have a good chance of stopping the Rams offense on 3rd down. Aside from Nacua, the receiver core doesn’t scare me too much.

Eagles offense vs. Rams defense

• I think the game plan this week will be very similar to last week. Sorry for those of you who want to see an aggressive passing game, but it might not be this week. If the Eagles offense lives up to its potential, they should score some points this week. These Rams’ defense is good, but it’s not special. I will be disappointed if the Eagles don’t play well on offense this week.

• The big problem with the Rams defense is that they want to live in a light box world. It’s very, very difficult to stop the Eagles running game with a light box. The Eagles’ running game, especially with Jalen Hurts’ mobility, is difficult to stop without stacking the box. The Rams didn’t do well in Week 12.

• Ironically, stacking the box didn’t work for the Rams either. The Eagles made a lot of zone runs when the Rams were playing light boxes. So, the Rams started stacking the box and putting more men at the line of scrimmage. When they did that, the Eagles turned to their favorite running game that excels against a heavy front. Counter.

• I expect the Eagles to lean into the running game this week. I don’t see why Saquon Barkley shouldn’t have another big game. For those of you who forgot, Saquon Barkley rushed for 255 yards when these two teams met in Week 12.
• The Rams don’t blitz a lot, so I wouldn’t expect them to blitz too much against the Eagles.

• When the Rams blitzed the Eagles in Week 12, the Eagles looked comfortable. Hurts made several good throws to the middle of the field against the Rams. However, when I went back to watch this one, I still wasn’t impressed with the Eagles’ passing concepts, which unfortunately isn’t surprising!

• Here’s a random schematic note for you… I saw the Eagles perform “Dash” once this year. It was against the Rams. I’d like to see more Hurts in motion. Since the Rams play a lot of two-high shells, the Eagles will have to work the middle of the field again. I hope we see a lot of concepts like this as the Rams attempt to suppress deep outside shots.

• The Rams defense has some very talented young defensive linemen. I think Braden Fiske could have success if he can win on his first move. I was a big fan of his coming out. Kobie Turner is another fun lineman to watch who wins with violent hands. The Rams have some talent up front, but I still think the Eagles offensive line should be good in pass protection. Few teams have the talent to put pressure on Hurts.
• One of the reasons the Rams want to stay in a two-height shell is similar to the Eagles. They want to hide their media coverage. You’ll see a ton of post-snap rotation in this game. I wonder if we might see the Eagles use a lot of empty formations to give Hurts a very clear picture before a snap.

Overall

I will never feel confident against a Sean McVay team because I think he is a fantastic coach. You just can’t count on Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua and Kyren Williams. The Rams offense is capable of putting up points against any defense. However, I’ll feel pretty bad if the Eagles don’t get this win. The Eagles are the better team in almost every way and they play at home. I feel pretty good about this one. But it’s the playoffs… you can never feel too confident. I expect the Eagles to play with another conservative game plan that relies heavily on running the football. Hopefully this will be enough, as it was last week.

If you want more, I’ll be posting my thoughts daily on Discord, which are attached to my Patreon. I recorded a Rams preview that is only available on Patreon.