Recent Forum Topics › Forums › The Rams Huddle › setting up the Philly game
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Zooey.
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November 18, 2024 at 10:35 pm #153392
ZooeyModeratorThe Eagles look formidable, coming into LA sporting an 8-2 record, and winners of 6 consecutive games.
I haven’t watched them play, and I don’t know anything about them other than their record, but…
I take hope from this:
Of their 8 victories, only 2 of them have come against teams with a winning record: GB in Week 1, and WASH last week. Their 2 losses were to ATL and TB.
Their other victories are against NO, CLE, NYG, CIN, JAX, and DAL. That’s not exactly Murderer’s Row.
I look forward to previews from people who know what they’re talking about, but just on the basis of that, I feel like there is more hope for this game than there was when I first looked at the schedule after the NE game.
November 19, 2024 at 7:21 am #153393
znModeratorRams Bros.@RamsBrothers
There really hasn’t been a game so far this season where the Rams have played dominant football in all 3 phases. They’ve been dominant offensively and defensively in different games. Team has been better but shaky in big moments.Need to be great vs. Philly in all phases.
November 19, 2024 at 8:39 pm #153413znModeratorroberto clemente@rclemente2121
the eagles have had their way with our rams for a long time, mcvay is only 1-3 vs the eagles, while the rams are just 1-7 vs the eagles dating back to 2005.Rams Bros.@RamsBrothers
The #Rams have pressured opposing QB’s on 41.9% of dropbacks this season — the HIGHEST rate in the NFL (per
@NFLPlus). Chris Shula 🫡#Eagles RT Lane Johnson has allowed just 15 pressures this season, 4th lowest among RT’s. Jordan Mailata on the left side is damn good, as well.
November 21, 2024 at 10:09 am #153435znModeratorRams Bros.@RamsBrothers
That #Eagles 6-game win streak is a bit fishy. They’re a great team, but all 6 of these wins came against teams who are bottom-10 against the run. 3 of the 4 worst run defenses are in their division.The #Rams are improving weekly. Something to keep your eyes on 👀
November 21, 2024 at 11:27 am #153439znModeratorRodrigue posts at bluesky now:
Per Next Gen: The Rams have pressured opposing QBs on 41.9% of their dropbacks, the highest pressure rate in the NFL. Two second-year players and two rookies start (Kobie Turner, Byron Young, Jared Verse, Braden Fiske)
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social) 2024-11-21T06:08:20.497Z
Man you just KNOW Stoutland and the Eagles OL have these numbers and are devising something dastardly. This is THE matchup to watch, maybe of the season. Rams young and rising DL; PHI traveled and wise (and fucking strong) OL.
— Jourdan Rodrigue (@jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social) 2024-11-21T06:12:30.068Z
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Jourdan Rodrigue@jourdanrodrigue.bsky.social
Matchup: Lane Johnson has the fourth-lowest pressure rate allowed among right tackles while Jordan Mailata has the seventh-lowest pressure rate allowed among left tackles.I’d also say, none of these pressure stats matter if the Rams DL can’t stop the run
Cameron DaSilva@camdasilva
Verse and Young against Mailata and Johnson is going to be a fun battle to watch on Sunday night. Two outstanding young rushers against maybe the best OT tandem in the NFLNovember 21, 2024 at 4:44 pm #153443znModeratorBlaine Grisak @bgrisaktst.bsky.social
Sean McVay finally got over the Brian Flores hump with a win over the Vikings earlier this year.McVay and the Rams will have another big test on Sunday against Vic Fangio.
Big question is whether or not Rams offense can be patient and win with a ‘death by 1000 cuts’ approach.
SeattleRams @seattlerams.bsky.social
The Eagles play a TON of light boxes, and are still a top-7 rush defense. That helps push that pass d to number 2 overall. That man can flat our coach defense.Feel like this is a BIG Kyren/OL game. If they can do what they did in Baltimore last year, that’ll force a Fangio adjustment.
