Preview: Eagles season starts Sunday vs the Rams and they better be ready for it

Preseason is over. Take the first three weeks, chalk them up as a learning experience and move on, because the Eagles’ season really starts Sunday afternoon at the Linc against a Rams team that’s a lot better than its 1-2 record.

This was circled as the toughest game on the schedule the day it came out, and with the injuries piling up and a short week after an embarrassing Monday night in Chicago, it looks even tougher now that it’s here.

The Numbers Aren’t Kind:

History says the Eagles own this matchup. They’ve won four straight against the Rams and 15 of the last 19 going back to 1990. None of that matters this week.

The Eagles are 3½-point underdogs at home, and that line exists for a reason. Under Nick Sirianni, they’re 0-5 as home underdogs of at least three points, and they’re 5-22 in that spot going back to 2001. Vegas looked at this team’s first three weeks, looked at the injury report and decided the Rams are the better team right now. It’s hard to argue with them.

Injuries are Brutal for the Eagles

The Eagles are walking into this game without DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, Zack Baun and Marcus Epps, and Jalen Carter is banged up. That’s the top two pass catchers on offense and the heart of the defense all off the field at the same time.

Losing Smith is the one that really hurts. He has the second-highest target share in the NFL, and the passing game runs through him. Without him and Goedert, Jalen Hurts is going to need someone else to step up, and the name to watch is rookie Makai Lemon.

Injury Report: DeVonta Smith and Zack Baun both in serious doubt against the Rams

He got involved early in Chicago, and even though the box score doesn’t show it, he’s been getting open all season against man and zone from just about every alignment. The trust with Hurts isn’t fully there yet. Sunday would be a great time to build it.

“RUN THE DAMN BALL”

There’s only one real path for this offense, and it goes through Saquon Barkley. Barkley averaged 6.6 yards a carry in the first half against the Bears, and the run game set up everything that worked early in that game. Then the second half came and the Eagles went away from it, and the whole offense fell apart.

That’s been the story every week. There’s no rhythm in the second half, no adjustments and way too many penalties and negative plays. The Eagles still haven’t scored a single point in the first quarter this season.

The offensive line has been pushed around, with Tyler Steen and Cam Jurgens struggling to stay consistent inside, and the effort to finish blocks hasn’t been there. That’s how Hurts ended up exposed on the sideline for that late hit Monday night. When linemen stop playing to the whistle, the quarterback pays for it.

Lean on Barkley, get Hurts involved in the run game the way it’s worked against the Rams before and keep Stafford on the sideline as long as possible. That’s the formula.

The Defense Is Facing a Nightmare:

If the offense is a concern, the defense is a full-blown alarm. This unit let Case Keenum slice them up in the second half last week. Now they’re facing reigning MVP Matthew Stafford and the league’s top-ranked offense, which has put up more than 480 yards in back-to-back weeks. Kyren Williams is running behind that line, Davante Adams is on one side and Puka Nacua is back on the other.

On top of that, Sean McVay uses his tight ends as well as anyone in football. Max Klare, a second-round pick this year, is fifth on the depth chart. The Rams can attack you in so many ways, similar to what Ben Johnson did to the Eagles last week, and that didn’t go well.

Vic Fangio has had McVay’s number in the past, and if there’s any reason for hope, that’s it but this defense hasn’t forced a turnover all season and isn’t getting to the quarterback. The front seven is loaded with talent and hasn’t played like it. The tackling has been sloppy, and the hunger to go hunt the quarterback hasn’t shown up.

There’s a matchup to exploit. Rams right guard Kevin Dotson and right tackle Warren McClendon Jr. have each allowed double-digit pressures through three weeks. With the talent the Eagles have up front, there’s no excuse not to live on that side of the line.

Riq Woolen was brought here for games exactly like this one, and he has to show up too. If Stafford gets comfortable in the pocket, it’s going to be a very long afternoon.

Eagles Season Starts Now

This team has the talent. What it hasn’t had through three weeks is the edge. The Eagles played the same kind of football against the Bears that they played in their first two wins, and the only difference was the result.

Blocks aren’t being finished, tackles aren’t being made and nobody is playing like they want to take someone’s head off. As long as that’s the case, this is a .500 team no matter what the roster looks like on paper.

The one thing we’ve learned under Sirianni is that you never count this team out. They’ve been resilient since he got here, and they usually find a way. On paper, everything points to a Rams win, and the Eagles are going to have to play their best game of the season by a wide margin just to stay in it.

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