Preview: Eagles Take On The Rams

By Gia Lanci, Sports Talk Philly Staff

The Eagles will play a game against the Los Angeles Rams. A win for the Birds is essential for a chance to get into the playoffs. The Eagles are coming off a tough loss against the Cowboys. The Rams have been doing pretty well this season, with a record of 11-2. They are coming off of a loss to the Bears. It was a hard game for the Rams.

Last Week’s Loss

When the Eagles played the Cowboys in week 13, they lost in overtime, 29-23. They struggled in the first half of the game. The defense could not tackle Ezekiel Elliott, and they could not cover Amari Cooper. The defense also did not put enough pressure on the quarterback in the beginning.

In the second half, things started to pick up. The momentum was there, and you could tell they were fighting hard. The defense was able to stop Elliott, and they put pressure onto Dak Prescott.

The offense struggled throughout the whole game but had some big moments. The run game was very weak. The play calling was not working either. The offense just could not execute the plays that were being called, which resulted in a lot of incomplete passes and failed third down conversions. However, in big pressure moments, they made the crucial plays. At the end of the game, they were able to put points on the board to go into overtime.

In overtime, the Cowboys had a slow drive down the field where they were able to get a touchdown, ending the game. The defense fought hard, but little mistakes hurt them in the end.

Last Year in LA

Last season, the Eagles played the Rams in LA. That game resulted in a win for the Eagles and their starting quarterback suffered a season-ending knee injury. It was one of the Eagles toughest matchups last season. Despite Carson Wentz leaving in the third quarter, he threw for 291 yards and had four touchdowns. It was a really incredible game for Wentz.

The first drive of the game, the ball was intercepted by a Rams defender. Todd Gurley was able to see holes and run through our defense. The offense made some really great plays. Wentz scrambled all around the field in some plays. They were leading throughout the game. The Rams responded with a huge play because of two defenders missing tackles one-on-one. This led to a touchdown. The Eagles still led until a punt was blocked and run back into the end zone. The Eagles were leading by two points at the end of the game when the Rams attempted to lateral the ball, but it was intercepted by Brandon Graham to end the game.

LA Rams

Last week, the Rams had a rough loss to the Bears. Jared Goff threw four interceptions. The Bears defense is hot right now, but he had a terrible game. The entire game did not seem like the same Rams team we have seen throughout this season. Hopefully he will throw like he did against the Bears. However, he does love throwing in the middle of the field into the secondary. Because of our depleted secondary, they will probably attempt those plays a lot, which is something Jim Schwartz needs to look out for. The Rams also have Todd Gurley, who is going to be very dangerous for our defense. He needs to be targeted in every play to ensure he does not run all over the Eagles defense.

Injury Report

Eagles

Out

CB Sidney Jones, LB Jordan Hicks, DT Timmy Jernigan, G Isaac Seumalo

Sidney Jones is out with his ongoing hamstring injury. He has not been playing to the level that he is expected to be playing at. He had a bad game last week, possibly because of his injury. Hopefully he takes this time to rest and heal. Jordan Hicks is still injured and it strongly affects the defense. He makes plays whenever he is on the field, and the defense needs his help tremendously. They are unsure when he will be back from his injury. Because Jernigan is out, Ngata will take his spot, who has been doing decent and made some pretty good plays. Isaac Seumalo will be replaced by Wisniewski.

Doubtful

QB Carson Wentz

Wentz has a back injury. They are not exactly sure what it is or how long he will be out for. All they know is it is a stress injury, and he will travel with the team on Saturday. He could play, but it is doubtful. Doug Pederson said it could be up to a three month recovery time, although they still aren’t entirely sure. It may be best for him to take it easy for a few weeks. Nick Foles will take his spot, who is the Super bowl MVP. He practiced with the team this week.

Update: Wentz has officially been ruled out.

Questionable

DE Michael Bennett, WR Shelton Gibson, S Avonte Maddox

Michael Bennett and Avonte Maddox have been on and off the injury report for a few weeks now. The defense needs all the help they can get, so hopefully they play. Michael Bennett did an excellent job of supplying the pressure in last week’s game, which they will definitely be in need of this week, as well. Maddox is another player in the secondary, and, with Sidney Jones out, the secondary is in need of assistance. They all were full participants at the most recent practice, which is a good sign.

Rams

The Rams have no injuries reported.

Broadcast Information

Time: 8:20 PM

TV: NBC

Radio: 94.1 FM WIP

Online: NFL Game Pass