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Domo's Eagles-Rams scouting report

    by Paul Domowitch
    Published 

Paul Domowitch's Eagles-Rams scouting report: 

WHEN THE EAGLES RUN THE BALL
The absences of three starters up front has wreaked havoc on the Eagles’ ground game. They’re averaging just 3.6 yards per carry. LeSean McCoy has just 192 in four games and is averaging a puny 2.7 yards per carry. He’s had nowhere to run, and on the rare occasions when he has, he hasn’t been decisive. Forty-nine of his 70 carries have gained two yards or less. He has had one run longer than five yards (9) in the last nine quarters. The run game is a big part of Chip Kelly’s offense. The Eagles ran the ball 47 percent of the time last year, the fifth highest percentage in the league. In the first four games, though, that number has dropped to 36 percent. Against San Francisco last week, just 12 of the Eagles’ 56 offensive plays were runs. Getting RT Lane Johnson back this week from his PED suspension should help a little. So should playing the Rams, who are 30th in the league against the run. They are giving up 5.1 yards per carry and have had a 100-yard rusher against them in each of the first three games.

EDGE: Eagles 

WHEN THE EAGLES THROW THE BALL
Nick Foles has been very inconsistent in the first four games. His completion percentage has dropped six points over last year. His interception percentage has doubled. He was the best deep-ball thrower in the league last year. This year, he’s had receivers open down the field, but has too often missed them. In last week’s loss to the 49ers, Foles was 1-for-13 with two interceptions on throws of 20 yards or more. Foles has only been sacked six times, but has taken a pretty good beating because of the Eagles’ injury problems up front and his own indecisiveness. The Rams had the most sacks in the NFL in 2012-13 (105), but haven’t been nearly as lethal this year without injured DE Chris Long. The Rams have just one sack in three games. DE Robert Quinn, who led the league in sacks last year with 19, heads into Sunday’s game still looking for his first. Without starting CB Trumaine Johnson, opposing QBs have a 105.1 passer rating v. the Rams.

EDGE: Eagles 

WHEN THE RAMS RUN THE BALL
The Rams need to be able to run the ball for their passing game to be effective. They are only 22nd in the league in rushing yards per game (104.0) and 20thin rushing average (3.9). Zac Stacy is a compact (5-9, 216) runner who rushed for 973 yards as a rookie last year and is averaging 4.3 yards per carry in the Rams’ first three games this year. Their offensive line is a potentially formidable group if they can stay healthy. OT Greg Robinson, the second overall pick in the May draft, has not developed as quickly as the Rams had hoped and is backing up starting tackles Jake Long and former Raiders draft pick Joe Barksdale. Guards Roger Saffold and Davin Joseph and center Scott Wells form a solid interior that has a combined 268 NFL starts. The Eagles’ run defense has been up and down. The 49ers gashed them for 218 rushing yards last week. They gave up a season-high six double-digit runs to the Niners, including three by QB Colin Kaepernick.
EDGE: Eagles
WHEN THE RAMS THROW THE BALL
The Rams lost their starting quarterback, Sam Bradford, to a season-ending knee injury in the preseason, then his replacement, Shaun Hill, went down with a quad injury in Week 1. Hill’s replacement, Austin Davis has played surprisingly well and is expected to get the start Sunday, even if Hill is able to play. The Rams’ play a rhythm passing game very similar to the one the Eagles saw from the  Redskins in Week 3. They get the ball out quickly, which means mostly short and intermediate throws. Just 27 of Davis’ 94 pass attempts have been longer than nine yards, which is a big reason why Davis has a league-best 72.3 completion percentage. The Rams have two big targets on the outside in 6-4, 210-pound Brian Quick and 6-3, 215-pound Kenny Britt. They use a a lot of two-tight end sets with Jared Cook and Lance Kendricks, both of whom are excellent receivers. After an 11-quarter sack drought, the Eagles had four in Sunday’s loss to the 49ers.
EDGE: Eagles
SPECIAL TEAMS
The Eagles’ special teams have been very, very good. They’ve already returned a punt and kickoff for touchdowns, blocked a punt for a touchdown and blocked a field goal. Chris Polk is first in the league in KR average  and Darren Sproles is second in PR average. Cody Parkey, who beat out Alex Henery for the kicking job by booting 53- and 54-yard field goals in the final preseason game, has converted eight of nine FG attempts, including a pair of 51-yarders. He also has a 64.0 touchback percentage on KOs. Henery’s was 42.5 last year. Rams P Johnny Hekker had the best net average in league history last season (44.2). Just two of his nine attempts this season have been returned, which means Sproles’ return opportunities likely will be limited. Kicker Greg Zuerlein has missed just 3 of 36 field goal attempts the last two years. KR Chris Givens is averaging just 20.2 yards per return, PR Tavon Austin only 3.8.
EDGE: Eagles
INTANGIBLES
The Rams are coming off an early-season bye and should be well-rested. While defensive coordinator Bill Davis has insisted that his unit is the product of “elite conditioning,’’ it has been on the field for 152 snaps the last two weeks. The Eagles have historically played well the week after a cross-country trip. Since 1990, they are 15-2 the week after playing a game on the west coast.
EDGE: Even

Domo's prediction: Eagles 24, Rams 20

KEY MATCHUPS

--Eagles LT Jason Peters v. Rams RDE Robert Quinn. Peters did not play well against the 49ers last week, but still is one of the best LTs in the league. Quinn had a league-best 19 sacks last season, but doesn’t have Chris Long on the other side now to keep offenses honest. Edge: Peters
--Eagles RB LeSean McCoy v. Rams MLB James Laurinaitis. McCoy is off to an awful start after rushing for a league-best 1,607 yards last year. Laurinaitis is the point man on a Rams defense that is 30th in the league against the run. Advantage: Eagles
--Eagles CBs Cary Williams and Bradley Fletcher v. Rams WRs Kenny Britt and Brian Quick. The Rams, like the Redskins two weeks ago, are going to get the ball out quickly. Williams and Fletcher who both got beat up in that game, must play tighter coverage Sunday and avoid penalties. Advantage: Even
HOT AND NOT
Hot
Eagles: S Malcolm Jenkins. Is the first Eagles safety since Brian Dawkins in ’02 to have an interception in three straight games.
Rams: QB Austin Davis. Has a league-best 72.3 completion percentage.

Not

Eagles: CB Cary Williams. Has given up two TDs and allowed 19 completions and 14.0 yards per catch on throws in his direction
Rams: DE Robert Quinn. Quinn, who had a league-best 19 sacks last season, still is looking for his first this season.

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