Perhaps the most difficult game to predict this weekend begins Sunday afternoon. philadelphia eagles to host Los Angeles Rams It was a matchup between two teams that played each other earlier this season.
The Eagles won that contest in November by a final score of 37-20.
It's hard to beat the Rams when Matthew Stafford is at his best. just ask minnesota vikings or buffalo bills.
But here are three reasons why the Eagles will advance to the NFC Championship Game.
Saquon Barkley and one of the best offensive lines in football
From the early offensive snap against green bay packersthe Eagles' offensive line and Saquon Barkley behind it on Sunday were beautiful.
That's not an exaggeration. This is Philadelphia's first offensive snap against the Packers after recovering a fumble on the first kickoff. Watch as Lane Johnson and company reset the line of scrimmage, move to the second level, and see Barkley work his magic behind them.
There's a reason nobody runs football better than the Philadelphia Eagles. They are unbelievably good.
What about the Rams? Their defense against goals conceded is below average, according to several different metrics. They allow an average of 130 yards per game on the ground, but 11th most in the league. They allowed on average the following Expected points added per run -0.052 This year, he is below league average.
And don't forget, when the teams met in Los Angeles in November, Barkley threw for 255 yards and two touchdowns.
The game took place on a cold, snowy afternoon in Philadelphia, in a laboratory setting where the Eagles ran the football.
Philadelphia…passing game?
For now, let's say the Rams sell against the run and slow Barkley down.
Los Angeles still has Jalen Hurts, AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and players who will have to contend with the Eagles' passing game. That could be a problem for the Rams. Los Angeles effectively shut down passes over the middle, but They rank 10th in DVOA against throws Above the middle, he was first in the league in DVOA against slot receivers, but those numbers steepen on throws to the outside.
Where Brown and Smith tend to operate.
If the Rams can find a way to slow down Barkley and Philadelphia's onslaught, Hurts and company could pitch outside the numbers and have some success.
Vic Fangio and the Philadelphia defense
Speaking of “built for this moment,” let's look at Vic Fangio and the Philadelphia defense.
Since the beginning of the team's bye week, the Eagles have become a much-improved team. Last week's game against the Packers was just the latest example, as he frequently frustrated Jordan Love in the pocket early on, forcing three interceptions and keeping Green Bay's offense in check except for a brutal run by Josh Jacobs. .
We can probably expect more of the same this weekend.
When these two teams met in November, the Eagles had five sacks on Matthew Stafford and pressured him throughout the game, just like they did last Sunday. According to the graph data of pro football focus In this game, Stafford was pressured on 31% of his dropbacks and completed just 1 of 7 passes when the Eagles were in the pocket.
Fangio's long career in the NFL includes helping put together something of a roadmap to slowing down Sean McVay's offense. The Rams had one of the best offensive units in the league in 2018, but by the end of the season, then-defensive coordinator Fangio chicago bears — We put together a game plan to hold Los Angeles to just six points and beat Chicago 15-6.
Fangio is prepared for this.
