Beat the best team in the league?
Last year the thought would’ve been unimaginable, but the Rams could do exactly that this weekend and wipe away any remaining questions about whether or not Sean McVay’s squad is legit and here to stay.
The Rams will face their toughest test of the season when the Philadelphia Eagles and their 10-2 record come to town. They’ll need to play a disciplined, mistake-free game to beat the NFC’s current number one seed. Here are the keys to victory.
1. Don’t Turn the Ball Over
When you play a team like Philadelphia, you can’t afford to make many mistakes. In what’s expected to be a close game, the Rams are one point favorites, whoever wins the turnover battle will likely win the game. In the Rams’ three losses, Jared Goff has three interceptions, one per game. Meanwhile, in their nine wins, he has just three, 0.33 per game. If Goff can play a clean game and avoid throwing an interception, they should be in good shape.
2. Don’t Let Carson Wentz Make Plays With His Legs
Some of Wentz’s best plays this season have come when he extends plays with his legs, often escaping what look like sure sacks. When he buys time with his legs and gets outside the pocket, he usually finds an open receiver downfield. Containing Wentz and making sure he doesn’t escape the pocket when he’s under pressure will be crucial to the defense. If Aaron Donald and co. can bring him down at first contact and force him to make quick decisions, the defense should be in for a big day.
3. Hit a Few Big Plays
Explosive plays are crucial to any team, but especially the Rams since their offense often relies on them. The offense is first in the league with 60 pass plays of 20 or more yards. For reference, the next closest team has 50. This will be one of the most interesting matchups to watch because this is an area where the Eagles defense excels. The Eagles have allowed the fewest pass plays of 20 yards or more. If the Rams can get a few of their signature deep balls to connect against this stingy Philadelphia secondary, they should get a win.
Rams Outlook
Those are the keys to victory on Sunday. It’s not going to be easy, but if they can pull it off they will be in great shape in the NFC and may even be able to win the number one overall seed and secure home-field advantage throughout the playoffs. If they can check off all these keys during the game, they should emerge victorious.
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– Andrew Ortenberg is a Staff Writer for Full Press Coverage Rams. He covers the Los Angeles Rams. Like and follow on Follow @AndrewOball Follow @FPC_Rams and Facebook
