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The Rams’ strength on offense this season has been the passing game, which is averaging 288.8 yards per game, 2nd in the NFL. By contrast, the running game ranks 17th with 104.0 yards per game (and only 3.7 yards per attempt).
The Eagles’ defense is also a bit imbalanced. They are 2nd in the NFL against the run, allowing only 63.0 yards per game (and 3.3 yards per attempt), but 27th against the pass, allowing 260.8 yards per game.
So the Rams should be pass happy this Sunday, right?
Not entirely.
While I think the Rams will likely find their best success throwing the ball, I think they need to mix in the run as well. In addition to the obvious reasons (keeping the defense guessing, eating clock, keeping the Eagles’ offense off the field), there is another reason I think this could be key.
It comes from the Eagles’ injury report. Right now, it looks like they will be missing two of the DTs in their rotation, Fletcher Cox and Marlon Tuipulotu. This is particularly significant when you look at the snap percentages of their DTs:
Fletcher Cox 70.0%
Jalen Carter 47.5%
Milton Williams 41.44%
Jordan Davis 38.8%
Marlon Tuipulotu 12.2%
Kentavius Street 8.8%
Cox’s absence, in particular, and Tuipulotu’s to a lesser extent, will likely mean that Carter, Davis and Williams, who are used to getting a lot of breathers and playing spurts, will have to carry a bigger workload (and it won’t help them that the gametime temperature is forecast to be 88 degrees).
The Rams need to mix in a healthy does of running plays and try to wear down the Eagles DTs. This could give us a real advantage late in the game if its close and they’re a bit gassed. So, while I do expect we’ll pass more than run, a somewhat balanced approach could be a key to winning this game.
The Eagles’ defense is also a bit imbalanced. They are 2nd in the NFL against the run, allowing only 63.0 yards per game (and 3.3 yards per attempt), but 27th against the pass, allowing 260.8 yards per game.
So the Rams should be pass happy this Sunday, right?
Not entirely.
While I think the Rams will likely find their best success throwing the ball, I think they need to mix in the run as well. In addition to the obvious reasons (keeping the defense guessing, eating clock, keeping the Eagles’ offense off the field), there is another reason I think this could be key.
It comes from the Eagles’ injury report. Right now, it looks like they will be missing two of the DTs in their rotation, Fletcher Cox and Marlon Tuipulotu. This is particularly significant when you look at the snap percentages of their DTs:
Fletcher Cox 70.0%
Jalen Carter 47.5%
Milton Williams 41.44%
Jordan Davis 38.8%
Marlon Tuipulotu 12.2%
Kentavius Street 8.8%
Cox’s absence, in particular, and Tuipulotu’s to a lesser extent, will likely mean that Carter, Davis and Williams, who are used to getting a lot of breathers and playing spurts, will have to carry a bigger workload (and it won’t help them that the gametime temperature is forecast to be 88 degrees).
The Rams need to mix in a healthy does of running plays and try to wear down the Eagles DTs. This could give us a real advantage late in the game if its close and they’re a bit gassed. So, while I do expect we’ll pass more than run, a somewhat balanced approach could be a key to winning this game.
