Eagles Film Preview: Scheme will have to help this team beat the Rams

The Rams have been a very good pass defense through three weeks, but injuries in the secondary could give the Eagles opportunities this Sunday. Of course, the Eagles have their own injury problems, particularly at receiver, so this matchup is difficult to pin down. I like parts of the Rams' defense a lot. I also think the Eagles have to find ways to attack it, because I have no interest in watching this offense spend another afternoon hoping the defense will win the game for them. It won't happen this week!

Chris Shula's defense gives you a lot to prepare for. The Rams rank first in EPA allowed per dropback, and the film shows a secondary that can handle several different coverage structures. They play zone on roughly two-thirds of passing snaps, but their Cover 1, Cover 3, and Cover 4 usage is almost evenly split. You cannot build a game plan around expecting the same coverage every time. They can match routes in zone, pass receivers between defenders, and then line up in man coverage when they want to. That flexibility makes them a difficult opponent for an offense still trying to establish any kind of rhythm.

Byron Young has been their best pass rusher. His explosive first step stands out immediately, and he keeps working when the initial rush does not get him to the quarterback. He leads the group with 14 pressures. They have a few individual rushers that can win quickly, and the coverage can make the quarterback hold the ball long enough for those wins to matter.