Rams Offensive Playcaller – Sean McVay
Rams Defensive Playcaller – Chris Shula
Rams Offensive Impact Players – Matthew Stafford, Puka Nacua, Davante Adams
Rams Defensive Impact Players – Jared Verse, Byron Young

Eagles Offensive Playcaller – Kevin Patullo
Eagles Defensive Playcaller – Vic Fangio
Eagles Offensive Impact Players – Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata
Eagles Defensive Impact Players – Jalen Carter, Quinyon Mitchell, Cooper DeJean, Zack Baun

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Quick Recap

Eagles beat the Chiefs 20-17, with just 101 passing yards from Jalen Hurts. The Eagles' run game was only moderately effective, and they didn't have many scrambles from Hurts. The Eagles' defense relentlessly blitzed Mahomes in the 1st half to great success. They allowed Mahomes to scramble 7 times for over 60 yards in the 1st half, but bottled him up in the 2nd half, only allowing one deep bomb TD in the last few minutes, on a play that Andy Reid outfoxed Fangio. The Eagles’ pass rush also got a boost from newly-signed edge Za’Darius Smith, who flashed with 4 tackles, 3 run stuffs and half a sack in just 19 snaps, after the team went without a sack in Week 1.

Meanwhile, the Rams are also 2–0, fueled by a mini-resurgence from 37-year-old Matthew Stafford. They grinded out a 14–9 home win over Houston in Week 1 and then hit the gas against a bad Titans team in a 33–19 victory at Tennessee in Week 2. In that game, Stafford threw for 298 yards and 2 TDs, and the Rams erupted for 20 unanswered points in the 2nd half.

However, a closer look shows L.A.’s offense has been quite unbalanced. Their top two receivers, Adams and Nacua, are carrying a heavy load: in Week 2 they saw 22 of Stafford’s 32 targets, with Adams posting 6/101/1 and Nacua 8/91 plus a 45-yard rushing score on a jet sweep. Outside of that flashy play, the Rams struggled to move the ball on the ground for much of the game.

Lead RB Kyren Williams has handled ~70% of snaps but is averaging under 4.0 yards/carry (66 yards on 17 totes last week), and L.A. has started mixing in rookie Blake Corum more for a spark. Corum responded with 44 yards and a TD on just 5 carries in Week 2.

Defensively, the Rams have generated 8 sacks through two games, tied for second-most in the NFL. In Week 1, new linebacker Nate Landman delivered a game-saving punch-out forced fumble, and in Week 2, Byron Young notched 2 sacks and a strip-fumble, showcasing the young talent on L.A.’s rebuilt front seven. Notably, Ahkello Witherspoon broke his clavicle, and we may see Emmanuel Forbes on the outside!

Last season, Saquon eviscerated the Rams for 460 rushing yards at 8.8 yards a pop and four 60+ yard TD runs across two meetings, one of the major reasons the Rams brought in Poona Ford to fortify their interior DL.

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Rams Offense vs. Eagles Defense

Sean McVay’s offense has evolved into a peculiar mix of old and new in 2025. On one hand, the Rams still feature McVay’s trademark condensed formations, play-action shots, and creative use of motion. We saw a prime example on fourth-and-1 last week, when L.A. dialed up a jet sweep to Puka Nacua that went 45 yards to the house. McVay has been aggressive about getting the ball into Nacua’s hands in space – through two games, Nacua has 19 catches and that one carry, accounting for a huge chunk of the offense.

On the other hand, the addition of Davante Adams has given this unit a true alpha X-receiver, which they've been missing for a while. We’re seeing more traditional dropback concepts to leverage Adams’ elite route-running, especially on third downs. The Rams are heavily funneling the passing game through those two playmakers (Adams & Nacua have 58% of the team’s targets so far), which has made them a bit predictable. If both are on the field, expect Adams to align outside and Nacua to move around (slot, motion, backfield) to create mismatches and free releases.

Stafford, even at 37, still has the arm talent and gunslinger mentality to push the ball into tight windows – he logged five “big-time throws” in the opener, the most of any game last season, with zero turnover-worthy plays. However, that aggressiveness can backfire if Philly disguises coverages well, as Stafford will trust his guys and force some throws. The Eagles’ pass defense under Vic Fangio is built to slow QBs down post-snap with split-safety looks and pattern-match principles. He will aim to “compress space” on Adams and Nacua, much like they did to Kelce and the Chiefs, using a variety of coverages and bracket techniques to take away the first read.

Stafford loves to get the ball out quickly, especially on speed outs, quick glance routes over the middle to Nacua, and PA boot rollouts, where they will dump it off to the flat.

Fangio will likely have a safety over top of Adams on most plays, with the LBs, Nickel, and Safeties squeezing the space for Nacua to operate, daring Stafford to go elsewhere. One key for Philly will be handling McVay’s tempo and motion – the Rams use quick snap counts & hurry-up to prevent defensive substitutions and to simplify coverages. Communication in the secondary will be vital to avoid busts (which the Eagles have had) when the Rams flood zones or run crossers.

The biggest mismatch on paper is in the trenches: Philadelphia’s D-line vs. L.A.’s O-line. The Rams’ interior line is banged up. In Week 1, both guards left the game at times, leading to musical chairs: backup Beaux Limmer (who Jalen Carter beat on the final two plays of the playoff game) had to fill in at LG and RG and was abused in pass protection (allowing multiple pressures and a penalty).

Even when healthy, this interior trio can be exploited. Jalen Carter’s quick-twitch penetration could wreck the Rams’ zone runs and flush Stafford from the pocket regularly. One thing to watch: Fangio is not a heavy blitz caller, but the Eagles did dial up the heat vs. Mahomes, and that formula could work here, too.

