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.
Previously: Scouting the Los Angeles Rams’ offense
Los Angeles Rams Defense
Deep Passes Allowed
The first thing that jumps off the film is that this defense can be stressed vertically, especially on the outside. When the Rams rotate into single-high, the corners are left on islands, and that’s when opponents have to take their shots. Emmanuel Forbes has already been exposed here. The Titans went after him, and he was beaten on vertical routes and struggled to track the football. I could have included more than one example, trust me!
If you’re designing an Eagles game plan, this is where you get A.J. Brown heavily involved. Give him isolation routes outside, run go balls and fades, and make Forbes defend at the catch point. I don’t think he has a chance of stopping AJ Brown.
Beyond individual matchups, the structure itself can be attacked. The Rams are aggressive up front, which means linebackers and safeties are quick to step downhill against run action. That aggression leaves them open to under-center play-action and bootlegs. It’s a very talented front (as we will get to later), but they can be too aggressive at times. If you sell the run, the second level jumps, and the void opens behind them. This is where the Eagles can marry inside zone looks with crossers to Smith or Goedert. When safeties are a half-step late and linebackers are in the wash, those throws are wide open.
The danger is that the picture often changes post-snap. Jalen Hurts hasn’t run a ton of under-center play action, and this current Rams’ defense does a good job disguising coverages, sometimes rolling late into combo shells, sometimes bluffing pressure, and bailing out. That unpredictability can confuse quarterbacks who aren’t used to turning their backs to the defense. But if you trust your receivers outside and keep protection sound, there are explosive opportunities to be had against this secondary. They have massively benefited from playing two poor offensive lines.
Explosive Runs Allowed
The Rams haven’t been gashed on the ground yet, but the vulnerabilities are there. Safeties are often aligned deep, and their trigger downhill is slow. In comparison to how the Eagles play the run from a two-high shell, I thought the Rams were passive.
That delay creates space at the second level, especially when linebackers hesitate or fit late. I may be picking on him unfairly, but in the games I watched, Omar Speights was a weak point as he was slow to diagnose and late arriving at the line of scrimmage. I would run at him and get guys like Cam Jurgens to reach him at the second level.
This is also a defense that can lose contain on the edges. Against Tennessee, there were snaps where outside runs turned the corner far too easily. McVay leans on his front to be disruptive, and they certainly are against the pass, but in the run game, you can take advantage of that upfield aggression. Outside zone runs with cutback lanes, RPOs that hold linebackers, and motion that forces communication all stress this defense. The Rams can be disciplined when keyed in, but through two weeks, I’m still not sold on their run defense. We haven’t seen any QB run game so far, but I think this could be the game to break out QB Counter Bash once again…
Touchdowns Allowed
The only touchdown against the Rams so far came on a broken play by Cam Ward, where he escaped the pocket, bought time forever, and eventually threw a touchdown. There was nothing to learn from that play at all!
Turnovers Created
After two weeks, this defense isn’t generating a huge amount of turnovers. Their identity is built more on pressure. So far, it looks like strip sacks and hurried throws are the pathway to turnovers, not DBs reading and jumping routes. I think they have some weaknesses in the secondary, as highlighted above.
Byron Young has already flashed as a difference-maker, capable of producing game-changing strip sacks. They’ll also bluff and disguise pre-snap. Safeties and linebackers creep onto the line, presenting an all-out blitz picture. Sometimes they come, sometimes they don’t, but either way, the quarterback has to make a quick decision. That disguise can bait a hot throw into coverage. Hurts must confirm his pre-snap read immediately after the snap before making any throws into tight cover.
Sacks
This is the most impressive part of their defense right now. After two weeks, the Rams rank near the top of the league in sacks, thanks to contributions from multiple players.
However, they aren’t just relying on edge rushers. They are mixing in stunts, looping defensive tackles, and sending pressure from the second level. Safeties and linebackers are blitzing regularly, and they’re not afraid to overload one side to stress protections. I saw a lot of heavy fronts where multiple defenders were potential rushers.
The edge rushers are legitimate threats. Byron Young looks like their most important defender, winning consistently and producing a strip sack that swung the Titans’ game. Obviously, Jarde Verse is excellent and Josiah Stewart has looked good too. Inside, Kobie Turner and Braden Fiske add collapse to complement the speed outside. They have a lot of depth.
The challenge for offenses is communication. If you go condensed, you must have a plan for the free rusher, because the Rams will scheme one loose. Hurts has to be sharp with his answers, just like he was against the Chiefs. Whether that’s quick throws, sliding protections, or built-in hot routes. If the Eagles pick it up, there are opportunities outside against single coverage. If not, the Eagles’ offense may take some bad sacks in this one.
Despite the Rams having two excellent weeks, they have faced two poor offensive lines. It won’t be as easy for their EDGE defenders rushing against Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata this week! They also haven’t faced a mobile quarterback, which could limit some of their aggressiveness at the LOS.
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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