3 Takeaways from Eagles' Week 5 Win vs. Rams
The Philadelphia Eagles' fifth win of the 2023 NFL season was picked up in a different fashion than the other four.
The Eagles finally got tight end Dallas Goedert involved in the offense and Jalen Hurts used his legs more than any of the previous four games.
Goedert and A.J. Brown thrived against the Los Angeles Rams secondary and that allowed the Eagles to go on a handful of long drives.
Nick Sirianni's team wore down the Rams defense and made a key adjustment against Cooper Kupp to slow down the home side in the second half.
Dallas Goedert Finally Gets Involved in Offense
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Goedert eclipsed his season high in receiving yards on the Eagles' first drive.
The tight end caught four balls for 44 yards and scored the touchdown on the Eagles' opening series.
That was just the start of the big day for Goedert, who ended with 117 yards and eight receptions off nine targets.
The 28-year-old was the missing piece in the Eagles offense in the first four weeks. He had 13 catches in the last three weeks, but most of those receptions were for minimal hauls.
Philadelphia had a clear directive to target Goedert across the middle and that helped it on plenty of drives.
The Eagles did not have a ton of big plays available to them with Brown and DeVonta Smith because of the Rams' coverage. Goedert's first big game of the season was the ideal answer to that defensive strategy and that should allow the tight end to be more involved moving forward.
Jalen Hurts' Legs Played Key Role in Offensive Game Plan
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Hurts surged past his season highs in the ground game on Sunday.
The Eagles quarterback ran for 72 yards on 15 carries. His previous best rushing performance came in Week 1, when he ran for 37 yards.
Los Angeles' blanket coverage 10-15 yards down field took Smith completely out of the game, and it made Brown work for every yard.
Hurts used that coverage to his advantage, as he busted loose from the pocket and earned a handful of first downs.
Philadelphia does not need its quarterback to run for 75 yards in every game, but if he can do so when the matchup calls for it, it will be very difficult to beat.
Sunday's performance finished off a five-game stretch in which every key piece of the offense turned in big games.
Hurts, Brown, Smith, Goedert and D'Andre Swift have all won games for the Eagles. The depth in quality across the offense should continue to lead them past most of their opponents.
Defense Slowed Down Cooper Kupp in Second Half
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The Rams did not pose much of a comeback threat in the second half because Matthew Stafford was unable to link up with Kupp to the same level he did in the first half.
Stafford opened the game with five completions to his No. 1 wide receiver, who made his season debut on Sunday after sitting out the first four weeks on injured reserve.
The Eagles had no answer for Kupp throughout the first half, but they made the proper adjustment to slow him down in the second half.
Kupp was held to a five-yard gain on his first catch of the second half, which occurred on the Rams' third series of the half. Kupp had one more reception for 18 yards on the next drive.
The Eagles made the right adjustment in the secondary and got more pressure on Stafford so that his throws did not come out as clean as they did in the first half.
Kupp still had a 100-yard performance, but the Eagles should be okay with that number since the bulk of it came on the opening few drives.
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