Eagles vs. Rams predictions: Our writers make their picks for the Week 12 matchup

The Eagles (8-2) head to the West Coast to take on the Los Angeles Rams (5-5) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m.). Here are our writers’ predictions for Week 12.

Sean McVay’s offense has gotten healthy at the right time. The Rams opened the season 1-4 with top receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua missing part of or most of the games they lost. They both returned last month and the offense has been reenergized. Kupp has 29 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns in the last four games, while Nacua has 24 catches for 338 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Matthew Stafford loves to work the middle of the field and his receivers are two of the best route runners in the NFL. Eagles rookie cornerbacks Quinyon Mitchell (vs. Nacua on the outside) and Cooper DeJean (vs. Kupp in the slot) will be tested — as will the Eagles’ middle field defenders. McVay loves pre-snap and at-the-snap motion. It will test the eye discipline of linebackers Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean and safeties Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio famously curtailed McVay’s offense when he was with the Chicago Bears in 2018. He was so effective with his six-man front that Bill Belichick adopted the ploy in the Patriots’ win over the Rams in the Super Bowl two months later. McVay went and hired Fangio acolyte Brandon Staley a year later, thus setting off a period when Fangio’s system became all the rage around the league. Fangio downplayed his last meeting vs. McVay on Tuesday, and to some extent, understandably so. The Rams have a different run scheme, although running back Kyren Williams hasn’t been as effective on the ground as he was last season.

» READ MORE: Eagles are well aware of the Rams’ formidable defensive front without Aaron Donald

I’ve been up and down in my predictions this season and took an “L” in picking the Washington Commanders last week. I thought about going with the Eagles this week as to not be labeled a “hater,” but I don’t care enough about my predictions to feel one way or the other. As I’ve stated before, I’m a reporter, not a prognosticator. The Eagles have more talent than the Rams. They’re riding a six-game winning streak and are playing their best football. If the Rams get enough pressure on Jalen Hurts, and Stafford is protected, the Eagles could certainly trip up. But I’ll stick with the better team.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Rams 23

The Eagles lucked out by not facing Ja’Marr Chase’s running mate, Tee Higgins, when the Eagles won in Cincinnati. Sunday will present them with their toughest 1-2 wide receiver combination of the season — no offense to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Will that game in Tampa be instructive? It’s hard to imagine such a different, beat-up Eagles team limping to its bye week under a scorching sun. Plus, Mitchell continues to get better and better during his rookie season.

DeVonta Smith’s status is important on the other side of the ball, but the Eagles do things well that the Rams struggle with defensively. The Eagles are fourth in offensive rushing DVOA and the Rams are 20th in rush defense defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA). Even the Eagles’ passing attack, which has struggled at times, has a slight advantage.

On defense, meanwhile, the Eagles are top 10 in both rushing and passing defense. And while the Rams are much better with Kupp and Nacua on the field, they struggled to put points on the board vs. a tough Miami Dolphins defense two weeks ago.

The Eagles are small favorites for good reason. Expect them to continue to ride Saquon Barkley to another win before it’s turkey time.

Prediction: Eagles 30, Rams 23

While Stafford may have a cannon of an arm, he does not handle pressure well. Per Next Gen Stats, he has registered his lowest completion percentage (47.3%) and fewest yards per attempt (5.5) while under pressure since 2018 this year. He also has not attempted a scramble attempt on any of his dropbacks (370) this season. The Rams offense has also struggled in high-leverage situations, ranking No. 27 in third-down percentage and No. 25 in red-zone percentage. It will be imperative for the Eagles to both get Stafford under duress and remain sticky in the secondary in critical situations, tasks they’ve been much better equipped to handle since the bye week.

Meanwhile, the Rams defensive front has remained a threat in the absence of Aaron Donald. Rookie edge rusher Jared Verse and rookie defensive tackle Braden Fiske have excelled at getting to the quarterback, leading first-year players in pressures at their respective positions this season (50 for Verse and 28 for Fiske), per Next Gen Stats. As a unit, the Rams have pressured opposing quarterbacks at the highest rate in the NFL (41.9%), so Hurts and his protection will have to sort out the pressure accordingly on Sunday.

