Shorthanded Eagles Host Rams on Sunday in Week 4 Bounce Back Test
The Philadelphia Eagles return to Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday afternoon for a Week 4 matchup with the Los Angeles Rams, and both teams arrive in need of a reset. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
Philadelphia is 2-1 after a 27-7 loss to the Chicago Bears on Monday night, a game in which the Eagles failed to record a sack and committed three turnovers. It was the team’s first defeat of the season, and it dropped the Eagles out of first place in the NFC East, where the New York Giants now sit alone at the top through three weeks.
The Rams have their own mess to clean up. Los Angeles carried a 16-0 lead into halftime last Sunday night in Denver, then watched the Broncos rally for a 30-26 win. Quarterback Matthew Stafford, the reigning league MVP, threw for 390 yards but was intercepted twice as the Rams fell to 1-2.
Injuries have hit the Eagles harder. Wide receiver DeVonta Smith is out with a hamstring injury, tight end Dallas Goedert is out with a knee injury and linebacker Zack Baun is out after entering concussion protocol. Guard Landon Dickerson remains on injured reserve.
The absences at tight end prompted a familiar move. The Eagles elevated veteran Zach Ertz and Josiah Deguara from the practice squad for Sunday’s game, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Ertz, a Super Bowl champion and one of the most productive tight ends in franchise history, could suit up at the Linc in an Eagles uniform for the first time since he was traded in 2021.
The central matchup is Los Angeles’ passing game against a Philadelphia pass rush that has yet to show up. The Rams lead the league at 417.7 yards per game and rank second in passing offense. Receiver Puka Nacua is expected back after practicing fully on Friday, and Davante Adams has 358 receiving yards through three games. The Eagles, meanwhile, have three sacks and no takeaways through three games.
Turnovers may decide it. The Rams have given the ball away six times and rank 20th in scoring despite all those yards, while Philadelphia’s defense has forced none. Something has to give on Sunday.
The Eagles will try to establish Saquon Barkley and the ground game against a Rams defense dealing with its own absences. Cornerback Jaylen Watson is out with a shoulder injury, defensive tackle Aaron Donald is questionable with a back injury and pass rusher Myles Garrett remains on injured reserve. On offense, Rams tight end Terrance Ferguson is out with an ankle injury and Colby Parkinson is questionable, which could limit the three-tight-end sets Los Angeles has leaned on this season.
Travel is another factor working against Los Angeles. The Rams opened the season in Australia, played at altitude in Denver last week and now fly cross-country for an early 1 p.m. Eastern kickoff. Philadelphia, for its part, is back home after two straight games on the road.
History favors the hosts. Philadelphia has won four straight meetings with the Rams, including a 33-26 win at the Linc last September and a 28-22 victory in the postseason.
Oddsmakers are not convinced. The Rams opened as 1.5-point favorites and the line has moved to Los Angeles minus 3.5 after Philadelphia’s loss in Chicago and a week of concerning injury news. The total sits around 43 points.
What to watch: whether Jalen Hurts can move the ball through the air without his top receiver, whether the Eagles’ pass rush finally gets home against Stafford, and how the weather holds up, with mid-60s temperatures and a chance of rain in the forecast.
How to watch: FOX carries the game nationally at 1 p.m. ET with Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady on the call. It streams on YouTube TV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV, and airs on Philadelphia radio on SportsRadio 94.1 WIP.
