The Los Angeles Rams are set to take on the Philadelphia Eagles this week and will benefit from the Eagles losing their road contest to the Chicago Bears on Monday. In the 27-7 loss, the Bears exposed multiple weaknesses within the Eagles' operation, making it evident that the Rams should take care of business.
However, head coach Sean McVay has historically struggled against Philadelphia, so these three lessons should dictate how the Rams approach this game.
Stop Barkley at all costs and watch the Eagles exhaust their passing offense
Rams fans still have nightmares about Saquon Barkley, but this isn't the same Eagles team from years past, so the Rams should get a handle on him enough to negate the entire offense. The Bears threw everything at Barkley, and it still wasn't enough to stop the former offensive player of the year.
Barkley finished the night with 82 rushing yards. He should've had more, but the passing offense's inefficiencies forced the Eagles to play from behind for the entire second half, with Jalen Hurts trying to move the ball. If the Rams stop Barkley enough for their offense to build a lead, the Eagles' run game will naturally go away, and they do not have enough to sustain a full passing offense.
Play for possessions
Jumping on that point above, Bears head coach Ben Johnson was a bit too aggressive in this game, taking unnecessary chances on fourth down in the red zone. Unless a late-game situation calls for it, the Rams must walk away from each red zone trip with points, especially if they can extend a lead by multiple possessions.
The Eagles will have the home crowd standing with them, so every risk – especially on fourth down – comes with a potential loss of possession and momentum. Keep the pace, stack points, and let Philadelphia beat itself.
However, in scenarios of a one-possession game in the second half, particularly on fourth-and-manageable near midfield, McVay should green light his offense every time. A defensive stop could be what sparks the offense as well. Play to keep possession, and make sure those pay off. Even with field goals.
Trust the tendencies
Hurts has only one trusted target, and that's DeVonta Smith. Every time Hurts looks to pass, he's looking to Smith, and for good reason. Smith is the team's best pass catcher and a more reliable target than anyone else. Watch out for a one-on-one deep ball with Dontayvion Wicks, or for Philadelphia to get the ball to Makai Lemon underneath to run for more yards.
Hurts might hit Will Shipley once or twice coming out of the backfield. Regardless, Hurts loves what he loves, and when a pass rush attacks in a way that negates his scrambling ability, he's prone to throw interception-worthy passes. Hurts will attempt to make every throw, so watch out in case of a cross-body throw off a scramble.
On defense, Vic Fangio's light box is easily beatable with a zone blocking scheme that sets up the quick, interior pass. The Eagles were so concerned about the Bears' running game that they left their secondary exposed for Case Keenum, of all people, to pick apart. Keenum was vintage. Maybe it's an NFC North thing with him. Who knows.
If Kyren Williams runs as well on Sunday as he did against the Broncos, that should be just what the offense needs to have a wonderful day in the city of Brotherly Love. They have no defensive backs who can keep up with Davante Adams, so the Eagles will have to double him. Someone will always be open. The run should help dictate who that is.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: 3 lessons Rams learned about Eagles in Monday's loss