The biggest advantage that the Eagles possess on offense is in the passing game. The Rams have conceded 6.9 yards per passing play, which is the fourth most in the NFL. Even if DeVonta Smith isn’t able to suit up, A.J. Brown and Dallas Goedert could be in for big days, particularly if the Rams opt to devote extra resources to stopping Saquon Barkley and the Eagles’ red-hot run game. This strength, coupled with the Eagles’ much-improved defense, could give them the edge against a surging Rams team.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Rams 24

The Rams feel like exactly the type of middle-of-the-road NFL team that could trip up a true NFC contender like the Eagles.

They will host the travel-weary Eagles this Sunday night having won four of their last five games behind a solid passing game and an opportunistic defense. McVay has earned a reputation as one of the league’s best game-planers, setting up an intriguing matchup between his offense and Fangio’s young defense. As dominant as Fangio’s group has been since the Eagles’ Week 5 bye, McVay is likely to poke and prod at whichever areas of the unit he thinks will be most susceptible and test the group’s discipline as a whole with constant pre-snap motion.

On the other side of the ball, the absence of Jason Kelce and Donald — and how well each team has fared in life after the all-time greats — stands out. The Rams lead the NFL in pressure rate this season behind the impressive rookie duo of Verse and Fisk. Considering Hurts goes into this game with the second-longest average time to throw in the NFL, that disruptive Rams front could spell trouble for an Eagles passing game that has struggled to find consistency this season.

Perhaps the Eagles can lean on Barkley like they have for most of this season, but the obvious passing downs will still be worrying unless Hurts can manage the rush better than he has in the last few weeks.

This has the makings of a disjointed, sometimes sloppy game with a sluggish start and a lower score line. The Rams rank dead last in first-quarter scoring this season, just two spots behind the Eagles. Although the Eagles have a talent advantage on paper, the cross-country flight and potential for a midseason hiccup make this enough of a toss-up to wonder if the Eagles will have their A-game against a respectable opponent.

Prediction: Rams 23, Eagles 21

The Eagles (8-2) head to the West Coast to take on the Los Angeles Rams (5-5) on Sunday Night Football (8:20 p.m.). Here are our writers’ predictions for Week 12.

Aaron Donald was a game wrecker, but never against the Eagles. In five games vs. the Birds, the recently-retired, Hall of Fame-bound defensive tackle never recorded a sack. It’s tough to get to the quarterback when you’re getting double-teamed — and sometimes even triple-teamed — on almost every passing down. But that was essentially the Eagles’ game plan every time they faced Donald. Until it almost wasn’t.

Before the October matchup at the Rams last season, offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland presented that week’s scheme to his unit and Jason Kelce almost immediately howled from his seat. The center had long been known to speak up when necessary — sometimes colorfully — but in this case, he got hot when he saw how often he would be asked to block Donald alone.

“There were some calls last year that he was freed up maybe more than what he liked,” Eagles tackle Lane Johnson said on Wednesday. “And, hey, if Kelce sees some [expletive], he’s gonna call it out. So I respected him for it, and it was funny as [expletive] sitting in the back row.”

Kelce, needless to say, got his way. Donald was doubled almost all game and pressured quarterback Jalen Hurts only once in a 23-14 victory at SoFi Stadium. Despite the Eagles’ relative success vs. Donald — they won 4 of 5 when he was in uniform — Johnson and Co. are thankful they don’t have to face him again. But the Rams’ front remains the strength of their defense. Jared Verse — who is probably Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell’s main competition for defensive rookie of the year — will be one of the more physical edges left tackle Jordan Mailata will have to block this season. Byron Young complements Verse on the other side as a pass rusher, and Michael Hoecht rotates in and is a strong run defender. Braden Fiske and Kobie Turner are the Rams’ top interior linemen.

» READ MORE: Eagles’ Britain Covey vows to protect himself better as he nears his return from a shoulder injury

The Rams don’t blitz much because they can get pressure with just four, but defensive coordinator Chris Shula can be creative with his pre-snap looks. Hurts has struggled when there’s pressure — real or imagined — and has gotten sacked at the highest rate of his career. The Eagles O-line needs to protect, but Hurts also needs to make better decisions and keep his eyes downfield. His receivers should have the advantage on the outside — as they do most weeks. But Hurts has started slow when getting the ball to A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, who is questionable with a hamstring injury, has been prioritized. The Rams are solid against the run, and they will likely emphasize stopping Saquon Barkley. But with the run-pass option game becoming more functional of late, the Eagles have an efficient way to counter extra men in the box.

