PHILADELPHIA (4-0) at LOS ANGELES RAMS (2-2)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, FOX
BETTING LINE: Eagles by 4 1/2, according to FanDuel SportsBook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Eagles 2-1-1; Rams 2-0-2.
SERIES RECORD: Eagles lead 22-20-1.
LAST MEETING: Rams beat Eagles 37-19 on Sept. 20, 2020, in Philadelphia.
LAST WEEK: Eagles beat Commanders 34-31 in overtime; Rams beat Colts 29-23 in overtime.
EAGLES OFFENSE: OVERALL (5), RUSH (2), PASS (T-12), SCORING (5).
EAGLES DEFENSE: OVERALL (16), RUSH (2), PASS (27), SCORING (16).
RAMS OFFENSE: OVERALL (4), RUSH (18), PASS (2), SCORING (16).
RAMS DEFENSE: OVERALL (9), RUSH (14), PASS (7), SCORING (15).
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Eagles plus-4 (T-6); Rams minus-3 (T-24).
EAGLES PLAYER TO WATCH: WR A.J. Brown. After a slow start, Brown has come on strong with consecutive nine-catch games that have produced more than 100 yards receiving. He nearly set a career high with 175 yards while also getting into the end zone twice against Washington.
RAMS PLAYER TO WATCH: LB Ernest Jones. It isn’t the flashiest position in the modern NFL, but the man in the middle of Los Angeles’ defense is as consistent as it gets. Jones had 10 tackles, one sack and one tackle for loss against the Colts, and the Rams will need him to help slow down the diverse run game of the Eagles.
KEY MATCHUP: Eagles third down offense vs. Rams defense. Philadelphia was largely able to move the ball up and down the field against Washington, but some untimely errors kept the Eagles from blowing the game open as they went 4 for 12 (33.3%) on third down. Los Angeles is holding opponents to 26.7% (12 for 45), and third-and-long distances allow Aaron Donald and rookie OLB Byron Young to unleash their pass rush. Whichever team gets to dictate terms on third down will have a major edge, especially if it puts the Eagles in position to use their seemingly unstoppable QB sneak on fourth-and-short.
KEY INJURIES: Eagles DT Fletcher Cox had an epidural injection to address ongoing back pain, putting his availability to play on Sunday in question. … Rams QB Matthew Stafford is good to go despite sustaining a hip contusion on Sunday. WR Cooper Kupp (hamstring) returned to practice this week and is eligible to be activated off injured reserve.
SERIES NOTES: The Rams ended a six-game losing streak in the series against the Eagles when they won their 2020 road opener. … This will be Philadelphia’s third game in Los Angeles since the Rams moved back in 2016. The Eagles put together one-score victories at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in 2017 and 2018. … The Rams’ previous win over the Eagles in Los Angeles was a 20-0 shutout on Sept. 25, 1977. Joe Namath threw two touchdown passes, and Rafael Septien kicked two field goals.
STATS AND STUFF: The Eagles are unbeaten through four games for the seventh time in franchise history. This is the second instance of consecutive 4-0 starts, joining the 1992-93 seasons. … Despite getting one carry for 3 yards in the season opener, RB D’Andre Swift ranks second in the NFL with 364 yards rushing. He has done it with volume the past three weeks, getting 58 carries and averaging 6.22 yards per attempt. … Jalen Hurts has won 21 of his past 22 regular-season starts, becoming the seventh QB in league history since 1950 to put together such a stretch. … C Jason Kelce is set to make his 144th straight start, which will tie Jon Runyan for the longest streak in Eagles history. … Philadelphia is providing an early reminder of the value of continuity on the offensive line, with Kelce, LT Jordan Mailata and RT Lane Johnson having each played all 294 snaps so far. … Donald has 164 tackles for loss in his career. He is tied with Bills OLB Von Miller (164) for seventh all time and needs two to pass Atlanta DE Calais Campbell (165) in sixth. … WR Puka Nacua has 39 receptions through his first four NFL games. He has already broken the record for most catches through five games, surpassing the 34 grabs RB Reggie Bush made for the Saints in 2006. … Los Angeles has 62 first downs via the passing game, which is second only to Miami’s 66. The Rams have at least 12 first downs through the air in every game. … After making his first four field goals from 40-49 yards, PK Brett Maher went 1 for 3 at Indianapolis. He did go 2 for 2 on kicks of 50-plus yards. … The Rams are one of five teams with two or fewer takeaways through four games (one interception, one fumble recovery) but the only one with a .500 record. New England (one interception, one fumble recovery), Chicago (two interceptions), Las Vegas (one interception) and the New York Giants (no takeaways) are a combined 3-13.
FANTASY TIP: Philadelphia has the second-stingiest run defense in football, allowing 63 yards per game. That means Rams RB Kyren Williams will have to supplement his production as a receiver to be in lineups. Despite his heavy usage, Williams is a risky option this week.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
