At this point in the season, the NFC West is anybody’s for the taking, as the Rams, Seattle Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers all sit at 5-5 while the Arizona Cardinals lead the division with a 6-4 record.
The 2021 Super Bowl champions were on a three-game win streak after the Week 6 bye as both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp returned to the lineup after missing the beginning of the season with injury. However, a Week 10 loss to the Miami Dolphins put a halt to their momentum and no team has been able to emerge as a clear favorite in the division.
However, there were some clear signs of optimism for head coach Sean McVay’s squad, as quarterback Matthew Stafford had his best game of the season last weekend, throwing for 295 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. The performance came, albeit, against a lowly Patriots team that’s in the midst of a rebuild. But to see the offense fire on all cylinders was certainly encouraging for a team that’s striving for a playoff berth.
The Rams two star receivers were the focal point of the offense. Both Kupp and Nacua exceeded 100 yards through the air, to go along with two touchdown passes to Nacua and one to Kupp.
On the defensive side, Rams fans did have cause for concern with their team allowing five different Patriots to record 30 or more receiving yards, the type of performance in the secondary that’s plagued them throughout the course of the season. Heading into Week 12, the Rams are 22nd in the NFL in passing yards allowed per game (222.3), but at least the Eagles will be without one of their top options on Sunday.
The Eagles, who are first in the NFC East with an 8-2 record, will be without wide receiver DeVonta Smith after he was officially ruled out for Sunday’s contest with a hamstring injury. This leaves wide receiver A.J. Brown and tight end Dallas Goedert to handle most of the receiving workload.
Brown has also dealt with his fair share of injuries through 2024 and hasn’t received the volume he’s seen in years past. In seven games so far this season, Brown has failed to record more than six receptions in a game, something he did eight times in 2023, when he recorded over 1,400 yards.
However, the Eagles haven’t had to throw much this year, as they rank last in the NFL in passing attempts. Free-agent signing Saquon Barkley led to a much-improved run game, on top of the Eagles’ well-established success rate with the “tush push.” Barkley is having a career year in a more supportive situation compared to his time with the New York Giants, as he’s already eclipsed 1,100 yards with six games remaining.
Barkley has helped take the load off of quarterback Jalen Hurts’ shoulders. In the Eagles’ current six-game win streak dating back to their Week 6 victory against the Cleveland Browns, Hurts has yet to attempt over 28 passes in a game.
In that span, they did have the luxury of playing many of the league’s less-competitive teams in 2024, including the Giants, Jaguars and Cowboys. So the Rams’ young, talented front seven may pose a challenge for a team that’s looking to fight for the NFC’s No. 1 seed.
The Rams have done an excellent job recently in drafting defensive talent as they had to account for the retirement of future hall-of-famer Aaron Donald. In the past two drafts, the Rams have selected Byron Young, Jared Verse, Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner, who have all recorded at least 4.5 sacks this season.
Although they face a tough task in stopping Barkley and Hurts, two of the best at their respective positions when it comes to rushing, this defensive front has proved that they can compete with the NFC’s best.
In a similar situation, the Eagles also turned to the draft to improve their disastrous secondary from 2023, and their 2024 draft class has proved to be excellent thus far. In the first round, they selected cornerback Quinyon Mitchell out of Toledo and followed that with fellow corner Cooper DeJean, coming from the Iowa Hawkeyes.
Mitchell has already emerged as one of the best corners in the league, as he’s recorded eight pass breakups while being tasked with guarding some of the best receivers in the league. DeJean has also earned himself increased playing time as the season has progressed, giving head coach Nick Sirianni every reason to keep him out there as DeJean continues to make big plays.
These two have been a big part of the new and improved Eagles secondary, as the Eagles are first in the NFL in passing yards against (273.1) and have only allowed 18 passing touchdowns. Stafford may be coming off his best performance of the year, but this secondary, alongside the Eagles tremendous pass rush featuring Jalen Carter, Jordan Davis, Zach Baun and Josh Sweat will put immense pressure on the veteran quarterback.
The Rams have an opportunity to turn this into a statement game, in which a victory would put the league on notice about the team’s ability to perform against one of the best in the NFL. In a tight divisional race where every game can be the difference, it’ll be crucial for the Rams to be perfect in their offensive execution while forcing mistakes on defense. Hurts boasts an impressive 23-5 total touchdown to interception ratio, but he’s been prone to costly sacks and turnovers in critical moments. If the Rams want to stand a chance, they’ll need their defense to continue to piece it together to put an end to the Eagles win streak.