Sean McVay’s offense has gotten healthy at the right time. The Rams opened the season 1-4 with top receivers Cooper Kupp and Puka Nacua missing part of or most of the games they lost. They both returned last month and the offense has been reenergized. Kupp has 29 catches for 341 yards and three touchdowns in the last four games, while Nacua has 24 catches for 338 yards and a touchdown. Quarterback Matthew Stafford loves to work the middle of the field and his receivers are two of the best route runners in the NFL. Eagles rookie cornerbacks Mitchell (vs. Nacua on the outside) and Cooper DeJean (vs. Kupp in the slot) will be tested — as will the Eagles’ middle field defenders. McVay loves pre-snap and at-the-snap motion. It will test the eye discipline of linebackers Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean and safeties Reed Blankenship and C.J. Gardner-Johnson.

Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio famously curtailed McVay’s offense when he was with the Chicago Bears in 2018. He was so effective with his six-man front that Bill Belichick adopted the ploy in the Patriots’ win over the Rams in the Super Bowl two months later. McVay went and hired Fangio acolyte Brandon Staley a year later, thus setting off a period when Fangio’s system became all the rage around the league. Fangio downplayed his last meeting vs. McVay on Tuesday, and to some extent, understandably so. The Rams have a different run scheme, although running back Kyren Williams hasn’t been as effective on the ground as he was last season.

I’ve been up and down in my predictions this season and took an “L” in picking the Washington Commanders last week. I thought about going with the Eagles this week as to not be labeled a “hater,” but I don’t care enough about my predictions to feel one way or the other. As I’ve stated before, I’m a reporter, not a prognosticator. The Eagles have more talent than the Rams. They’re riding a six-game winning streak and are playing their best football. If the Rams get enough pressure on Hurts, and Stafford is protected, the Eagles could certainly trip up. But I’ll stick with the better team.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Rams 23

The Eagles head to California well rested after their mini bye, which came at a good time following a short week that saw the Eagles get home from Dallas early Monday morning before turning around to play a high-intensity, high-stakes divisional game vs. Washington on Thursday.

They passed both tests, of course, and so they earned the extra time off.

And while the Eagles showed that their winning streak can continue against a playoff-caliber football team, the going doesn’t get any easier. A primetime road game against a high-powered Rams squad, then a Sunday showdown in Baltimore against another team that, like the Eagles, has plans to play into February.

» READ MORE: Containing Jalen Hurts, stopping a ‘disruptive’ defense, and more of what the Rams are saying about the Eagles

The Rams aren’t a normal 5-5 football team.

How did the Eagles look without Brown and Smith? Exactly how the Rams look when they don’t have Kupp and Nacua on the field.

The Eagles lucked out by not facing Ja’Marr Chase’s running mate, Tee Higgins, when the Eagles won in Cincinnati. Sunday will present them with their toughest 1-2 wide receiver combination of the season — no offense to Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.

Will that game in Tampa be instructive? It’s hard to imagine such a different, beat-up Eagles team limping to its bye week under a scorching sun. Plus, Mitchell continues to get better and better during his rookie season.

Smith’s status is important on the other side of the ball, but the Eagles do things well that the Rams struggle with defensively. The Eagles are fourth in offensive rushing DVOA and the Rams are 20th in rush defense defense-adjusted value over average (DVOA). Even the Eagles’ passing attack, which has struggled at times, has a slight advantage.

On defense, meanwhile, the Eagles are top 10 in both rushing and passing defense. And while the Rams are much better with Kupp and Nacua on the field, they struggled to put points on the board vs. a tough Miami Dolphins defense two weeks ago.

The Eagles are small favorites for good reason. Expect them to continue to ride Barkley to another win before it’s turkey time.

Prediction: Eagles 30, Rams 23

The Eagles are taking flight to the West Coast, where they’ll face their most formidable opponent since the bye week in the Rams. Since Kupp and Nacua returned to action in Week 8, the Rams’ passing game with Stafford at the helm has been potent, ranking second in the league in yards (1,129) and tying for third in touchdowns (10).

Even at 36 years old, Stafford’s arm “still looks like it’s 25,” according to his former Detroit Lions teammate Darius Slay. Since Week 8, the veteran quarterback has generated the second-most expected points added (+29.5) on passes of 10-plus air yards in the NFL, according to Next Gen Stats. In Weeks 2-7, Stafford generated just -0.2 EPA on those passes, which ranked No. 39, illustrating just how important those receivers are to the success of the offense.

