Dissecting Philadelphia Eagles' Most Crucial Matchups with St. Louis Rams

The Philadelphia Eagles may be in serious trouble right now, and it showed against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4. Without Evan Mathis, Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson on their offensive line, the Eagles failed to score a single point on the offensive side of the ball. Nick Foles threw two costly interceptions, and LeSean McCoy recorded 17 rushing yards on 10 carries.

A defensive touchdown and a pair of special teams scores kept the Eagles in the game until the final few minutes, but a torturous fourth-quarter drive saw the Eagles advance 90 of the 91 yards needed to collect the go-ahead touchdown.  

In the end, the 49ers handed the Eagles their first loss of the season. At the quarter mark, the Eagles are 3-1 and tied with the Dallas Cowboys for first place in the NFC East. 

A home game against the lowly St. Louis Rams and their third-string quarterback could be just what the Eagles need to get back on track. And yes, if they lose this game, that's a major red flag.

Below are three of the biggest player matchups to look for in the Eagles-Rams game. 

1. LeSean McCoy vs. Rams front seven

Carries	Yards	Average	Touchdowns	Fumbles
70	192	2.7	1	1

LeSean McCoy hasn't just been bad over the past two games: He's been historically bad. He's carried 29 times for 39 yards in the last two games. It's not a coincidence that he's completely ineffective running the football without Mathis and Kelce opening up holes on the offensive line (although it would help if he ran forward instead of side-to-side on every single run). 

But if there were ever a team to get McCoy back on track, it's the Rams. Their front seven has been gashed repeatedly this season, surrendering 5.1 yards per carry. That's the third-worst mark in the NFL. 

Something has to give in this game. Either McCoy regains the form that helped him lead the league in rushing yardage during the 2013 season or the Rams finally shut down an opponent's rushing attack. I'd lean more toward a combination of the two, but for Eagles fans who have watched horrendous running over the last two games, that'll be a major relief. 

2. Jason Peters vs. Robert Quinn

Games	Snaps	Sacks	Hurries	QB Hits
20	981	19	55	25

One of the league's top left tackles faces arguably the top pass-rushing 4-3 defensive end in the NFL? That's pure heaven for diehard football fans. For the Eagles, this is a matchup that I expect Peters to lose. Although still elite, Peters isn't quite the player he was before he tore his Achilles (twice) during the 2012 offseason. He's 32 years old and playing on an offensive line with a pair of unfamiliar bodies on his right (Matt Tobin and David Molk). Quinn, on the other hand, recorded 19 sacks in 2013 and has established himself as the best pass-rusher in the NFC, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He's in line for a major breakout game after a slow start to 2014. 

3. Zach Ertz vs. Alec Ogletree

Widely considered to be one of the top breakout candidates across the league heading into the 2014 season, Eagles tight end Zach Ertz caught three passes of more than 25 yards against the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 1. He followed that up with six grabs for 86 yards against the Indianapolis Colts. After four games, Ertz is on pace for 52 catches, 880 yards and four scores this season. 

Expect Ertz to mostly be covered by Rams linebacker Alec Ogletree, a player who might have the worst coverage skills of any linebacker in the league. The last 17 passes thrown near Ogletree have been completed, per PFF. The 2013 first-round pick has allowed a triple-digit passer rating in 12 of his 19 career games. 

Year	Attempts	Completions	Pct %	Yards	Touchdowns	Interceptions	PR
2013	87	72	82.8	785	2	1	107.1
2014	11	11	100.0	135	0	0	117.8
Total	98	83	84.7	920	2	1	108.3

This is another matchup where something's gotta give. Nick Foles has been the second-least accurate quarterback in the NFL, per PFF, but Ogletree has been the Rams' version of Cary Williams when it comes to completed passes. Expect Ertz to easily get the best of Ogletree, a player drafted just five spots ahead of him in the 2013 draft.