Philadelphia, PA
- It’s now or never in Philadelphia.The defending Super Bowl champions are coming off a crushing loss against the Dallas Cowboys in overtime. It has been a season marred by agonizingly close defeats, from the two duels against the Cowboys to the 4th quarter collapse against the Panthers, and the overtime loss in Tennessee.
Week 15: Philadelphia Eagles Vs Los Angeles Rams
The birds now find themselves at 6-7, indeed a disappointing place to be, but they’re not entirely out of it. With the NFC East effectively won by the Cowboys, the Eagles are now searching for the NFC’s 6th seed. The 6-6-1 Vikings are currently in the driver’s seat for that, but they’ve dropped three straight. If the Eagles win out, they have a good chance of making the postseason. Even 8-8 could very realistically get them there.
That being said, two significant things stand in the Eagles’ way. For starters, the upcoming two games are brutal, facing the high octane Rams and the strong Houston Texans. The Eagles need to at least split this pair of games to give themselves a chance. The real issue is that Carson Wentz is out with a back fracture, which will likely spell the end to his season. This is eerily similar to last year for a multitude of reasons. For one, Wentz got knocked out for the year in week 15 last year as well. His backup quarterback was Nick Foles.
Moreover, both years they played the Rams. Nick Foles rose to glory after leading Philadelphia to an unprecedented championship run, before returning to his previously mediocre self to start the 2018 season. The Eagles need the Nick Foles of last year if they want to keep up with and defeat the Rams.
L.A. looked mortal last week when they were shut down by the Chicago Bears in frigid Soldier Field. The Bears defense had a field day, forcing rare Jared Goff turnovers and stonewalling Todd Gurley. The Eagles defense will need to play just as they did against Dallas, minus surrendering three touchdowns to Amari Cooper. Philadelphia made huge turnovers that helped keep their offense afloat when they were stuck in neutral. They won’t get as much room for error on Sunday, but just one or two plays could be all that matter. I believe the Eagles will fall in this one, however, as Nick Foles being unexpectedly thrust into the starting lineup doesn’t bode well for an already mediocre offense.
Final Score: Eagles, 14. Rams, 28.
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