November 21, 2024 at 4:44 pm #153444
wvParticipant“that game scarred McVay SO MUCH….” – the fangio game (Bears). Belichex copied the Fangio approach in 2018.
“This is the nerd game of the year…”
Now, they meet again. Fangio vs McVay
November 22, 2024 at 8:42 am #153453znModeratorThey do the Rams at about 6:10 in.
.November 22, 2024 at 9:08 am #153459znModeratorRams Bros.@RamsBrothers
The Eagles are 32nd in pass attempts. Really want to see what their offense looks like when the run game is slowed down significantly and they’re forced to be one dimensional.November 22, 2024 at 3:56 pm #153461wvParticipantEagles
Saints
Bills
49ers
Jets
Cards
SeahawksI like the fact this is a tough 7 game schedule. (the dolphin loss was an absolute killer)
I assume they can beat the Jets. 🙂 Other than that, every game can go either way, in my mind.
Today’s prediction is Losses to Eagles, 49ers, Seahawks. Wins against Bills Cards Jets. I have zero thots on the Saints game. Maybe a tie.
8-8-1
w
vNovember 22, 2024 at 4:11 pm #153463znModerator“(The Eagles) defense has been unbelievable the last six weeks. And to me, it's all in the nuance and the details of the Vic Fangio scheme.”
Some strong praise for Philly from @GregCosell pic.twitter.com/Lm05C2HdCe
— Ross Tucker Podcast (@RossTuckerPod) November 22, 2024
November 22, 2024 at 4:18 pm #153465ZooeyModeratorEagles
Saints
Bills
49ers
Jets
Cards
SeahawksI like the fact this is a tough 7 game schedule. (the dolphin loss was an absolute killer)
I assume they can beat the Jets.
Other than that, every game can go either way, in my mind. Today’s prediction is Losses to Eagles, 49ers, Seahawks. Wins against Bills Cards Jets. I have zero thots on the Saints game. Maybe a tie.
8-8-1
w
vMy Bingo card has a Win over the Eagles. And the Saints, Jets, 9ers, and Seahawks. I think the 9ers are unravelling. Just too many injuries and a shoddy OL. They’ll beat the Seahawks because they’ve beaten them, like, 47 times in a row, and I don’t think that’s going to change. The Jets and Saints are target practice. The Bills will crush them, and I have no idea what will happen with AZ, but it will be winner-take-all, imo.
The 9ers, btw, have the 2nd-hardest remaining schedule. They is done.
November 22, 2024 at 5:14 pm #153466
InvaderRamModerator“that game scarred McVay SO MUCH….” – the fangio game (Bears). Belichex copied the Fangio approach in 2018.
“This is the nerd game of the year…”
Now, they meet again. Fangio vs McVay
very cool. makes this game much more interesting. and it was already pretty interesting.
November 23, 2024 at 1:39 am #153472znModeratorHandle arguably the most athletic OL in ball, that’s the @RamsNFL challenge on SNF vs @Eagles #nfllive pic.twitter.com/Ew4seNcw4r
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) November 22, 2024
November 23, 2024 at 1:55 am #153473znModeratorroberto clemente@rclemente2121
the eagles rank #7 in offensive scoring and #3 in offensive points allowed… rams scored well against the vikings #2 defense and held up well vs the lions #1 offense.Wyatt Miller@wymill07
With Rob Havenstein doubtful for Sunday, Warren McClendon will likely start at right tackle again. He played with Eagles DL Jalen Carter and Jordan Davis at Georgia.He said “just knowing how they play, their mentality and how they think” will help the o-line prepare for them.
