Philadelphia Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore has emphasized that the team’s upcoming matchup against the Los Angeles Rams will present a different challenge than their previous encounter.
In their Week 12 meeting, the Eagles secured a convincing 37-20 victory in Los Angeles, amassing 481 total yards, including an impressive 314 rushing yards. Saquon Barkley led the charge, contributing 302 total yards of offense as the Rams slipped to 5-6 on the season.
Moore is undoubtedly mindful of the lessons learned from that dominant performance and will be eager to avoid complacency as the Eagles prepare for this crucial divisional matchup.
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Despite the Rams’ less-than-stellar performance in their previous encounter, the game appears to have served as a catalyst for the team’s subsequent success. They proceeded to win their next five games, clinching the division title, and showcased a dominant defensive performance in their Wild Card victory over the Minnesota Vikings.
Moore believes that past performance is not necessarily indicative of future success. He stressed this point during a press conference on Tuesday, acknowledging the dynamic nature of NFL matchups.
“Saquon had a great day out there,” Moore said, via a transcript from the team. “Long time between those two games, a bunch of other games. They are playing as well as any defense in the league right now, and they are playing really confidently. They will stress us in a lot of different ways. And there will be a lot of challenges associated with our run game based on them having the film and the film they have put out the last month and a half, which has been really, really impressive. It will be a challenge.”
The Rams’ recent defensive dominance, holding opponents to under 10 points in four of their last five games (excluding a Week 18 matchup featuring significant playing time for backup players), poses a significant challenge for the Eagles.
For the Rams, it starts with stopping Barkley.
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“Stopping Saquon and being able to get to some of the positions we were in tonight,” defensive lineman Braden Fiske said after the victory over the Vikings. “Getting to be able to rush the passer. I mean that’s what we got to do, get them into third and longs and keep them out of third and shorts.”