Eagles Rams Prediction

In my pre-season prediction, I picked the Eagles to cruise past the Rams in Week 1 and I’m sticking to my prediction. Even with the growing idea that the Eagles could possibly be slow getting out of the gate, I feel the Birds are going to come out hot.

On Sunday, I think Mike Vick and the offense are going to have a field day. I expect the Rams with defensive minded head coach Steve Spagnuolo to blitz a lot and really try to disrupt Vick’s timing and rhythm. That’s why I’m predicting Lesean McCoy and Ronnie Brown to have key performances catching little swing passes out of the backfield and getting into the open field. I also think that Vick is going to have an especially big game on the ground. The Eagles offensive line is still a bit shaky so I expect some long runs from Vick if he feels any pressure or feels that the pocket is collapsing.

 Defensively the Rams’ Steven Jackson could give the Eagles some trouble. Jackson is a power runner and if he gets past the D-Line, it will be up to the linebackers to stop him and hold him to a minimum gain. I think that Matthews and Chaney will be up to the task of containing Jackson, but they have to keep an eye on him at all times. The quarterback of the Rams is second year starter Sam Bradford. Bradford was the 2010 Rookie Of The Year and will look to continue that success against the Eagles. But with this outstanding secondary, and very few weapons to throw to, I think that Bradford is going to struggle greatly on Sunday. I also expect the defensive line to get a ton of pressure on him and make him very uncomfortable and antsy in the pocket. 

Overall I think the Eagles cruise to an easy opening week victory. The Rams are definitely a team with an upside, but I think the Eagles take care of business and show them who’s boss in Week 1. Final score, Eagles 37 Rams 10.