The Philadelphia Eagles are traveling to SoFi Stadium this weekend to make a selection on the Los Angeles Rams. It’s a sneaky well-known sport for the Birds.
In verbalize to preview this Week 12 battle, I reached out to our enemies over at Turf Characterize Instances. The ebullient Evan Craig kindly took the time to answer to my questions on this upcoming tilt. Let’s decide a take a look at up on at the answers. [For my answers about the Eagles, stay tuned to TST.]
1 – The Rams are 5-5 after starting up 1-4. What went substandard within the muse and what’s since gone staunch to salvage support heading within the suitable course?
What went substandard used to be very straightforward and could also fair be traced support to accidents. The wound bug took out LA’s high two receivers and decimated the offensive line, though now now not to the extent of the depressing 2022 campaign. Matthew Stafford could also handiest carry out so notable given what he used to be working with. The Rams maintain managed to salvage support heading within the suitable course all another time, by getting extra healthy. When Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returned in opposition to the Vikings, Stafford had his most effective sport of the year to that level by throwing 4 touchdown passes. That used to be handiest the 2nd sport Kupp and Nacua had performed collectively for the rationale that season opener in Detroit. Plus the defense has been lights out since early October after struggling to salvage their footing early within the year. They maintain got saved the personnel in every sport (other than that crappy Cardinals sport) while accidents ravaged the offense which used to be moderately sudden entering the season.
2 – What are the ideal strengths and weaknesses of this Rams offense?
That is also seriously of a cop-out solution nonetheless the offensive playmakers are the Rams’ ideal strengths. We’ve considered the personnel when its high weapons are out and the effects aren’t dazzling. With Puka, Kupp and Kyren Williams all within the equivalent lineup, this is without verbalize one of many most effective offenses within the league. That used to be the case within the 2nd half of of closing season when the Rams accomplished 7-1 and had been scoring at will.
On the flip aspect, I disfavor to verbalize this nonetheless the ideal weak point is Matthew Stafford. He hasn’t been consistent ample to make me in fact feel assured in him for the homestretch. The accidents and various factors weren’t his fault, nonetheless in most cases Stafford has been erratic and overly aggressive and it has payment the personnel. Even within the Rams’ extra time get over Seattle about a weeks support, he didn’t maintain a huge efficiency despite throwing the sport-successful touchdown. Generally we’ll salvage duds like the MNF letdown versus Miami and then he’ll all accurate now toss 4 TDs in opposition to the Patriots like he did Sunday. The Matthew Stafford ride is turning accurate into a rundown rollercoaster at this level. We’ll maintain reasonably fun here and there nonetheless largely you’re feeling nauseous over the sensation of what’s to come support.
3 – What are the ideal strengths and weaknesses of this Rams defense?
By far the ideal power is the line of defense which is oozing with first and 2nd-year skills. Kobie Turner, Jared Verse and Branden Fiske are completely awesome of their very bask in staunch. They are able to in fact salvage after opposing quarterbacks and make them melancholy. Verse is an emerging critical person at the build and could also fair smooth be heavily liked to get Defensive Rookie of the 365 days after Turner used to be robbed out of the award in 2023 given the evident Texans bias. The Florida Hiss product has to be making GM Les Snead and the the rest of the entrance build of job assign a matter to whether or now now not they may perchance also fair smooth change any first-rounders in due course since he’s elevated the defense that notable in Aaron Donald’s absence.
The Rams’ weak point on defense would be its secondary. Overall, the unit has improved after a tough commence below first-time coordinator Chris Shula. Even then, the secondary lacks quality depth and if accidents come up, LA will be in a lot of of agonize. There’s additionally now now not ample high-cease skills like a Jalen Ramsey to protect down the castle. The secondary could also fair smooth confidently be addressed within the offseason, and any depth will be welcomed at this level.
4 – Jake Elliott overlooked three kicks in Week 11 nonetheless it for sure appears like the Rams are facing kicker disorders of their very bask in. What’s the verbalize there?
Joshua Karty has transformed on 80% of his self-discipline objectives this season which seems huge on the outside. Nonetheless, he doesn’t maintain the strongest leg and Sean McVay is exhibiting an absence of self assurance in him after passing on a 52-yarder that can’ve assign the Rams up nine in New England. The cause used to be that McVay admitted he didn’t maintain have faith in Karty which is most definitely the greatest approach to raze a young kicker’s self assurance. There maintain been rumors LA would herald kickers this week, nonetheless it for sure doesn’t make notable sense to me indignant about Karty hasn’t misplaced a sport for the Rams. He used to be the personnel’s lone supply of offense in opposition to the Dolphins, so it’s rather complicated why McVay is throwing him below the bus handiest a week later. My colleague JB Scott wrote an very ideal article that explored this subject further and when put next Karty’s verbalize to Jared Goff’s when he used to be in Hollywood. Belief me, it is well payment your time.
5 – Who wins this sport and why? With the Eagles at the moment listed as 2.5-level twin carriageway favorites, what’s your score prediction? After which what are you looking ahead to from the the rest of this Rams season?
The Eagles maintain been on a freaking lag and there’s a cause this personnel has obtained six in a row. Philly’s defense is sooner or later rounding into develop, Jalen Hurts has additionally gotten sizzling and oh yeah, that Saquon Barkley guy’s dazzling staunch too. LA is sooner or later getting wholesome and the defense has vastly improved over the closing month, nonetheless give me the Eagles 24-20. Matthew Stafford is a wild card so I maintain zero clue which model of him we’ll salvage. Plus, Barkley is on one more stage, and I judge he’ll be too notable for an actual, yet very young line of defense.
As notable as LA followers hope the Rams will drag on one more 2nd-half of surge, I staunch don’t perceive it taking place this season. Cherish their Abundant Bowl LVI counterpart Cincinnati, they’ve both dug themselves a hole that will be too steep to climb out of. The NFC West is surprisingly mediocre and can probably send one personnel to the dance which can possibly relief them. I demand the Rams to be every sport the the rest of the season, nonetheless unless one of many NFC teams old to them within the wild card standings collapses, the playoffs could also fair be out of the assign a matter to.
