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Game Preview: Rams look to get an early leg up on the NFC in first road test of season
After a win in the SoFi Stadium opener against Dallas, the Rams head to Philly to take on another NFC East contender. J.B. Long breaks down the Goff/Wentz matchup, the battle in trenches, and lets you know what’s on his To-Do list for the Week 2 showdown.
www.therams.com
If you believe that Dallas and Philadelphia will ultimately contend for the NFC East crown and a Wild Card berth – which I do – then what an opportunity this weekend is for the Rams.
Not only would 2-0 feel markedly different than 1-1 going to Buffalo, but Los Angeles would hold head-to-head wins over two NFC playoff contenders.
Consider that Washington was the only NFC East team to earn an opening week win; likewise for New Orleans in the South.
As the Rams vie for what figures to be the best division in football again in 2020, a leg up on the NFC postseason standings would be a tremendous early-season boon.
In McVay's Way
Despite Philadelphia losing from up 17-0 at Washington last Sunday, the Eagles have to rate as one of the most difficult challenges for the Sean McVay Rams.
Outside the division, they're the only franchise to defeat him twice.
On each occasion at the Coliseum, the fundamental formula was the same: building a double-digit lead, playing from in front, disrupting the interior of the Rams offensive line, and winning the turnover battle.
Here's to flipping the script in Philadelphia in Week Two.
Difference Between One and Two
Last week, the contrast between the blueprints for Carson Wentz and Jared Goff could not have been more striking.
According to Pro Football Focus, the top selection from the 2016 draft generated an average depth of target of just 4.9 yards, the second-lowest mark of the week behind Jaguars' Gardner Minshew. Per usual, his accuracy and McVay's design allowed the Rams targets to do what they do best. Over 70 percept of Goff's passing yards were gained after the catch. L.A. also ran the ball 40 times. Combined with heavy pre-snap motion and play-action, this kept the imposing Dallas pass rush at bay and made for a very successful game plan. No surprise, Goff had the lowest rate of negatively-graded plays, per PFF.
Meanwhile, the second pick averaged 12.3 air yards per attempt Sunday, per ESPN Stats & Information, leading the NFL. Only two quarterbacks took more deep shots than Wentz. Behind a patchwork offensive line, stuck in the pocket with hardly any designed roll-outs, this was a recipe for disaster; Wentz took a career-high eight sacks. Also undermining the Eagles approach was a running game that picked up only three first downs and averaged 3.4 yards per carry.
One would have to think that with Aaron Donald coming to town, Wentz and Doug Pederson will revise that approach in Week Two, potentially even borrowing elements of the Rams strategy that was so effective against the Cowboys.
Red Alert
Well, effective in every respective but one: the red zone.
Before the season, we documented what a strength this was for the 2019 Rams, but also how volatile a statistic red zone performance can be.
The Rams regressed to the mean in the opener, going two-for-five inside the opponent's 20-yard line and coming away with just 20 points.
Nickell the Nickle
Can't ask for much more than Cooper Kupp against former teammate Nickell Robey-Coleman in the slot this week.
"(They) definitely made each other better," McVay recalled of their competitions in practice over the years.
The Rams opted to let Robey-Coleman move on this offseason, trusting they had his replacement on the roster in Troy Hill (who played 61 snaps in the slot against the Cowboys).
"Troy was that rare kind of guy that can start on the outside, he can start on the inside, but the instincts, you see his ability to negotiate traffic," McVay said of that roster decision. "He's tough."
The Aaron Donald Portion of The Program
The best defensive player on the planet led the NFL with 10 pressures in Week One. This is not noteworthy.
