Can the Rams learn anything from the Eagles and Chiefs to make the Super Bowl in 2025?
The NFL is a copycat league and teams will be looking to replicate what the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles did this season. However, some things can’t be replicated. Teams tried to copy the New England Patriots for years and it was something that was impossible. That was a system that worked in a vacuum. Parts of it could be taken, but the system itself was lightning in a bottle. The Los Angeles Rams are no different. While they have their own system in place, Sean McVay and co. are always looking to get better. Here’s what they can learn from this year’s Super Bowl team.
What Rams can learn from the Eagles: Build in the trenches
The Eagles are one of the best teams in the trenches and it shows. They lost a future Hall of Fame center in Jason Kelce and still managed to have one of the best run-blocking and pass-blocking offensive lines in the NFL. According to PFF, the Eagles ranked sixth in the NFL in pass-blocking and fourth in the NFL in run-blocking. It’s a reason why they were able to sign Saquon Barkley and really take advantage of how much of a special player that he is at running back.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Eagles are built the same. They traded away Haason Reddick and their free agent signing that they acquired to replace him turned out to be a bust. Bryce Huff only had 2.5 sacks this year. They also lost Brandon Graham in the middle of the year. However, the Eagles are built strong on the defensive line. Jalen Carter impacts games. His presence helps players like Milton Williams, Moro Ojomo, and Jordan Davis. Having the ability to create interior pressure and disrupt the immediate areas of the pocket, allows Josh Sweat and Nolan Smith to find success as well.
What Rams can’t learn from the Eagles: Running backs matter
This isn’t to say that running backs don’t matter, but the Rams also shouldn’t go out this offseason and sign a running back or draft a running back high. What Saquon Barkley did this season was special. However, it was also a combination of pairing Barkley with an elite offensive line and a mobile quarterback. Those things put together made it extremely stressful for defenses to defend.
What the Eagles did in the running game with Barkley this season isn’t something that can be replicated. It’s similar with Todd Gurley. Gurley struggled in 2016, but in a better offense with a better offensive line, he was the Offensive Player of the Year in 2017. The Rams can certainly look to get more explosive in the running game, but the answer isn’t necessarily overspending on the position either.
What Rams can learn from the Eagles: Don’t get content at Quarterback
One thing that Howie Roseman has done very well of during his tenure is always having a backup plan at quarterback. Despite having Carson Wentz, the Eagles drafted Jalen Hurts in the second round. That was less than a year after Wentz signed his extension. This past offseason, with Hurts struggling down the stretch, the Eagles traded for Kenny Pickett. Pickett ended up playing well in a win over the Cowboys while Hurts was injured.
The point here is, had Hurts struggled to start this year, the Eagles would have had a backup plan in place with Pickett. Pickett was never going to threaten Hurts’ starting role if he didn’t allow it to. While the Rams were better about that by signing Jimmy Garoppolo this offseason, that’s also not a player that provides much of a future at the position. This is something that the Rams can continue to improve.
What Rams can learn from the Eagles: Focus on low-value free agent signings
The Eagles will get a lot of credit for winning the offseason by signing Barkley during free agency. However, an argument can be made that he wasn’t even their most important signing. The Eagles found a low-value free agent in Zack Baun and he put together a Defensive Player of the Year caliber of season. Mekhi Becton played a huge role at guard after being misused with the New York Jets. They brought back CJ Gardner-Johnson after opting not to sign him the year prior.
While the Eagles won free agency, the Rams lost it. It was a bad process signing players like Jonah Jackson. Colby Parkinson was a letdown as well as Tre White. This is an area where the Rams need to improve. The best free agents aren’t always the most expensive and more scouting needs to go into this heading into 2025.
What can the Rams learn from the Chiefs: Consistency is Key
Over the past couple of years through the Chiefs three-peat, they have remained consistent. It’s not necessarily the consistent play, but they’ve had the same offensive play-caller, the same quarterback, and the same defensive play-caller. Even in 2022, Matt Nagy was on the staff, but has spent the last two years as the offensive coordinator while David Girardi has been in the quarterback room.
Even from a personnel standpoint, the Chiefs had the fourth-highest continuity score on their offensive line. They only had four different line changes all season and went 10 games with the same group. It seems like an obvious one, but every season the Rams coaching staff seems to get poached while the last two years, the offensive line hasn’t been healthy.
What can’t the Rams learn from the Chiefs: Explosive plays aren’t needed
The Chiefs were one of the least-explosive offenses in the NFL. They ranked 27th in passing plays of 20 yards or more and their explosive run rate of 2.7 percent ranks 31st. Unfortunately for most offenses, that simply is not sustainable. The margins for the Chiefs were small. They ranked third in the NFL in third down conversion rate and were 12-0 in one score games. For most teams, that’s closer to an 8-4 record at best.
Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs defense are the best at playing situational football. However, for most teams, living on that line results in a push and pull outcome. Eventually, it’s going to come back one way or the other. The best way to have offensive success in the NFL is to create explosive plays. Out of the bottom-10 teams in pass plays of 20 yards or more, the Chiefs were one of two to make the playoffs. They were one of four teams in the NFL to rank in the bottom-10 in explosive runs plays to make the playoffs. The only other two teams to rank in the bottom-10 in both were the Cleveland Browns and Chicago Bears. Both of those teams are picking in the top-10.
What can the Rams learn from the Chiefs and Eagles: More tight ends?
There might be something to be said about having an elite tight end in an offense. For over a decade, the New England Patriots did it with Rob Gronkowski. The next dynasty has done it with Travis Kelce. Additionally, the Eagles have Dallas Goedert. Goedert had a bit of a down year, but some of that was because he was injured and only played 10 games.
It’s hard to find elite level tight ends. Gronkowski and Kelce are two of the best to ever do it. At the same time, it’s clear that having that piece in a passing game can have a huge impact. Kelce is known for a receiver, but he’s also a very good blocking tight end as well. He makes it possible for the Chiefs to operate in 13 personnel. The Rams offense was better when Tyler Higbee returned at the end of the year. With Higbee getting older, it makes sense to add another threat at that position in the passing game in a draft class that is top-heavy.
