PHILADELPHIA — The hand-wringing has already begun for an Eagles offense that hasn’t been going anywhere quickly.
Where is A.J. Brown? Why can’t Saquon Barkley break open those signature 50-yard-plus touchdown runs? Why is Jalen Hurts only barely reaching 100 yards passing?
And yet, the defending Super Bowl champion Eagles are 2-0, coming off a road victory in Kansas City against a team that the Eagles have faced twice in the past three seasons in the Super Bowl.
All of which brings us to the Rams.
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Matthew Stafford, at age 37, has thrown for more than 60,000 yards in his NFL career. He knows how to get the ball out quickly. Sure, Stafford isn’t the most mobile of quarterbacks. But with top receivers like Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, he doesn’t have to be if the Eagles’ pass rush doesn’t get to him quickly.
“This is a challenge that we’ll have to be ready for because Stafford can get all of those guys the football,” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said in an understatement.
That’s because Stafford can easily pick apart the holes in the Eagles’ defense (read: cornerback Adoree Jackson). Even defensive coordinator Vic Fangio knows this can be a potential problem, even though Jackson played better against the Chiefs than he did in Week 1 against the Cowboys.
“I thought he did some good things, and hopefully that will kickstart him into being a good corner for us,” Fangio said in a not-really vote of confidence.
Here’s how we see the game going:
Our prognosticators are Martin Frank (Eagles beat writer/columnist, Delawareonline.com), Greg Giesen (sports strategist, Delawareonline.com), Tom McGurk (sports editor, Courierpostonline.com), Tom Moore (sports columnist, Phillyburbs.com), Bob Jordan (sports editor, app.com), Bert Bainbridge (sports betting analyst & columnist, Northjersey.com), Tom Haines (Pennsylvania state planning), Brad Myers (high school sports writer, Delawareonline.com), Kevin Tresolini, (college sports reporter, Delawareonline.com), Michelle Ganassi (audience director & die-hard Steelers fan, Delawareonline.com), Tom Rimback (sports writer, Courierpostonline.com), Brandon Holveck (high school sports reporter, Delawareonline.com)
Martin Frank
As great as the Eagles were last season in winning the Super Bowl, they were a Jalen Carter sack away from watching Stafford and the Rams end their season in the NFC divisional playoff round. The Rams, no doubt, will focus on stopping Saquon Barkley, who gashed them for 460 yards in two games last season. Barkley has just 148 yards in two games this season. If the Eagles can’t get Barkley going, then they won’t be able to keep the Rams’ offense off the field. That will be a problem considering that there won’t be any snow to slow Stafford and his receivers down.
The pick: Rams 26, Eagles 22
Brandon Holveck
The Eagles are a perfect team for the region. Who else wins almost every week and still gives their fan base plenty of fodder for complaints?
With the NFC’s best receiver tandem in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, the Rams pose the Eagles’ greatest challenge so far. But the Birds are still better along the line of scrimmage and AJ Brown has to get going at some point, right? Right?
The pick: Eagles 24, Rams 20
Kevin Tresolini
Big games often come down to pivotal moments and decisive plays. At Kansas City last week it was Drew Mukuba’s goal-line interception of a pass that Travis Kelce bobbled. That thwarted the Chiefs and, thanks to his 41-yard runback, put the Eagles in position to prevail. There will be similar moments with the Rams in town that’ll sway the outcome in the Eagles’ direction.
The pick: Eagles 27, Rams 24
Bert Bainbridge
The key here is Rams’ QB Matthew Stafford, who’s currently healthy and looks great through two games in his age-37 season. It’s also notable that Stafford played well in the divisional round matchup against the Eagles at the Linc this past January. You could argue this will be both teams toughest test in certain aspects to this point: with Philly facing a healthy, loaded Rams’ offense and Los Angeles taking on its toughest defensive test in Week 3.
The Eagles’ secondary has to face the Pro Bowl WR duo of Puka Nacua and Davante Adams, and that’ll be too much as the Rams get revenge from the playoff defeat last season, handing the Eagles their first loss of the year in a defensive-minded affair.
The pick: Rams 23, Eagles 17
Bob Jordan
Against the Chiefs, Jalen Hurts completed just one of four pass attempts that traveled 10-plus air yards. That’s not gonna cut it in a game that feels like a shootout.
The pick: Rams 34, Eagles 17
Tom Haines
Last week it was Mahomes at home in a revenge game that was to be the Eagles undoing. This week it’s Matt Stafford returning to the site of the playoff “Snow Game” where he came up short on 4th down deep in Eagles territory. Revenge surely on the Rams’ minds, but they’ll be facing some angry Birds, ruffled by Tush Push debate and a general lack of respect for what’s been an underwhelming passing game.
The pick: Eagles 27, Rams 20
Tom McGurk
There are going to be bumps in the road for the Birds, and this will prove to be one of them. After losing twice to the Eagles last season, the Rams have likely been game-planning for this showdown since their season-ending setback in the NFC Divisional playoffs. Look for a shootout as Matthew Stafford and Jalen Hurts both enjoy big passing days and A.J. Brown finally gets his first substantial work of the season. The Eagles defense will get stronger from this game, but it’s going to be a learning experience.
The pick: Rams 31, Eagles 29
Tom Moore
This one is essentially a toss-up. I went back and forth before deciding the Eagles would squeak past a dangerous Rams team.
The pick: Eagles 27, Rams 24
Tom Rimback
Since the Eagles lost the Super Bowl in Arizona, the No. 13 quarterback in the NFL is 11-0 against Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Jordan Love, Matthew Stafford and Patrick Mahomes. The Birds simply can’t compete with that kind of talent discrepancy.
The pick: Eagles 40, Rams 6
Greg Giesen
This is the perfect trap game for the Eagles. There’s a letdown after the Super Bowl rematch and it’s a week away from heading to Tampa, where the turning point of the season occurred last year. And the Eagles handled the Rams twice last season. While it’s easy to predict a breakout from Saquon Barkley, who torched the Rams last year, this will be the week the passing game gets healthy. The Eagles will avoid the trap, but it will be tight.
The pick: Eagles 33, Rams 30
Michelle Ganassi
Eventually, the Eagles will have an off week. But this will not be it. While the Rams have a strong passing game and a strong defense, they will not be able to contain Saquon Barkley. I think the Rams will keep it close, but the Eagles will win at home.
The pick: Eagles 24 , Rams 20
Overall records
2-0: Frank, Myers, Rimback, Bainbridge, McGurk, Moore, Holveck, Haines, Giesen, Ganassi
1-1: Tresolini