NFL News NFL News, Reports and Updates
5 things I care about
Philly’s D-line beats up on L.A.
One of the matchups I was most keen to watch in Week 12 was the Eagles defense against the Rams offense. Despite some of the gaudy efficiency numbers Los Angeles boasts when it has all its star skill-position players on the field together, there appeared to be some leaks in the warship. On paper, some of those cracks were problematic against a team featuring the Eagles’ defensive personnel.
The on-paper mismatches don’t always turn into on-field results. Unfortunately for the Rams, this one against a stifling Eagles defense played out precisely as the nightmare scenario forecasted.
That stats may not perfectly show it, but the pressure brought on by the Eagles defense was an issue all night. Philadephia only blitzed on 11.9% of Stafford’s dropbacks and still forced him to consistently adjust in the pocket. Pressure has been the Achilles heel for this Rams’ passing game, as Stafford has been one of the lowest-rated passers under pressure this season. When it mattered most, that reared its head in a big way. Stafford wasn’t “bad” in this game but he ended the night with five sacks and 4.8 yards per pass attempt. Entire drives cratered under waves of heat, as the Rams went 0-for-8 on third downs against the Eagles.
The Rams offense is typically a threatening unit over the course of an entire game. For massive sections of this contest, if Stafford wasn’t making a hero throw or Puka Nacua didn’t make a freaky play, this offense would be stuck in the mud when the game was even remotely close.
Stafford and the Rams offense will ultimately be fine. You won’t find another defense on the remaining schedule that can remotely dismantle a team like Philadelphia’s. However, this pressure issue is a matchup note to consider every week and will be what limits the team’s ceiling.
For the Eagles, their stop unit is certified as for-real as it gets. A defense like this, paired with an obnoxiously special running game…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/week-12-caredont-care-the-saquon-barkley-mvp-debate-is-not-productive-050657313.html
Author : Yahoo Sports
Publish date : 2024-11-25 05:06:00
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
