Each week, I’ll publish two film-room previews: one focusing on the offense and one on the defense. These are primarily film-based, focusing on the schemes, tendencies, and matchups that could shape Sunday’s game, with all statistics coming from the Fantasy Points Data Suite. I also record a video version for Patreon, where I break down the plays in greater detail and where you can further support my work.
The Rams have been a very good pass defense through three weeks, but injuries in the secondary
could give the Eagles opportunities this Sunday. Of course, the Eagles have their own injury problems, particularly at receiver, so this matchup is difficult to pin down. I like parts of the Rams’ defense a lot. I also think the Eagles have to find ways to attack it, because I have no interest in watching this offense spend another afternoon hoping the defense will win the game for them. It won’t happen this week!
Pass Defense
Chris Shula’s defense gives you a lot to prepare for. The Rams rank first in EPA allowed per dropback, and the film shows a secondary that can handle several different coverage structures. They play zone on roughly two-thirds of passing snaps, but their Cover 1, Cover 3, and Cover 4 usage is almost evenly split. You cannot build a game plan around expecting the same coverage every time. They can match routes in zone, pass receivers between defenders, and then line up in man coverage when they want to. That flexibility makes them a difficult opponent for an offense still trying to establish any kind of rhythm.
Byron Young has been their best pass rusher. His explosive first step stands out immediately, and he keeps working when the initial rush does not get him to the quarterback. He leads the group with 14 pressures. They have a few individual rushers that can win quickly, and the coverage can make the quarterback hold the ball long enough for those wins to matter.
Trent McDuffie is the player I would be most reluctant to build the passing game around attacking. His hip fluidity is outstanding, letting him stay connected when receivers change direction, and he plays the ball extremely well. He has allowed only eight catches for 59 yards on 18 targets, which is obviously very good! The clip below also shows the communication that makes this secondary impressive when everyone is on the same page. Defenders understand where the help is and how their responsibilities fit together. That is a big part of why throwing against them has been so difficult. However, as we’ll see, that might not be the case this week!
The front can also win by rushing four. Braden Fiske provides an interior threat, alongside Kobie Turner and Aaron Donald, while Young gives them speed off the edge. The Rams blitz on only 22.9% of dropbacks, but they can show a crowded front before dropping defenders into coverage. The offensive line still has to identify the rush correctly and pass off movement after the snap. After the protection problems against the Bears, that worries me quite a bit. If I were the Rams DC, I’d test the hell out of the Eagles in pass protection this week.
Donald has played a limited workload since returning, but he still looks very good in those snaps. The speed of his spin move is ridiculous. Myles Garrett is unavailable on injured reserve, which helps, but there is still plenty of talent here. Donald also missed Wednesday and Thursday practices with back soreness, so his availability and workload remain uncertain. I would expect him to play. I would absolutely treat him as someone capable of wrecking a possession. I imagine he will keep getting better throughout the season.
What I like most about the healthy version of this defense is how well it is coached. There are examples of good zone-match coverage, where defenders react to the routes rather than simply stand in an area, as well as tight man coverage. The Eagles need route combinations that force those defenders to communicate and decide quickly. Motion that changes the strength of the formation, condensed alignments, and crossers at different depths can all make life difficult for the Rams’ secondary. The 49ers showed how an underneath screen threat could draw defenders forward and create space behind them. The Eagles will likely try this, but the screen game has been a disaster through three weeks. The 49ers film does showcase a useful example of making different parts of the passing game work together.
The injuries make this matchup interesting. Jaylen Watson is expected to miss the game after dislocating his shoulder. Kamren Kinchens has missed the previous two games with a hamstring injury, while Josh Wallace is dealing with a shoulder injury himself. When Kinchens has been absent, Quentin Lake has moved from the slot to safety alongside Kamren Curl, with Wallace filling in inside. After Watson was injured against the Broncos, Wallace also played outside, moving into the slot in nickel while Emmanuel Forbes entered outside. That is a lot of juggling, which makes communication tough. They might play more man coverage because of this.
Wallace is a reserve being asked to handle multiple jobs, and the communication was less reliable at times against the Broncos. There were plays where the coverage broke down, including a huge late gain on second-and-20. I would want the Eagles to test those connections between defenders early. Changing the formation with motion and sending receivers across the field can force replacements to confirm who is carrying each route. Curl and Lake are good players, but they still depend on the defenders around them executing the same coverage correctly.
If Watson is out, I would target the outside corner opposite McDuffie. Wallace struggled with some of those matchups against the Broncos, and the Eagles have successfully attacked Forbes in previous seasons. This game could be about finding the more favorable matchup. The Eagles should make that corner defend physical routes and tackle in space, while using formations to help their receivers release cleanly.
The obvious problem is whether the Eagles have enough receiving talent available to take advantage. DeVonta Smith, Hollywood Brown and Dallas Goedert all missed Wednesday and Thursday practices. If Smith cannot play, which appears likely at this point, attacking a weakened secondary becomes a much harder assignment. Dontayvion Wicks would have to carry more of the passing game, and Makai Lemon could be asked to do more too. I still want aggression, but the coaching staff has to create opportunities instead of expecting every receiver to win an isolated matchup. A vulnerable corner only matters if you can get a receiver open and give Jalen Hurts time to find him.
Run Defense
The run defense has been less impressive than the pass defense. The Rams rank 26th in EPA allowed per rush, although they have allowed roughly 4.1 yards per carry on designed runs, so this is not a defense being gashed on every snap. They have also looked better since the 49ers game. Still, that film provides some useful examples of how an offense can create space against an aggressive front.
Nate Landman is a player I think the Eagles can attack in the run game. Against the 49ers, his attempts to slip underneath wide-zone blocks sometimes left him poorly positioned when the ball went farther outside on a toss. Young also widened around potential receiver crack blocks, which gave George Kittle an angle to kick him out. Those are leverage problems an offense can exploit. The film suggests opportunities with outside zone and toss, using receiver crack blocks to create favorable angles against the edges and linebackers. We haven’t seen the Eagles do this much, though, so I would be cautious about expecting them to suddenly reproduce the 49ers’ entire approach.
There are also snaps where the defensive line flies upfield and creates opportunities to run underneath that aggression. I would want the Eagles to make the front defend complementary concepts from similar formations. The 49ers made different zone runs look alike initially, which slowed the Rams’ reactions, and heavy formations with play action made rushers respect their run responsibilities before attacking the quarterback. The Eagles badly need that connection between their run and pass game. If the formation keeps announcing what is about to happen, this defense has far less to think about.
Final Thoughts
The secondary injuries could be the key to this game, but I cannot look at the Eagles’ injury report and call this a favorable passing matchup if DeVonta Smith is out. The Eagles need to find replacement defensive backs, put their coverage rules under pressure, and give their available receivers help through the offense. This is a week where the scheme will have to help the Eagles. When was the last time we saw an Eagles passing attack without one of AJ Brown or DeVonta Smith making plays? It’s a scary thought.
I would lean on the run game to create manageable situations, but I still want the Eagles to attack downfield and try to create big plays. Another afternoon of predictable runs followed by difficult third-down passes would be hugely disappointing. The Rams’ injuries may change what they can do, but I don’t believe the Eagles win this game through defense alone. After the Bears game, this offense has to carry its share of the workload. There are opportunities here. It is time to create a plan that actually uses them.
Thank you for reading! I’d love to hear your thoughts, so feel free to comment below and ask any questions. If you would like to support me further, please check out my Patreon here!
