The Los Angeles Rams beat the Philadelphia Eagles 37-19 on Sunday morning. By the score, one might think the game was a blowout, but it wasn’t quite a blowout or a close game. It was a good win for the Rams, who are now 2-0 on the season in a three-way tie for the top spot in the NFC West division.
The Rams did exactly what they needed to do to win by limiting the Eagles’ offense and tiring out the Eagles’ defense throughout the game. The Rams had a 21-3 lead on Philly with about 12 minutes left in the first half before allowing two unanswered touchdowns to end the half, but then only allowed a field goal in the entire second half. The Rams defense finished the game with a forced fumble, two interceptions with one in the red zone, and over 60 total tackles.
Five Takeaways From Los Angeles Rams Week 2 Win In Philadelphia
The Defense Has To Be The Leading Force In Their Championship Run.
The Rams have debatably two of the top defenders in the league in Aaron Donald and Jalen Ramsey. They’ve both been paid well, and they are locked in for years, so they have to be the ones to motivate their teammates and help dominate that side of the ball.
The defense is ranked around the middle of the league, but the best defenses in the league give their team the best chance of winning a title.
Offense Hasn’t Changed Much But It Still Works. Goff Is Showing His Worth
Head coach Sean McVay likes to use action plays in his offense, and after three years, most defenses prepare for it week in and week out. In order to succeed, the Rams have to have a good running game. Goff has been passing the ball well, and he went 13-for-13 to start the game. If he continues to throw it well, the team‘s passing game will be effortless.
The Offensive Line Is Holding Up Well Thus Far
The line protected Goff well on Sunday, limiting the defense to only two sacks. They have also opened up the running game more than last season, which ran for almost 200 yards as a group against the Eagles. The offensive line has had a lot of injury problems in the last few years and staying healthy is a big priority for the Rams.
The Real Three-Headed Monster Is Robert Woods/Cooper Kupp/Tyler Higbee
The trio was led by Higbee’s three-touchdown game, but the numbers don’t tell the full story of Goff’s favorite receiving core. With the addition of rookie Van Jefferson and the emergence of Josh Reynolds, the love has to be spread a little more, but Woods and Kupp will still always be the quarterback’s favorite targets.
The running back trio for the Rams isn’t bad, but they are just not the same dominant players as what the receivers bring to the table. Now that Cam Akers may be injured, Darrell Henderson and Malcolm Brown have to step up to fill the void — but there is no viable third option on the Rams.
The Placekicker, Samuel Sloman, Is Young — Can They Rely On Him?
The Rams let go of Greg Zuerlein, their pride and joy on special teams. Greg the Leg, now a member of the Cowboys and still doing wonders, was on and off the injury list in the last two years and the Rams couldn’t afford to keep signing backups to the squad just in case Zuerlein was to go down again.
Sloman isn’t a bad kicker — he’s just a rookie kicker out of Miami (OH). He needs time to show his worth, and the Rams can’t depend on him to make the tough 30-yard field goals to put them up in a close game — they have to get down the field for a touchdown.The Rams are well on their way to a good record and a chance to contend in the NFC West, but with such a hard schedule, it’s going to be a big challenge for them. It looks like Rams fans have faith in McVay and are hopeful he won’t break their trust.
The Rams’ Week 3 matchup is in Buffalo on Sunday morning.
Los Angeles Rams Defensive Lineman Aaron Donald. Photo Credit: The 621st Contingency Response Wing | Under Creative Commons License