They Can Win in Any Way
The Philadelphia Eagles have the most versatile offense in the NFL. The Eagles have both an elite passing game and an elite running game. Furthermore, both their pass and run offenses are multifaceted. The Eagles can win games passing at the short, intermediate, and deep levels of the field. The Eagles can also win games on the ground in multiple ways. They have a lateral zone-schemed run game, a physical gap-scheme run game, and a QB run game. Their offense is so well rounded that they’ve found and exploited a weakness against every defense they’ve faced this year. The only way for a defense to stop Philadelphia’s offense is to have no weaknesses.
Desai’s adjustment
In the first half, the Eagles struggled to defend the slot. Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp were found over the middle for easy gains on multiple occasions. Coming into the second half, Sean Desai made a change at slot cornerback. Instead of playing Mario Goodrich, Desai alternated Bradley Roby and Eli Ricks at the nickel. The change significantly slowed down the Ram’s passing game. In the second half, Cooper Kupp had one reception while Los Angeles threw for only 75 yards. These are the kinds of adjustments Philadelphia didn’t see from their previous defensive coordinator Johnathan Gannon.
Stopping Aaron Donald
The Eagles’ offensive line shut down Aaron Donald. On 34 pass rush snaps, Donald had one pressure and no sacks. The Eagles did a great job of executing their game plan, which centered around the Rams’ defensive tackle. Donald was either double or triple-teamed on almost every snap. The Eagles’ game plan was particularly effective because none of the Rams secondary pass rushers were able to take advantage of the one-on-one matchups they were receiving. Philadelphia’s staff and offensive line deserve a lot of credit for shutting down one of the NFL’s best defenders.
Goedert’s Big Day
Dallas Goedert had his first big game of the season. He had eight receptions for 117 yards and one touchdown. His 49 yard catch during the third quarter was an explosive play that sparked the Eagles’ offense in the second half. Goedert also displayed his run blocking ability from the tight end position. On third and four with 7:08 left in the fourth quarter, Goedert made the key block that sparked a 17 yard D’Andre Swift run. His block allowed the Eagles to move the chains and burn three more minutes of the remaining game clock. This highlight play exemplified why Dallas Goedert is one of the best all-around tight ends in the NFL.