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Is this the week the Philadelphia Eagles (3-1) come out and finally play a full 60 minutes of football? Can the Eagles earn a convincing win over the St. Louis Rams (1-2)?
That's the question on everyone's mind following the team's Week 4 loss against the San Francisco 49ers. Philadelphia's defense held their own out west but the Eagles' highly-touted offense struggled to score even a single point. While it's easy to get down after a loss, it's kind of crazy to look back at that game and think the Eagles were only two yards away from potentially winning.
It goes without saying that the Eagles offense needs to be better moving forward. Philadelphia's lack of a rush attack has especially hurt the team. The Eagles' running game could get back on track this week against a St. Louis defense that is allowing the third most rushing yards per game so far. 2013 NFL leading rusher LeSean McCoy is desperate to rebound from his slow start. The return of Lane Johnson at right tackle should only help matters, but it remains to be seen if it will be enough.
McCoy isn't the only player on offense that needs to be better. Eagles quarterback Nick Foles really struggled against San Francisco. Too often did he overthrow open receivers down field. Foles' deep ball accuracy has been an issue. Of Foles' first four games, he's really only one had convincingly good performance. It's time for him to step up and quiet the skeptics.
Philadelphia's defense has the potential to show flashes of dominance if they can take advantage of former undrafted rookie free agent quarterback Austin Davis. Unheralded quarterbacks have tortured the Eagles defense in the past (Joe Webb, Matt Cassel, etc.) but that doesn't mean that the trend has to continue here. The Eagles' pass rush showed up in Week 4 with four sacks after achieving none in the previous two weeks. Rattling Davis early could make for a long day for St. Louis.
While I'm sure the Eagles will be happy with a win any way they can get it, it's really time for them to show they have the capability to beat teams big. Truly good teams manage to crush inferior opponents; not just barely slip by them. It's time to see if the Eagles are a truly good team.
So, will the Eagles come out on top?
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Score prediction:
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My predictions:
Score prediction: Eagles 34, Rams 20
Bold prediction: Riley Cooper scores two touchdowns