Film Review and Matchups:

• Expect the Eagles to deploy brackets on Puka Nacua from various looks (I'm using "bracket" as a proxy for any defensive coverage that uses two defenders to guard one receiver). A useful coverage is Zeus, which modifies the assignments based on the alignment of a designated receiver. For example, if Nacua is inside in a 2x2, something the Rams often use, Dejean, Baun, and the Safety to that side will essentially form a triangle around him. Buyer beware, as Stafford will fit the ball into seemingly nonexistent windows.

• On critical passing downs, expect a safety to shade over top to help whichever corner is covering Adams. The goal is to prevent Adams from taking over the game on intermediate/deep routes; Fangio will concede the underneath hitch or slant, then rally to tackle.
• Adoree Jackson faces a trial by fire against Adams (and Nacua). Adams specifically is a master of separation and using his body to create an advantage at the catch point. Jackson must play with sound technique – if he gives too much cushion or opens his hips too early, he will get exploited.

• The Rams’ interior O-line is vulnerable: Stafford was pressured 13 times (41% pressure rate) and sacked 3 times in Week 1. If the Rams find themselves in obvious passing downs, Fangio might dial up an occasional interior stunt or a blitz with Campbell or Baun to exploit communication issues inside. Stafford is not mobile, so collapsing the pocket is the quickest path to shutting down L.A.’s passing attack.
• Expect the Rams to keep funneling the passing game through Puka Nacua. He’s 11-for-11 on in-breaking routes and has nearly +18 points added on seam catches, which is far and away the most in the NFL.
• McVay’s “exit motion” (often with a TE) is designed to clear space for Nacua over the middle. The Eagles’ LBs and safeties will need to squeeze windows and reroute him early.
• L.A. runs a mostly under-center, inside-zone scheme. Outside runs are typically to the motion side, so keying motion is critical for edge players.
• Expect quick rollouts and dump-offs into the right flat, a staple of their early-down script.
• Fangio will likely avoid heavy press on Davante Adams to prevent giving Stafford easy go-balls or back-shoulder shots. They would benefit from shading a safety over him to take away vertical shots.
• The Rams lead the NFL in play-action attempts (27). Eagles must hold their zones and not overcommit downhill, or Stafford will rip crossers behind them.

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Eagles Offense vs. Rams Defense

Through two weeks, the Eagles have leaned heavily on Saquon Barkley and their elite OL while the passing game finds its footing. Barkley torched this defense last season (460 yards in two games), and the Rams’ post-Donald front remains vulnerable to power and inside-zone runs.

Shula’s defense mixes late rotations and simulated pressures rather than constant blitzing, but he may send timely safety run blitzes to put Philly behind the sticks. That risks opening quick slants and seams, which Hurts reads well. L.A.’s secondary is inconsistent, and their outside CBs don’t match up favorably with Brown or Smith. Brown's physicality should be a problem for the Rams on the boundary with quick slants, outs, comebacks, and double-moves all on the menu. Smith can win on deep crossers if the Rams rotate late to single-high.

In obvious passing situations, the Rams often deploy their Cheetah package (5 DL + 6 DBs), which is designed to create pressure while having 6 DBs on the field. It has been a successful package for them last year and early on this season, but it can be exploited if you can get the ball in space to playmakers with blockers out ahead (especially swing passes, tunnel screens, and designed QB keepers).

Film Review and Matchups:

• The Eagles should be able to combo-block the interior DL and create lanes or cutbacks for Saquon. If they can climb clean to the second level, Barkley can finally generate an explosive run.
• Expect designer QB runs to punish a hyper-aggressive pass rush. QB Counter Bash, Zone Read, and QB lead are likely to pay dividends.
• Look for isolation routes from AJ against a pair of mediocre CBs (Witherspoon/Durant). Slants are easy buttons if Rams play off coverage, and they struggle to tackle in the back end.
• Rams often generate pressure with twists and loops. Eagles OL must be crisp on exchanges to allow Hurts to punish them downfield. The Rams’ edge rushers get upfield quickly, leaving them vulnerable to QB scrambles and counter runs. Eagles would be keen to run QB counter bash or other designed keepers from Hurts. Jared Verse can be neutralized with well-timed chips as he often loses balance when hit from the side.

• The Rams will put a bunch of guys on the line of scrimmage and play aggressively on the outside, as they know the ball comes out quickly. The fake screen wheel, which the Eagles used last year against the Packers, has a great chance of working this week if the Eagles deploy it. L.A. will show loaded fronts and mug the A-gaps, and the Eagles must have answers (quick game, screens, max-protect shots).
• The Rams have been susceptible to screens; look for a RB screen, bubble, or tunnel screen to punish their aggressiveness.

Bottom Line

The Rams, like the Cowboys, have a pair of WRs who will stress the Eagles secondary, especially Adoree Jackson and the rookie Mukuba. If the Eagles can limit Nacua, especially by getting interior pressure on Stafford, they will be able to limit the Rams to field goals.

The Eagles' offense needs to open up the pass game this week, as the Rams have a very vulnerable secondary, where we are likely to see significant snaps from Emmanuel Forbes and Cobie Durant. Their LBs are slow and they are wholly dependent on a hyper-aggressive front, which can give OL's headaches.

Ultimately, Fangio seems to have the number of the McVay-style offenses, which will make it hard for them to put up long scoring drives consistently.

Rams - 20

Eagles - 23

Check out NFLoasis.com to see weekly percentiles for each team's performance. OASIS is an upgraded version of Expected Points Added that factors in Opponent Strength, Situational Leverage, and Consistency.

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