Game Day Primer / Sun, Oct 4
AWAY TEAM
1–2
HOME TEAM
2–1
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01 / Why this game matters
The Eagles enter this matchup without DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Hollywood Brown, turning their distribution of touches into the game’s clearest storyline. Philadelphia managed only 248 yards with three turnovers in its Week 3 loss, while Los Angeles arrives after producing 482 yards in a loss of its own.
02 / Know these people
Matthew Stafford / Primary passer driving the Rams’ high-volume attack
Los Angeles Rams · Quarterback (QB)
Stafford attempted 55 passes and produced 390 passing yards with two touchdowns last week, but his two interceptions were part of the reason all that offense did not translate into a win.
Davante Adams / Featured downfield target
Los Angeles Rams · Wide Receiver (WR)
Adams turned 13 targets into seven catches for 137 yards in Week 3 and was a full practice participant after receiving rest.
03 / Watch for this
Watch where looks on early third downs and in obvious passing situations. Repeated targets for , Wicks, Lemon or the running backs will reveal how Philadelphia has redistributed opportunities without Smith, Goedert and Brown.
04 / Sound smart
quietly produced 158 yards from scrimmage last week: 88 rushing and 70 receiving.
The central storyline
The Eagles enter this matchup without DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Hollywood Brown, turning their distribution of touches into the game’s clearest storyline. Philadelphia managed only 248 yards with three turnovers in its Week 3 loss, while Los Angeles arrives after producing 482 yards in a loss of its own.
A read on both sides
Rams
Team vibe
Los Angeles enters at 1-2 after a Week 3 performance that was productive but costly. ’s 390 passing yards, ’ 137 receiving yards and ’ 158 scrimmage yards drove a 482-yard day, but two turnovers and several drives ending in field goals kept the production from producing a win. Donald’s absence now removes a major name from the defensive front.
Eagles
Team vibe
Philadelphia is 2-1 but comes off a Week 3 loss in which it produced 248 yards and committed three turnovers. ’s 82 rushing yards were the offense’s strongest output, and his importance rises with Smith, Goedert and Brown unavailable. The defense also must adjust without Baun and Epps.
Current storylines
Teach Me What to Notice
On screen
Look for: aligned next to or behind , especially on early downs, with also reading a defender before deciding whether to hand off or keep the ball.
If you see it: receives steady carries and adds designed runs or keeps the ball when the edge defender follows .
Here's what it means: Philadelphia is leaning on the backfield to carry more of the offense rather than asking its depleted receiving group to win repeatedly downfield.
On screen
Look for: Extra Rams defenders moving toward the line before the snap or defensive linemen looping around one another after the snap.
If you see it: has to move before finishing his drop, throws quickly to a short option or escapes the pocket.
Here's what it means: Los Angeles is finding ways to hurry despite missing its most notable interior defender. If repeatedly has time to stand still and scan, that pressure plan is not landing.
On screen
Look for: or another Rams receiver running beyond the first-down marker while waits for a deeper route to develop.
If you see it: Los Angeles keeps completing passes beyond the underneath defenders, or Eagles defensive backs repeatedly arrive to knock the ball away.
Here's what it means: Deep completions indicate the Rams are recreating last week’s explosive passing output; contested incompletions suggest Philadelphia is forcing into lower-percentage throws.
The central storyline
The Eagles enter this matchup without DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert and Hollywood Brown, turning their distribution of touches into the game’s clearest storyline. Philadelphia managed only 248 yards with three turnovers in its Week 3 loss, while Los Angeles arrives after producing 482 yards in a loss of its own.
A read on both sides
Rams
Team vibe
Los Angeles enters at 1-2 after a Week 3 performance that was productive but costly. ’s 390 passing yards, ’ 137 receiving yards and ’ 158 scrimmage yards drove a 482-yard day, but two turnovers and several drives ending in field goals kept the production from producing a win. Donald’s absence now removes a major name from the defensive front.
