October 06, 2023
Jalen Hurts and the Eagles, as one of the NFL's two remaining undefeated teams, are off to L.A. to face off against Matthew Stafford, breakout star receiver Puka Nacua, and the Rams.
Will the Eagles stay perfect? Or will any of their early-season hitches seen so far finally catch up to them in the loss column?
Here are our thoughts and predictions:
TV: FOX (Kevin Burkhardt, Greg Olsen, Erin Andrews, Tom Rinaldi)
RADIO: 94.1 WIP (Merrill Reese, Mike Quick)
| Book | Spread | Money Line | Total (O/U) |
| DraftKings | PHI -4.5 | PHI -205 LAR +170 | 50 |
| FanDuel | PHI -4.5 | PHI -205 LAR +172 | 50 |
| BetMGM | PHI -4.5 | PHI -210 LAR +170 | 50 |
| UniBet | PHI -4.5 | PHI -215 LAR +170 | 50 |
| PointsBet | PHI -4.5 | PHI -225 LAR +185 | 50 |
When the schedules came out in May, this was probably a game most Eagles fans quickly chalked up as a win without much thought. As it turns out, the Rams might be the Birds' best opponent so far this season. One of the Rams' biggest strengths — receivers who get open out of the slot — is currently one of the Eagles' biggest concern areas. If the Rams can pull off the home upset, it will likely be a result of the Eagles' secondary being unable to cover the Rams' smooth route-running receivers.
I was tempted to pick against the Eagles, but ultimately they have matchup advantages all over the field otherwise, notably their receivers against the Rams' corners, their run game vs. the Rams' run defense, and their pass rush vs. the Rams' shaky offensive line.
The Rams are a formidable opponent with a good quarterback in Matthew Stafford, the best defensive player of the last decade in Aaron Donald, and a top 5 receiver in Cooper Kupp (when healthy), but the Eagles are still just better.
I think it's time for someone to be "that guy." This Eagles team is clearly good — they are 4-0. But they are not good enough to be undefeated. They are flawed and frustrating and perhaps having some early adversity could be good for this team as they hunt for a Super Bowl. The schedule is going to get daunting in about a month, and it might be nice to see them tested and knocked down before they have the Chiefs Bills and Cowboys twice later this fall. I think the Eagles falter in a tight game.
The Eagles' secondary injuries are troubling, but the Birds' pass rush should be able to eat against this makeshift Rams offensive line and compensate for it. On the other side of the ball, the Eagles' passing offense that finally found a rhythm against Washington should continue to flourish out West. Big games from Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith should all be in the cards. Let's say each of those wideouts picks up a TD and Hurts runs from one on a Tush Push that infuriates the national media, too.
I watched Sam Howell exploit gaps in the Eagles' secondary pretty efficiently for the better part of last week's game and can't help but think that a seasoned vet like Matthew Stafford will go and do that same thing, only to a higher degree of success.
I think this is going to be a situation where the offense – while still not entirely right yet – is going to get theirs and keep the Eagles in it until the end, but Sean McVay will show up with a gameplan that Stafford and the Rams will stay committed to that Sean Desai won't be able figure out in time.
The pass rush will also get to Stafford a couple of times, but for the most part, I expect him to get the ball out quick enough to cause problems for the Eagles.
The Eagles are struggling on defense, haven’t found a consistent stride on offense, and yet are one of just two remaining undefeated teams left in the NFL. That unfortunately ends this week as the defensive issues, combined with being on the road, ultimately catch up with the Birds.
Jalen Hurts will do everything he can to extend some drives and probably lead to a couple of scores, but the Rams' defense is aggressive and has the ability to cover ground both with getting after the QB and controlling downfield. The Eagles are one of the worst teams from a defensive standpoint despite their perfect record. They go up against a successful head coach in Sean McVay and a talented QB in Matthew Stafford making the most out of nothing.
Philadelphia is 27th in passing yards allowed and has given up the third-most passing TDs in the league.
Birds fall for the first time.
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