Looking to Rebound: Rams vs. Eagles Week 4 Preview

The Eagles are returning home looking to forget the 27-7 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football, and a Los Angeles Rams team that leads the NFL in total offense is not the easiest assignment.

The Eagles, 2-1, host the Los Angeles Rams at 1 p.m. Sunday at Lincoln Financial Field, entering as home underdogs and missing two of their most important players on either side of the ball.

The Rams, 1-2, are trying to steady themselves after a rough start to the season. They lost the opener to the San Francisco 49ers in Australia, beat the Giants, then watched a 16-point lead slip away in a loss to the Denver Broncos in Week 3.

Without Baun and Smith, the Next Man Up Must Deliver

The Eagles will be without linebacker Zack Baun and wide receiver DeVonta Smith, who were both ruled out Friday. Baun is in the concussion protocol after the Chicago game; this is the first regular-season game he has missed with an injury as a member of the Eagles. Smith is still dealing with a hamstring injury that has caused him issues since training camp. He’s expected to miss multiple games.

Losing Smith hurts the offense. He has been targeted on 33 percent of the Eagles’ passes, the second-highest rate in the NFL, and he played all 50 offensive snaps against the Bears while catching six passes for 65 yards. Tight end Dallas Goedert and receiver Hollywood Brown are out again as well, leaving Dontayvion Wicks, Makai Lemon and Darius Cooper to take on the majority of the targets. Wicks, the team’s second-most targeted receiver, knows the workload is coming.

“Be there for the team, the offense, and capitalize on the plays, opportunities Coach gives me,” Wicks said.

On the defense side, Jeremiah Trotter Jr. is expected to start alongside Jihaad Campbell in Baun’s place. Trotter, a 2024 fifth-round pick, has never started a game outside the preseason or Week 18, and his first real test comes against Matthew Stafford, Davante Adams, and Puka Nacua. Safety Marcus Epps is also out with a groin injury, which will mean more snaps for Michael Carter II and a chance to show and prove.

The Eagles Need to Find Their Rhythm

The Eagles have shown flashes through three games, but they have not put together a full 60 minutes yet. Against the Bears, Saquon Barkley rushed for 73 yards on 11 carries in the first half, then the offense went quiet after halftime as penalties and negative plays kept it stagnant. Penalties erased two long runs by Barkley, and the Eagles have scored just 20 of their 55 points after halftime this season. They are averaging 4.3 yards per play in the second half, which ranks 30th in the NFL. The new-look offensive line without Landon Dickerson will make its third start together, so they will need to tighten up the penalties if they want to have a chance against a top defense in the NFC.

The defense is searching for its own rhythm. For the first time under Nick Sirianni, the Eagles have allowed at least 20 points in each of their first three games. They also have no takeaways, five giveaways, and just three sacks in the first three games. Jalen Carter has played through a hairline fracture in his right wrist and expects to wear a cast for a couple more weeks, though that has not slowed him too much in the run game.

The run game may offer the clearest path to success against the Rams. Barkley has 506 yards and four touchdowns in three games against the Rams as a member of the Eagles, including the 2024 playoff win, but Los Angeles has held its last two opponents to 80 or fewer rushing yards. Jalen Hurts has spent the week talking about identity, and he believes the answer starts with continuity.

“Us coming together, staying together, and finding our flow, finding out what this team this year is going to be,” Hurts said.

Rams Bring the League’s Top Offense to the Linc

The Rams lead the NFL at 417.7 yards per game and rank second in passing at 284 yards per game, but those yards have not necessarily turned into points. Los Angeles is 20th in scoring and has given the ball away six times. The Rams have also beaten the Eagles just twice since 2004.

Nacua returns after missing two games with hip and groin injuries, giving Stafford his top weapon back alongside Adams, who has 15 catches for 332 yards and two touchdowns over the last two weeks. Sean McVay’s offense also uses 13 personnel on 42 percent of its snaps, the highest rate in the league, though tight end Terrance Ferguson is out with an ankle injury and Colby Parkinson is questionable with a knee injury.

The Rams will be without defensive tackle Aaron Donald with a sore back, and cornerback Jaylen Watson is out with a shoulder injury. Trent McDuffie remains the headliner in the secondary, leading all corners with seven pass deflections. The Rams have topped 500 yards in each of their last three games, going back to last season’s NFC Championship Game, and Vic Fangio knows what is coming.

“It’s a tough assignment because they’re balanced and they run and throw it very effectively,” Fangio said.

The Eagles have beaten the Rams in each of the last three meetings, including a 33-26 win last season after trailing 26-7 in the third quarter, and Sirianni has never lost to McVay. That is just history, but with Baun and Smith out and an offense still searching for an identity, the Eagles need to find answers fast. The schedule does not get easier either, with the Jaguars in London and the Panthers at the Linc still to come, so the Birds need to find that identity right away.

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