Adam Schefter@AdamSchefter
Eagles ruled out WR DeVonta Smith for Sunday night’s game vs. the Rams due to his hamstring injury.November 23, 2024 at 2:05 am #153475znModeratorfrom PFF: https://www.pff.com/news/nfl-pff-grades-and-data-key-insights-for-every-nfl-week-12-game#12
Philadelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Rams
Defenses know what’s coming when they face the Eagles in short-yardage situations, but that hasn’t made stopping them any easier. Jalen Hurts leads the NFL with eight rushing touchdowns and 23 total rushing conversions on plays with one yard or less to go. In contrast, the Rams defense has struggled in short-yardage scenarios, allowing a league-high 79% conversion rate on plays with one yard or less.
Matthew Stafford has thrived when working outside the pocket, earning an 86.6 passing grade and throwing six touchdown passes—both second-best among qualifying quarterbacks. However, the Eagles defense has effectively limited such opportunities, facing just 49 dropbacks outside the pocket, the third-fewest in the league. When quarterbacks do escape, though, Philadelphia has struggled, allowing a 136.5 passer rating—the fourth worst in the NFL.
November 23, 2024 at 10:56 am #153478ZooeyModeratorPhiladelphia Eagles @ Los Angeles Rams
Defenses know what’s coming when they face the Eagles in short-yardage situations, but that hasn’t made stopping them any easier. Jalen Hurts leads the NFL with eight rushing touchdowns and 23 total rushing conversions on plays with one yard or less to go. In contrast, the Rams defense has struggled in short-yardage scenarios, allowing a league-high 79% conversion rate on plays with one yard or less.
Matthew Stafford has thrived when working outside the pocket, earning an 86.6 passing grade and throwing six touchdown passes—both second-best among qualifying quarterbacks. However, the Eagles defense has effectively limited such opportunities, facing just 49 dropbacks outside the pocket, the third-fewest in the league. When quarterbacks do escape, though, Philadelphia has struggled, allowing a 136.5 passer rating—the fourth worst in the NFL.
Well, that all sounds ominous, and has shaken my hopes. So I retreated into my Strength of Schedule refuge, and did a little research. Found this interesting article by Sharp Football Analysis, the Eagles began the season with the 8th easiest schedule in the NFL, and…their schedule has emerged as even easier than that.
Here is the part I found interesting:
How accurate is Warren Sharp’s model for determining strength of schedule?
Looking at last season’s strength of schedule model:
Of the 15 teams predicted to have the easiest 2023 schedules, 11 finished with winning records (Saints, Colts, Texans, Lions, Jaguars, Steelers, Packers, Buccaneers, 49ers, Browns, and Bengals)
Of the 15 teams predicted to have the hardest 2023 schedules, only 5 finished with a winning record (Bills, Chiefs, Dolphins, Cowboys, and Vikings)
Of the 7 teams forecast to have winning records and predicted to have easier than average schedules, all 7 had winning records (49ers, Bengals, Lions, Jaguars, Saints, Browns, and Steelers)
Of the 7 teams forecast to finish at or below .500 and predicted to have harder than average schedules, all 7 had losing records and 6 went under their win total (Vikings, Broncos, Giants, Patriots, Commanders, and Cardinals)
Are strength of schedule projections accurate?Short answer: YES
Is strength of schedule important?
Of the 15 teams that actually had the easiest 2023 schedules, 10 went to the playoffs (Cowboys, Packers, Texans, Bills, Dolphins, Buccaneers, Eagles, Lions, 49ers, and Chiefs) with 9-of-15 going over their win total
Of the 17 teams that actually had the hardest 2023 schedules, only 4 went to the playoffs (Steelers, Browns, Ravens, and Rams) with 4-of-17 going over their win total
Trying to overachieve against a brutal schedule rarely happens (4 out of 17 in 2023).
Likewise, winning against an easy schedule and overachieving compared to expectations happens often (9 out of 15 in 2023).
November 23, 2024 at 11:27 am #153479znModeratorOne offense has the most yards per play, highest explosive play rate and highest EPA when they’re all on the field together.
The other is the Eagles. https://t.co/L4zl3fQLKK
— Rams Bros. (@RamsBrothers) November 23, 2024
November 23, 2024 at 1:48 pm #153481znModeratorHe does the Rams at about 4:20 in.
