Eagles vs. Rams in Week 3: Here are the numbers that matter

Sunday’s Super Bowl rematch between the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs might have had a little more fanfare in the lead-up, but the next game on the Eagles’ schedule arguably is more important.

The Eagles meet the Rams at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday (1 p.m., Fox29) in another playoff rematch, and the result will have much more meaningful ramifications than winning or losing last Sunday would have.

The Eagles escaped their divisional-round blizzard bowl with the Rams thanks to the late-game heroics of Jalen Carter after Saquon Barkley — surprise — did most of the work on offense.

What will happen Sunday? Here’s what some of the numbers tell us about a marquee Week 3 matchup:

» READ MORE: Kevin Patullo says Eagles are trending in the right direction to tune up their passing game

That was how frequently the Rams used motion last season, the highest rate in the NFL. Even with the departure of inside-outside weapon Cooper Kupp, the Rams aren’t slowing down. They ran motion at a higher clip in Week 1 and are utilizing Puka Nacua in motion in a similar way and rate to which they used Kupp in motion last season.

The Eagles once again will be tested by a team that tries to throw off opposing defenses and test their on-the-fly communication abilities.

Nacua is the one to watch in this department. He’ll be in motion on nearly 50% of the Rams’ offensive snaps, and they’ll line him up in the slot or outside at nearly a 50-50 split. You might expect Quinyon Mitchell to travel around with Davante Adams, who more frequently lines up outside. But that will mean Nacua often will end up as the responsibility of Adoree’ Jackson on his outside snaps. Jackson played better in Week 2, but the Rams have more firepower when it comes to receiving targets than the current version of the Chiefs.

Add the motion rate and the moving parts, and the Rams present a much more formidable test for the Eagles’ pass defense.

“They’ve got two great receivers, Puka and Adams,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said. “They’ve got good tight ends. Tutu [Atwell] is a fast, quick guy, and [Matthew] Stafford is one of the most gifted passers you’ll ever see, with his experience. And their whole offense is based upon running the ball, so it’ll be an all-day sucker for us for sure.”

» READ MORE: First look at the Eagles’ next opponent: What to know about the Rams for Week 3

That’s how often Stafford has been pressured when he drops back, according to Next Gen Stats, an issue the Rams need to clean up. Stafford has been sacked four times and pressured 22 times through two games. And while he is getting the ball out really fast (2.55 seconds), the Eagles should be able to cause some havoc and offset those funky motion looks by getting to the quarterback quickly.

The Eagles’ pass rush was nonexistent in Week 1 after Jalen Carter was tossed from the game before the first play from scrimmage. It rebounded in a big way Sunday, totaling 21 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus, and two sacks.

Carter’s presence is a big deal — just ask Stafford. Newcomer Za’Darius Smith also had an instant impact. It was an encouraging Week 2 from the Eagles’ pass rush and should give them an important edge when it comes to pressuring Stafford and slowing the offense down. The Eagles also worked in plenty of blitzes vs. the Chiefs and could use them again Sunday.

The Rams’ offensive line hasn’t been great, as evidenced by how often Stafford is under duress. Stafford has completed 85% of his passes when he has a clean pocket, according to PFF. His completion percentage drops to 45.5% when he’s pressured.

» READ MORE: What we know (and don’t) about the Eagles entering Week 3 vs. the Rams

Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo dialed up a zero blitz and Jalen Hurts completed a 28-yard pass to DeVonta Smith, the lone Eagles completion that traveled 10 or more air yards Sunday, on just four attempts, and only the second such connection through two games this season.

“It’s definitely something we want to do,” Eagles offensive coordinator Kevin Patullo said of throwing the ball downfield. “It’s not something we’re avoiding.”

Right now, it’s hard to tell. Hurts’ average depth of target is 6 yards, the lowest of his career as a starter.

The Cowboys have two strong corners, and the Chiefs have a good overall defense. The Rams do, too, especially up front, but they’re without cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon, so maybe the downfield passing game opens up a bit as long as the Eagles handle the pressure up front.

So, the Eagles’ passing offense looks like it’s working through some things. Hurts isn’t moving the ball downfield through the air, and A.J. Brown’s targets either aren’t happening enough or are coming solely on short routes.

The Eagles will point to their record being 2-0 and that’s all that matters. They’ll also point to the fact that the offense hasn’t turned the ball over.

According to PFF, Hurts has made a turnover-worthy play on just 1.6% of his snaps this season. He has just one through two games this season. Michael Penix Jr. and Joe Burrow are the only two starters without one.

Hurts continuing to take care of the football Sunday will again mitigate some of the issues plaguing his offense at the moment and, like in any contest, will give the Eagles their best chance to win the game.

That’s the Rams’ current chance of making an appearance in the conference title game, according to the For The Numbers website. It’s early, and a lot can change, but the Rams probably will be a team that stands between the Eagles and another Super Bowl.

A victory Sunday would help the Eagles in trying to keep any potential playoff matchup between the two at the friendly confines of Lincoln Financial Field.