The Rams couldn’t have started their 2020 season much better than they have, getting off to a 1-0 start with a win over the Cowboys in Week 1. Next up, they’ll face another NFC East foe, this time on the road and in a completely different time zone.
The Rams are in Philadelphia today for a Week 2 showdown with the Eagles, a team that has beaten them six times in a row. The Rams are in far better shape health-wise than the Eagles, but Philadelphia is getting back a bunch of key players who weren’t available in its season-opening loss to Washington.
So who has the edge in this one? Despite being slight underdogs, it’s hard not to like the Rams on Sunday. They made a statement by beating a high-powered Cowboys team in Week 1, particularly after holding Dallas’ offense to only 17 points.
There’s still some rust to be knocked off for the Rams as the offense only mustered up 20 points and went 2-for-5 in the red zone, but Los Angeles looked like a contender in the season opener. Sean McVay found a groove as a play caller and the running game was strong with its three-headed attack led by Malcolm Brown.
The biggest difference for this Eagles team is the return of Lane Johnson at right tackle, Miles Sanders at running back and Javon Hargrave, who’s making his debut with Philadelphia. Those three being healthy is huge for the Eagles, especially Johnson’s return after the Eagles allowed a league-high eight sacks against Washington.
Despite those key returns, however, I like the Rams in this game. The early East Coast kickoffs have never bothered McVay’s team, going 4-0 in four such games and scoring 30 points in each one. Doug Pederson may be 2-0 against McVay, but this is a game the Rams will win in a close one.
Final score prediction: Rams 24, Eagles 21