.
.@ColinCowherd has the Colts upsetting the Lions in his Week 12 Blazin' 5 picks:
"Anthony Richardson has won 4 of his last 5 starts and played his best game as a pro against the Jets." pic.twitter.com/JsNEechluM
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) November 22, 2024
November 23, 2024 at 4:26 pm #153482wvParticipantEagles – 31
Rams – 28
—
Bet the house.w
vNovember 24, 2024 at 1:40 am #153484InvaderRamModeratorroberto clemente@rclemente2121
the eagles rank #7 in offensive scoring and #3 in offensive points allowed… rams scored well against the vikings #2 defense and held up well vs the lions #1 offense.is it safe to say that the rams offense and defense are both in a better position now than they were in those games against the vikings and lions?
November 24, 2024 at 9:38 am #153485ZooeyModeratoris it safe to say that the rams offense and defense are both in a better position now than they were in those games against the vikings and lions?
One would think. But I don’t think it’s shown on the field. Part of that was reshuffling the OL again, imo, even though the players they inserted were better (though they lost Hav). But I think the victory over MN was their most impressive of the season. I keep waiting for them to hit top gear now that they’ve had Coop and Puka back for a bit, but they still seem out of sync to me. On offense, anyway.
The defense has steadily improved all year, but this will be a big test because Philly has a really good OL, and Hurts is better at evading the rush. I’m afraid that when the Rams streak into the pocket, they will run right past Hurts. The Rams have improved at contain, but they’re still a work in progress there.
And Barkley might just be too much. Especially with that OL.
Tonight’s game is going to be a serious progress report for the Rams. I think this game will be the most revelatory one of the season to date. The Rams are, like you say, probably in their best position of the season so far, and the Eagles are a real football team. Losing to them won’t kill the season, but beating them would certainly prime the pump for the playoff push, and make up for that loss to Miami.
It’s good that the game is in LA. Not that that is an advantage so much as it is the absence of a disadvantage. Same with Buffalo in a couple of weeks. At least the Rams aren’t travelling 3K miles to play in an ice rink.
November 24, 2024 at 10:30 am #153489znModeratorI keep waiting for them to hit top gear now that they’ve had Coop and Puka back for a bit, but they still seem out of sync to me. On offense, anyway.
When the Rams got their OL all beat up before the bye, it took a couple of games for decent replacements to come through. When they did–with Limmer and Dedich–it worked fine. That was the OL against Minn.
Then when, for no gawd damm good reason whatsoever, they played 3 OL replacements with all 3 just coming back from having been out with injuries, that’s when we got the Miami game.
They fixed that by bringing back Limmer. Avila has had a couple of games now and so should be settling in. McClendon is better than Mr. “Lesson The Rams Can’t Seem to Learn” Noteboom. This OL ought to be approaching the level of play they had in the Minn. game. Avila is the best lineman they’ve had since Whitworth and so as he gets into game shape, they ought to improve as a unit.
I agree with all your points about what this game means.
November 24, 2024 at 12:28 pm #153494ZooeyModeratorWhen the Rams got their OL all beat up before the bye, it took a couple of games for decent replacements to come through. When they did–with Limmer and Dedich–it worked fine. That was the OL against Minn.
Then when, for no gawd damm good reason whatsoever, they played 3 OL replacements with all 3 just coming back from having been out with injuries, that’s when we got the Miami game.
They fixed that by bringing back Limmer. Avila has had a couple of games now and so should be settling in. McClendon is better than Mr. “Lesson The Rams Can’t Seem to Learn” Noteboom. This OL ought to be approaching the level of play they had in the Minn. game. Avila is the best lineman they’ve had since Whitworth and so as he gets into game shape, they ought to improve as a unit.
Right. Yeah. So, theoretically, the Rams OL should be on the same Gel course that they were entering MN, only with superior players. And that’s what the Rams are gonna need today if they plan on scoring more points than Philadelphia does.
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