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

From a Super Bowl rematch to an NFC divisional playoff rematch, the Eagles will return home to Lincoln Financial Field in Week 3 to host the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday after a 20-17 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Eagles faced the Rams twice last season, and Saquon Barkley ran for more than 200 yards in both matchups, including the snowstorm at the Linc in their NFC divisional round playoff game, a 28-22 Eagles win.

The 1 p.m. kickoff (Fox29) will have the West Coast Rams on Eastern time for the second straight week. Here’s an early look at how the 2-0 Rams stack up with the Eagles as the teams meet for the third time in the last 10 months:

Led by the creative, offensive-minded head coach Sean McVay, quarterback Matthew Stafford mans an offense that relies on his passing prowess. In wins against the Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, Stafford threw the ball 29 and 33 times, respectively.

The Rams found far more success running the ball against the Titans (149 yards on 25 carries), compared to 72 on 25 carries in Week 1. Kyren Williams has taken most of the carries and is averaging 3.8 yards on 35 attempts.

Once a mainstay at receiver, Cooper Kupp departed Los Angeles this offseason for the Seattle Seahawks. Filling that versatile inside and outside receiver role is Puka Nacua, the third-year receiver who leads the team in yards (221) and receptions (18).

According to Pro Football Focus, Nacua had a nearly perfect split between playing in the slot (21) vs. out wide (20) against the Titans, and had a similar distribution against Houston (19 in the slot, 17 out wide).

Davante Adams, after a modest Rams debut against Houston (eight catches, 51 yards), went for 106 yards on six catches against the Titans defense and scored from 16 yards out in the fourth quarter. Expect the Rams to try and isolate Eagles defensive back Adoree’ Jackson into potential one-on-one situations with Adams or motioning Nacua toward Jackson’s side of the field.

The one spot of concern for the Rams is the offensive line, which has allowed four sacks and 22 quarterback pressures through two weeks. Stafford has been pressured on 33.3% of his drop backs, according to Next Gen Stats, but it is often mitigated because his average time to throw is 2.55 seconds, tied for the second fastest across the NFL.

Reigning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Jared Verse became well-acquainted with Eagles fans when he called them “annoying” before their playoff rematch. But through two games, the defensive end has been held without a sack, although he’s commanding much more attention from offensive lines.

That has allowed others to benefit, including edge rusher Byron Young, who has three sacks this season, two coming Sunday in Tennessee. The Rams have eight sacks through two weeks under Chris Shula, Los Angeles’ second-year defensive coordinator.

The running defense looks much improved from a year ago, when it ranked 24th in yards per attempt (4.6) and 22nd in yards per game (130). Through two weeks, the yards per rush have lowered slightly (4.2) along with the yards per game (111.5).

The secondary has played well through two weeks, but it has relied on Los Angeles’ front to bring pressure early and often. Cornerback Cobie Durant had an interception in the opening game, while Kam Curl is a versatile safety for the Rams who can cover and blitz. Curl finished with two tackles for losses and one sack against the Titans.

Stopping the run on early downs for the Eagles defense will be key to prevent the Rams from having balance on offense. McVay’s outside zone running scheme on offense sets up play action. Stafford has been fantastic throwing the ball on play-action passes, completing 21 of 27 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns, according to Next Gen Stats.

As for the Eagles offense, you can bet the Rams will try to stack the box on early downs to prevent Barkley’s rushing explosion from a year ago. The Birds found better success as the game wore on in Kansas City, but early in the game, the passing game was consistently put behind the sticks for third-and-long situations.

The Chiefs’ pass rush rarely got home without blitzing, but Los Angeles’ front four is more than capable of getting home with Verse, Young, Braden Fiske, Kobie Turner, and others. The Rams’ cornerback situation isn’t ideal for the talent the Eagles possess at receiver, with Ahkello Witherspoon suffering a broken clavicle on Sunday.

That leaves Darious Williams, Durant, and Emmanuel Forbes, the Washington Commanders’ former first-rounder who struggled against A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith early in his career. The Eagles haven’t quite found their groove in the passing game, and Jalen Hurts averaged just 153.5 yards in two matchups against Los Angeles last year.

If the Eagles pressure Stafford and dominate with their running game again like last season, the Birds should be in good shape in this matchup. But McVay and the Rams won’t make it easy, with revenge on their minds after their narrow defeat in January at the Linc.