The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0 heading into Week 3. And from the sounds of social media, you would guess that they are 0-2. The Eagles are winning from solid defensive play. Rookies Jihaad Campbell and Andrew Mukuba did not look like rookies in their second week of game action. Mukuba had the interception of Patrick Mahomes in the endzone that essentially won the game for the Eagles. He also made a big tackle on Hollywood Brown to keep him short of the first down and added a sack on the safety blitz.
Campbell also looked like a seasoned veteran in his second week. Howie Roseman has done it yet again with the draft. The other side of the ball could use some help, though. The offense largely struggled again outside of a deep ball to DeVonta Smith. And now with the Los Angeles Rams coming back to town, something needs to change. With that in mind, let’s dive into this matchup preview between the Eagles and Rams.
Philadelphia Eagles vs. Los Angeles Rams 2025 Preview: Keys to the Game
The Passing Offense Needs Refinement
The Philadelphia Eagles are 2-0 despite their offensive struggles these first two weeks. However, if they want to keep these winning ways, something will have to change with the passing offense. DeVonta Smith and A.J. Brown are too good for the Eagles to be 30th in the league in passing attempts. It was nice to see Brown involved again in the passing attack last week, receiving eight targets, and having that nice catch on an in route. Even with the tiny progression shown from the passing game, if Saquon Barkley gets shut down, this team could be in for some problems.
We have seen these kinds of stretches from the passing game, and it is nothing out of the ordinary. Jalen Hurts had eight games under 200 passing yards last year, including the playoffs. The offense is designed to run this way, but Kevin Patullo needs to inspire some confidence.
It is worth noting that it started out this way with Kellen Moore last season before their bye week. However, they do not have the luxury of turning around the offense after a bye, as it is not until Week 9 this season.
Containing Puka Nacua and Davante Adams
It is no secret that the Rams are one of the Eagles’ biggest challenges in the NFC. And if it wasn’t for Jalen Carter, they very well could have been Super Bowl bound themselves. The biggest challenge for the Eagles this Sunday will be containing both Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Nacua was dominant in both games against Philadelphia, while it looks like Adams has turned back the clock in the first two weeks.
Outside cornerback is still a problem for the Eagles. Adoree’ Jackson nearly let the Chiefs back into the game when he collided with Reed Blankenship. That almost allowed Tyquan Thornton to get an easy touchdown early in the drive. They still scored, but some precious time went off the clock to make the mistake less disastrous. They will not have that luxury going against these two. Adams is third in Separation Score, while Nacua is averaging an absurd 4.33 yards per route run.
The Rams are sixth in pass rate over expected, so the corners will have their hands full on Sunday. Fangio might have to make a substitution if the pass defense doesn’t hold up this weekend. The chess match between Sean McVay and Fangio has routinely gone Fangio’s way, as he has a 3-0 record in matchups. And Fangio’s defense will be the key to the game yet again in this showdown of contenders.
Final Thoughts
The Philadelphia Eagles have not looked like themselves to start the season. They are lucky to be 2-0, with challenging games on the horizon. There are workable problems on both sides of the ball. However, they are going to have to work those problems out quickly if they want to remain at the top of the NFC. The Detroit Lions, Green Bay Packers, and the Rams all look like formidable opponents. And, they are all on the regular season schedule. We need to start seeing more from the passing game, but as long as this team keeps winning, they will be fine. Winning this Rams game will go a long way for fans’ confidence, no matter how they get the win, as long as they move to 3-0 on Sunday.
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