PHILADELPHIA - You can make the argument that the throughout the Eagles' six-game winning streak, they had only faced one top-flight quarterback, and that was the Bengals' Joe Burrow.
Burrow completed 11 of his first 12 passes when the two teams met on Oct. 27, but the Eagles ended up winning 37-17.
Now, the Eagles will face Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his two top wide receivers, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, who are fully healthy after each missed several games with injuries earlier in the season.
Now that they're back, the Rams have won 4 of 5 games after a 1-4 start. At 5-5, the Rams are just one game out of first place in the NFC West. Stafford, of course, has been a big factor.
"I think Matthew's preparation is very rare," Eagles offensive coordinator Kellen Moore said. Moore should know. He and Stafford were teammates with the Detroit Lions from 2012-15.
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"The work he puts into it, the amount of film he watches," Moore said. "I think he's got an excellent, excellent feel for the game. His ability to make adjustments at the line of scrimmage and control the whole operation is very rare."
Stafford, in his 16th season, needs 1,396 yards passing to reach 60,000 yards for his career, a feat only 9 others in NFL history have surpassed. Stafford, with 2,557 yards passing this season, is on pace to surpass 4,000 yards passing in a season for the 10th time.
So the Eagles' top-ranked defense will be tested. The Eagles allow just 273 yards per game. They're second against the pass, allowing 173 yards per game. But that has mostly been against the likes of Deshaun Watson, Daniel Jones, Cooper Rush and Washington's Jayden Daniels.
Kupp has had more than 100 yards receiving in two of the four games since he returned from an ankle injury. Nacua has had at least 98 yards in three of his four games back from a knee injury.
"They really have good (chemistry), both of them, with Stafford," Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangiio said about Kupp and Nacua. "Both of them are strong receivers. Both are excellent runners after the catch ... For (the Rams) to be at this point in the season with the injuries they have had speaks highly of their players and their coaching staff.
"Now they are back pretty much to full strength offensively, and they will be a tough group to defend."
The Eagles also have a top-five offense, and the Rams no longer have legendary defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who retired after last season. Yet rookie edge rusher Jared Verse has 4.5 sacks and fellow rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske has 5 sacks.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said he's not breathing easier because Donald is no longer there, although he did add: "Not that I'm sad."
Here's how we see the game going:
Our prognosticators are Martin Frank (Eagles beat writer/columnist, Delawareonline.com), Greg Giesen (sports strategist, Delawareonline.com), Tom McGurk (sports editor, Courierpostonline.com), Tom Moore (sports columnist, Phillyburbs.com), Bob Jordan (sports editor, app.com), Bert Bainbridge (sports betting analyst & columnist, Northjersey.com), Tom Haines (Pennsylvania state planning), Brad Myers (high school sports writer, Delawareonline.com), Kevin Tresolini, (college sports reporter, Delawareonline.com), Michelle Ganassi (audience director & die-hard Steelers fan, Delawareonline.com), Shane Brennan (New Castle County reporter, Delawareonline.com), Tom Rimback (sports writer, Courierpostonline.com), Brandon Holveck (high school sports reporter, Delawareonline.com)
Once again, the difference will come on defense, where the Rams are in the bottom half of the league rankings across the board. That means a heavy dose of Saquon Barkley and more chances for A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith - and, most importantly, not enough chances for Stafford and Co.
The pick: Eagles 34, Rams 23
The Eagles are flat-out better than the Rams and should cruise to victory, but my gut is telling me don't pick the Birds. My gut also told me to make chili dog nachos one day for lunch, and that didn't go well.
The pick: Eagles 31, Rams 24
How good is the Birds' secondary? We will certainly find out this week. The defense will shine again with three interceptions, including Quinyon Mitchell's first pick.
The pick: Eagles 27, Rams 19
The Eagles' six-game win streak comes to an end in Southern California, though it should be an entertaining game.
The pick: Rams 31, Eagles 30
This game has a giant over/under of 50 points. Last week, Matthew Stafford threw 4 touchdown passes and the Rams exceeded 400 total yards of offense for the first time this season (against New England, but still). So they're suited for a shootout.
The pick: Rams 31, Eagles 27
Almost every metric offensively and defensively, and the recent history between these two organizations, tells you that the Eagles should have the clear advantage on both sides of the ball. However, something's telling me that the Rams, with a fully healthy arsenal of Kyren Williams, Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua, and Matthew Stafford at QB, will be able to pull off the upset as a home underdog.
The pick: Rams 27, Eagles 24
The Rams have won four of their last five and show signs of getting their offense uncorked. That, and the coast-to-coast trip, certainly make this a potentially tough challenge for the Eagles. But if they can beat the Packers in Brazil, they should be able to topple the Rams in L.A., especially if Saquon Barkley can enhance his MVP candidacy while Eagles fans give SoFi Stadium a pretty green tint.
The pick: Eagles 31, Rams 27
Typically, the Rams league-leading pressure rate (41.9%) would scare me away from an Eagles pick. But Jalen Hurts has so far put together his best season against the blitz, completing 67.5% of his passes with a 51.9% success rate, according to NFL Pro. I have Philadelphia pulling off a close one to set up one of the best inter-conference matchups of the season, Eagles-Ravens next week.
The pick: Eagles 28, Rams 24
Well, my record this season looks more like the Pittsburgh Pirates' than the Steelers'. So, hopefully, the Eagles won't let me down. The Rams may be on a winning streak, but I think Saquon Barkley will have another 100-plus yard rushing game.
The pick: Eagles 24, Rams 21
Has the time come when it is OK to trust the Eagles? As much as any Philly sports fan can, anyway? Maybe. If the Eagles can maintain their recent composure and, better still, continue dominating defensively, this will be a very good stretch for the team.
The pick: Eagles 31, Rams 16
Pundits say this is setting up to be a Hurts-Stafford shootout, but something tells me it'll be more of a bend-don't-break defensive contest and the field goal (remember those?) will be crucial. Jake Elliott returns to form in sun-splashed LA.
The pick: Eagles 23, Rams 20
Should be a fun one, both teams hitting their stride into the second half of the season. The Rams don't have the weapons that the Eagles have, however. Home field advantage only matters for a handful of teams these days, and the Rams are not one of them. The Eagles continue to play well and escape a trap game.
The pick: Eagles 27, Rams 20
Kind of weird to take a five-hour flight to a home game, but that's what the Eagles are doing this week. Our condolences to all the attendants staffing flights from Philly to LA and back the next few days. If the kicker wakes up and the coach doesn't make too many goofy decisions, the Eagles win a close one.
Contact Martin Frank at [email protected]. Follow on X @Mfranknfl.