Eagles
Team vibe
Philadelphia is 2-1 but comes off a Week 3 loss in which it produced 248 yards and committed three turnovers. ’s 82 rushing yards were the offense’s strongest output, and his importance rises with Smith, Goedert and Brown unavailable. The defense also must adjust without Baun and Epps.
Current storylines
Teach Me What to Notice
On screen
Look for: aligned next to or behind , especially on early downs, with also reading a defender before deciding whether to hand off or keep the ball.
If you see it: receives steady carries and adds designed runs or keeps the ball when the edge defender follows .
Here's what it means: Philadelphia is leaning on the backfield to carry more of the offense rather than asking its depleted receiving group to win repeatedly downfield.
On screen
Look for: Extra Rams defenders moving toward the line before the snap or defensive linemen looping around one another after the snap.
If you see it: has to move before finishing his drop, throws quickly to a short option or escapes the pocket.
Here's what it means: Los Angeles is finding ways to hurry despite missing its most notable interior defender. If repeatedly has time to stand still and scan, that pressure plan is not landing.
On screen
Look for: or another Rams receiver running beyond the first-down marker while waits for a deeper route to develop.
If you see it: Los Angeles keeps completing passes beyond the underneath defenders, or Eagles defensive backs repeatedly arrive to knock the ball away.
Here's what it means: Deep completions indicate the Rams are recreating last week’s explosive passing output; contested incompletions suggest Philadelphia is forcing into lower-percentage throws.
Players & Coaches
Players & Coaches
Los Angeles Rams · Quarterback (QB)
Stafford attempted 55 passes and produced 390 passing yards with two touchdowns last week, but his two interceptions were part of the reason all that offense did not translate into a win.
Players & Coaches
Los Angeles Rams · Wide Receiver (WR)
Adams turned 13 targets into seven catches for 137 yards in Week 3 and was a full practice participant after receiving rest.
Players & Coaches
Los Angeles Rams · Running Back (RB)
Williams averaged nearly six yards per carry on 15 attempts last week and caught six of seven targets, giving a productive option underneath.
Players & Coaches
Philadelphia Eagles · Quarterback (QB)
Hurts accounted for 153 passing yards and 25 rushing yards last week. With three prominent pass catchers out, his choices with the ball will shape Philadelphia’s adjusted offense.
Players & Coaches
Philadelphia Eagles · Running Back (RB)
Barkley rushed 15 times for 82 yards in Week 3. His workload is especially important now that Philadelphia has fewer established options in the passing game.
Players & Coaches
Philadelphia Eagles · Tight End (TE)
Ertz had only two targets last week, but Dallas Goedert’s absence creates an opening for his role to expand against Los Angeles.
The Stakes
A Rams win would bring Los Angeles back to 2-2, while an Eagles win would move Philadelphia to 3-1. Beyond those conditional records, this game tests whether the Rams can turn large offensive totals into a cleaner performance and whether Philadelphia can function with a substantially altered group of pass catchers.
Why it matters
The Rams have direct evidence that they can move the ball: they topped 100 rushing yards and recorded 390 net passing yards last week. Protecting the ball and producing touchdowns rather than relying heavily on field goals are the immediate competitive consequences of that profile.
Why it matters
The Eagles are not merely missing one target. Smith, Goedert and Brown are all out, so multiple players must absorb routes and opportunities while tries to improve on a 153-yard, one-interception passing performance.
Why it matters
Donald’s absence matters against an offense featuring and , while Philadelphia must replace production from Baun and Epps against a Rams attack that used both deep receivers and underneath last week.
Conversation Starters
Conversation Starters
Can the Rams reproduce their Week 3 yardage without also reproducing the turnovers and stalled drives?
Conversation Starters
Which Eagles player becomes ’ most trusted target with Smith, Goedert and Brown all unavailable?
Conversation Starters
Does Philadelphia respond to its receiving absences by increasing ’s touches or ’ rushing involvement?
Conversation Starters
Can the Eagles’ secondary disrupt ’s downfield throws after and Mumpfield combined for 230 receiving yards last week?