I’m back with something other than a film review! This is a new weekly feature where I’ll break down the Eagles’ upcoming opponent strictly through the film. There are plenty of stat-heavy previews out there already. This isn’t one of them. Instead, I’ve watched the most recent games of the opponents with a focus on specific areas: deep passes, explosive runs, touchdowns, turnovers, and sacks. Think of it less as a prediction piece and more as a scouting report. Each week, I’ll publish two articles on the opponent’s offense and defense to give a picture of what the Eagles will be up against.
Los Angeles Rams Offense
Deep Passes
The Rams’ deep passing attack is still one of the best marriages of scheme and execution in the league. From under center, often in 12 personnel, Sean McVay builds everything off wide and inside zone looks. Receivers motion into the backfield or across the formation, holding defenders in place and creating just enough hesitation to open up shots down the field. When linebackers take a false step, Matthew Stafford is quick to fire into the void.
Stafford remains devastatingly accurate downfield. He hits crossers and digs in stride, threading throws into tight windows even when the defense has the numbers. That gap between the second and third level of the defense is where Stafford makes a living. He’s an exceptional thrower of the football.
Add Davante Adams to the mix, and the offense goes to a new level. For years, this was a scheme-dominant passing attack, but now it can win with individual brilliance. Adams still wins one-on-one with precise route running and physicality, while Puka Nacua is more of a threat against zone coverage with his feel for space. The Rams can beat you both ways, and that duality makes them a very tough offense to stop. They only have two outstanding weapons, but they can win in different ways.
The Eagles’ secondary will be tested in discipline and communication. Motion and shifts change the picture late, and if safeties fly downhill too quickly, Stafford will make them pay. If I were the Eagles, I wouldn’t be too aggressive early on against the run, and I would be more wary of throws over my head. I would trust my defensive line to stop a Rams’ rushing attack that hasn’t been that dominant so far this year.
Explosive Runs
While the passing game draws headlines, the run game remains hugely important. McVay’s use of late shifts and receiver involvement makes even basic runs look different. A receiver motioning across can seal the edge on outside zone, or peel back to hit a linebacker downfield. Not many teams use their receivers in the run game as creatively as the Rams do. Keep a very close eye on Puka Nacua and Jordan Whittington in the run game. Even when the Rams don’t block it perfectly, their design often springs a runner free.
Kyren Williams is a very steady back. He presses the hole, takes what’s given, and rarely leaves yards on the field. He understands where the run is supposed to hit and has excellent vision.
However, the real spark is rookie Blake Corum, who already looks like the more explosive option. Against the Titans, Corum ripped off chunk gains with quick cuts and sudden acceleration. He’s a little bit more creative, too, and can create when it’s not blocked perfectly. Despite all this, the Rams’ interior line can be overpowered, but the misdirection means you have to stay disciplined. If Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter can hold ground inside, it allows the Eagles’ linebackers to remain patient and not be tricked by the motion. Lastly, as Stafford isn’t a mobile quarterback, they do a great job using receivers in motion to force a defense to flow away from the run. It’s very clever!
Touchdowns
Some of the Rams’ passing designs in the red zone, in particular, are exceptional. Just look at this…
Ooft. That’s so good.
Many of their scores are textbook McVay: play-action naked bootlegs where Stafford rolls out to find a receiver in the flat or on the corner. They love stressing the edge defender with a run fake, forcing him to choose between the back and the quarterback’s rollout. Stafford can throw effectively, rolling either way, which makes their bootleg game incredibly effective. There are very few quarterbacks who can roll to their left and throw like this!
But this year, they also have the “my guy beats your guy” option. Just look at clip 3 from above! Adams’ touchdown last week was pure isolation. No trickery, no gimmicks, just Stafford trusting him to win one-on-one. That’s the difference from previous seasons. This is now a passing game that can manufacture wide-open scores and let elite talent take over. In the red zone, that’s a nightmare combination and it’s very tough to defend. Adams has taken this offense to a new level.
Turnovers
Stafford has thrown one interception so far, and it came in the way you’d expect. He was pressured, forced to speed up his process, and made a throw he shouldn’t have. That’s the formula to get after Stafford. When the pocket is clean, he’s as good as any quarterback in the league as a pure thrower, but when you disrupt the timing, he takes risks. He can’t help but try to force throws down the field into tight windows.
Sacks
If Stafford doesn’t throw on time, he’s a sitting duck. He’s 37! It’s hardly a surprise. His willingness to stand tall and deliver is unbelievable to see, but it does mean he takes hits rather than creating out of structure, and the Titans exposed that with blitzes and simulated pressures. Their tackles, in particular, struggled, and although Week 2 looked cleaner, it’s still the weak spot of this Rams’ offense. This Eagles’ defense simply must make Stafford uncomfortable. Especially when he turns his back! This is the danger of an under-center pass game.
The Eagles won’t need to overthink their rush lanes this week. This isn’t a quarterback who’s going to break contain and make plays on the move. Instead, it’s about getting vertical quickly and collapsing the pocket. Make him uncomfortable.
Expect McVay to lean on quick play-action and bootlegs to protect Stafford, but when they’re forced into pure dropback, the opportunities are there. I expect to see some exotic sim pressures this week to try and change the picture post-snap when Stafford turns his back to the defense.
Overall
That wraps up this week’s look at the Rams’ offense. I’ve wanted to do something like this for a while, so shout out to BGN for allowing me to do this! Feedback and thoughts on the style are always welcome, as this is something new. If you’d like to see the raw film work that goes into these breakdowns, I post uncut video sessions over on my Patreon here.
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