» READ MORE: Eagles are well aware of the Rams’ formidable defensive front without Aaron Donald

While Stafford may have a cannon of an arm, he does not handle pressure well. Per Next Gen Stats, he has registered his lowest completion percentage (47.3%) and fewest yards per attempt (5.5) while under pressure since 2018 this year. He also has not attempted a scramble attempt on any of his dropbacks (370) this season. The Rams offense has also struggled in high-leverage situations, ranking No. 27 in third-down percentage and No. 25 in red-zone percentage. It will be imperative for the Eagles to both get Stafford under duress and remain sticky in the secondary in critical situations, tasks they’ve been much better equipped to handle since the bye week.

Meanwhile, the Rams defensive front has remained a threat in the absence of Donald. Rookies Verse and Fiske have excelled at getting to the quarterback, leading first-year players in pressures at their respective positions this season (50 for Verse and 28 for Fiske), per Next Gen Stats. As a unit, the Rams have pressured opposing quarterbacks at the highest rate in the NFL (41.9%), so Hurts and his protection will have to sort out the pressure accordingly on Sunday.

The biggest advantage that the Eagles possess on offense is in the passing game. The Rams have conceded 6.9 yards per passing play, which is the fourth most in the NFL. Even if Smith isn’t able to suit up, Brown and Dallas Goedert could be in for big days, particularly if the Rams opt to devote extra resources to stopping Barkley and the Eagles’ red-hot run game. This strength, coupled with the Eagles’ much-improved defense, could give them the edge against a surging Rams team.

Prediction: Eagles 27, Rams 24

The Rams feel like exactly the type of middle-of-the-road NFL team that could trip up a true NFC contender like the Eagles.

They will host the travel-weary Eagles this Sunday night having won four of their last five games behind a solid passing game and an opportunistic defense. McVay has earned a reputation as one of the league’s best game-planers, setting up an intriguing matchup between his offense and Fangio’s young defense. As dominant as Fangio’s group has been since the Eagles’ Week 5 bye, McVay is likely to poke and prod at whichever areas of the unit he thinks will be most susceptible and test the group’s discipline as a whole with constant pre-snap motion.

Mitchell and DeJean have proven they’re capable of holding up against even elite wide receiving corps this season, but Nacua and Kupp present an interesting test for the young defensive backs because of the scheme they play in. It should help that the Rams have often been somewhat one-dimensional this season. They rank 30th in rushing yards per attempt and have been one of the most pass-heavy teams even early in games before falling behind so far this season.

McVay’s fascination with Fangio’s scheme is well-documented, but it could cut both ways on Sunday. The Rams coach has hired defensive coordinators and staffers who emulate his scheme, including former Eagles coach Sean Desai just last offseason. Desai had one of his better games as the Eagles’ defensive coordinator last season against the Rams, which is reason for optimism now that the Eagles have the author of the en-vogue scheme rather than one of Fangio’s disciples.

» READ MORE: Rams’ Omar Speights once left Philadelphia to flee violence. His journey will come full circle vs. the Eagles Sunday

On the other side of the ball, the absence of Kelce and Donald — and how well each team has fared in life after the all-time greats — stands out. The Rams lead the NFL in pressure rate this season behind the impressive rookie duo of Verse and Fisk. Considering Hurts goes into this game with the second-longest average time to throw in the NFL, that disruptive Rams front could spell trouble for an Eagles passing game that has struggled to find consistency this season.

Perhaps the Eagles can lean on Barkley like they have for most of this season, but the obvious passing downs will still be worrying unless Hurts can manage the rush better than he has in the last few weeks.

This has the makings of a disjointed, sometimes sloppy game with a sluggish start and a lower score line. The Rams rank dead last in first-quarter scoring this season, just two spots behind the Eagles. Although the Eagles have a talent advantage on paper, the cross-country flight and potential for a midseason hiccup make this enough of a toss-up to wonder if the Eagles will have their A-game against a respectable opponent.

Prediction: Rams 23, Eagles 21

The Eagles play in Week 12 against the Los Angeles Rams. Join Eagles beat reporters Olivia Reiner and EJ Smith as they dissect the hottest storylines surrounding the team on Gameday Central, live from SoFi Stadium.