Each week, I’ll publish two film room previews: one focused on offense and one on defense. They’re primarily based on film, focusing on schemes, tendencies and matchups that could shape Sunday’s game, with all stats coming from the Fantasy Points Data Suite. I’m also recording a video version for Patreon, where I break down the plays in more detail and where you can support my work even more.
The Rams have been a very good pass defense through week three, but injuries to the secondary could give the Eagles a chance this Sunday. Of course, the Eagles have their own injury problems, especially at receiver, so this matchup is tough to pin down. I like parts of the Rams defense. I also think the Eagles need to find ways to attack this, because I have no interest in watching this offense spend another afternoon hoping the defense wins the game for them. It won’t happen this week!
Chris Shula’s defense gives you plenty 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 about two-thirds of the passing snaps, but their usage is almost evenly split between Cover 1, Cover 3, and Cover 4. You can’t build a game plan around relying on the same coverage every time. They can match zone routes, pass to receivers between defenders, and then line up in man coverage when they want to. That flexibility makes them a tough opponent for an offense still trying to establish any kind of rhythm.
Byron Young is their best pass rusher. His explosive first step stood out right away, and he kept working when the first rush didn’t get him to the quarterback. He led the group with 14 pressures. They have some individual rushers who 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 am most reluctant to work the passing game around the attack. His fluidity at the hip is remarkable, allowing him to stay connected when receivers change direction, and he plays the ball very well. He allowed just eight catches for 59 yards on 18 targets, which is obviously very good! The clip below also shows the communication that makes this second so awesome when everyone is on the same page. Defenders understand where help is and how their responsibilities fit together. That’s a big part of why pitching against them has been so difficult. However, as we will see, that may not be the case this week!
The front can also win by rushing the four. Braden Fiske provides an interior threat, along with Kobie Turner and Aaron Donald, while Young gives them speed from the edge. The Rams blitz on only 22.9% of dropbacks, but they can show a tight front before dropping defenders into coverage. The offensive line still needs to correctly identify the rush and pass movement after the snap. After the protection woes against the Bears, that worries me a little. If I were the Rams DC, I would test the Eagles in pass protection this week.
Donald has played a limited workload since returning, but he has looked very good in those snaps. The speed of his spin move is ridiculous. Myles Garrett is unavailable on injured reserve, which helps, but there’s still plenty of talent here. Donald also missed Wednesday and Thursday’s practices with back pain, so his availability and workload remain uncertain. I expect him to play. I would definitely consider him someone capable of destroying a property. I think he will continue to improve throughout the season.
What I love most about this healthy version of defense is how well it teaches. There are examples of good zone-match coverage, where defenders respond to routes instead of just standing in one spot, as well as tight man coverage. The Eagles need route combinations that force those defenders to communicate and make decisions quickly. Movement that changes formation strength, condensed alignments, and crossers at different depths can make life difficult for the Rams secondary. The 49ers showed how the threat under the screen can drive defenders forward and create space behind them. The Eagles will probably try it, but the screen game has been a disaster for three weeks. The 49ers film shows a useful example of making the different parts of the passing game work together.
Injuries make this match interesting. Jaylen Watson is expected to miss the game after dislocating his shoulder. Kamren Kinchens has missed the past two games with a hamstring injury, while Josh Wallace has a shoulder injury. With Kinchens out, Quentin Lake moved from the slot to safety next to Kamren Curl, with Wallace filling in inside. After Watson was injured against the Broncos, Wallace also played on the outside, moving to the slot at nickel while Emmanuel Forbes moved to the outside. That’s a lot of juggling, which makes communication difficult. They might play more man coverage because of this.
Wallace is a reserve asked to handle a lot of work, and the communication was less than reliable at times against the Broncos. There were plays where the coverage broke down, including a huge catch on second-and-20. I want the Eagles to test the connections between defenders early. Changing the formation with movement and sending receivers all over the field can force replacements to confirm who is carrying each route. Curl and Lake are good players, but they still rely on the defenders around them to execute the same coverage correctly.
Without Watson, I would target the outside corner opposite McDuffie. Wallace struggled in some of those matchups against the Broncos, and the Eagles have successfully attacked Forbes in recent seasons. This game can be about finding the most favorable matchup. The Eagles must make that corner defend physical routes and tackle in space, while using formations to help their receivers get clean releases.
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 can’t play, which is likely at this point, attacking a weak secondary will be a more difficult task. Dontayvion Wicks will need to bring more in the passing game, and Makai Lemon may be asked to do more. I still like the offense, but the coaching staff needs to create opportunities instead of expecting every receiver to win an isolated matchup. The weak corner only matters if you get the receiver open and give Jalen Hurts time to find him.
The run defense is less impressive than the pass defense. The Rams rank 26th in EPA allowed per rush, though they’ve allowed about 4.1 yards per carry on designed runs, so this isn’t a defense that’s doomed on every snap. They’ve 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 that I think the Eagles can attack in the run game. Against the 49ers, his attempts to get under wide-zone blocks sometimes left him in a bad position when the ball went wide on a toss. Young also extended around the receiver’s potential crack blocks, giving George Kittle an angle to kick him out. Those are problems with using an offense that can be exploited. Film suggests opportunities out of zone and throws, using receiver crack blocks to create favorable angles against edges and linebackers. We haven’t seen the Eagles do anything like this, though, so I’d be cautious about expecting them to suddenly rebuild the 49ers’ entire strategy.
There are also snaps where the defensive line flies up and creates opportunities to run underneath that aggression. I want the Eagles to defend up front with complementary concepts from similar formations. The 49ers ran different zone runs early on, which slowed the Rams’ reactions, and the play-action-heavy formation made the rushers respect their run responsibilities before attacking the quarterback. The Eagles need connection between their run and pass game. If the formation continues to announce what is about to happen, this defense is not much to think about.
Secondary injuries could be key in this game, but I can’t look at the Eagles injury report and call this a favorable passing matchup without DeVonta Smith. The Eagles need to find a replacement defensive back, put their coverage rules under pressure, and give their available receivers a boost on offense. This was a week where the scheme had to help the Eagles. When was the last time we saw an Eagles pass attack without one of AJ Brown or DeVonta Smith making plays? It’s a scary thought.
I’m going to 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 poor third-down passes would be extremely frustrating. The Rams’ injuries may change what they can do, but I don’t believe the Eagles will win this game on defense alone. After the Bears game, this offense will have to carry its share of the workload. There are opportunities here. It’s time to create a plan that actually uses them.
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