The Philadelphia Eagles spent the week answering difficult questions following an embarrassing loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football. A team that entered Week 3 undefeated suddenly found itself under the microscope after committing ten penalties, failing to force a turnover, and producing only seven points against a team led by a 38-year-old backup quarterback.
Fortunately for Philadelphia, there isn't much time to dwell on what happened vs. theBears. TheLos Angeles Rams arrive at Lincoln Financial Field with plenty of talent and a desire to rebound from a disappointing Week 3 performance.
While the Eagles have won four consecutive games in this series and ten of the last 11 meetings overall, those accomplishments won't mean much
if they fail to correct the issues that surfaced against the Bears. With that in mind, here are four bold predictions for Sunday's showdown.
Saquon Barkley scores his first two touchdowns of the season.
The most encouraging development from Week 3 may have been the version of Saquon Barkley that showed up during the first half. Philadelphia found early rushing success, and Barkley responded with an impressive start.
For the first time this season, he looked like the explosive runner Eagles fans remember from the team's Super Bowl run. The challenge now is to create consistency and sustain that success for four quarters. If Sunday's contest remains competitive deep into the second half, Philadelphia should have every opportunity to keep feeding its star running back. That could lead to the type of breakout performance many have been waiting to see, including his first two trips to the end zone this season.
Dontayvion Wicks leads the Eagles in receiving yards.
DeVonta Smith remains the obvious choice for deep dissection whenever discussing Philadelphia's passing attack, but this feels like a game where another receiver emerges. Dontayvion Wicks has flashed enough ability through the first three weeks to suggest a larger role could be coming, and opportunities against Chicago never materialized because the football went elsewhere.
The Rams will undoubtedly focus on Smith and Barkley. That should create favorable matchups for Philadelphia's complementary offensive options. Wicks has shown the ability to create separation and threaten defenses vertically, making him a logical candidate to capitalize if the Rams focus too heavily on slowing the Eagles' primary weapons. A couple of explosive plays could be enough for him to finish atop the receiving leaderboard.
The Eagles finally force a turnover
Philadelphia's inability to create takeaways has become one of the season's strangest storylines. The Eagles are still searching for their first turnover through three games, something no other NFL team can say. While that drought has been frustrating, opportunities have existed.
Quinyon Mitchell came within inches of changing the entire complexion of the Bears game when he nearly recorded a 100-yard interception return. Instead, the play resulted in a pass breakup and another week without a takeaway. Mitchell continues to put himself in position to make game-changing plays, however, and eventually those opportunities should begin turning into production. This feels like the week when Philadelphia finally breaks through, with Mitchell ending the drought by recording the Eagles' first interception of the season.
The Rams win by ten points.
This prediction comes with a little reverse-jinx energy. The Eagles have spent the entire week hearing criticism from fans, analysts, and media members, and history suggests they often respond well when expectations begin to drop. Jalen Hurts has built a reputation for bouncing back after difficult performances, and Philadelphia has shown resilience numerous times during the Nick Sirianni era.
Even so, the Rams appear to be the more complete team entering Week 4. Los Angeles has been more consistent offensively, and Philadelphia still has significant questions to answer regarding its discipline, pass protection, defensive communication, and ability to create turnovers. Until the Eagles demonstrate meaningful improvement in those areas, skepticism is warranted. Predicting a ten-point Rams victory may not be popular in Philadelphia, but that may be exactly the kind of prediction this team needs to hear before delivering its best performance of the season. Prediction: Rams 27, Eagles 17
This article originally appeared on Eagles Wire: Eagles vs. Rams: Four bold predictions for Week 4 in Philadelphia
