NFL Week 1: Rams vs. Eagles Preview

Ah, the first weekend of the NFL season is finally in sight. After months of wondering if there would even be an NFL season—and after what felt like more than four weeks of a preseason—regular season football is back.

The battle between the Philadelphia Eagles and the St. Louis Rams will be a game that could fly under-the-radar of many fans.

But this game should be on everybody's must-watch list.

It will be the first opportunity to see the "dream team" in a full-length regular season game. While you may think the Eagles will roll to an easy victory this week, you should think again.

St. Louis comes into this game more confident than they've been in years. They improved from 1-15 in 2009 to 7-9 a season ago, and with Sam Bradford under center, things look promising. Let's not forget that this Rams team finished the preseason with a perfect 4-0 record.

The next couple of slides include the matchups that will play a pivotal role in the game, how each team can win the game, and also a prediction on what the final score will be.

With that said, let's take a look at some of the key matchups in this game.

Match-Ups

Michael Vick vs. Rams Safeties

It has yet to be determined who will spy Michael Vick in this game, but my guess is that it will be somebody coming up from the safety position. If the Rams try to play a linebacker on Vick, they have to be prepared to give up some big gains. He is simply too fast for most linebackers. Bringing a safety up to play Vick will force him to beat St. Louis with his arm. This will be one of the more critical matchups to watch.

Steven Jackson vs. Eagles Linebackers

Philadelphia has added studs to their roster at just about every position except linebacker. For a team that has been getting progressively worse at stopping the run, this has the makings of a huge problem. Steven Jackson is an absolute freak of nature, and is a top-5 running back in the NFL. As you see in the picture, newly added Eagle Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie knows what it feels like to get a Steven Jackson stiff arm. Jackson could be in for a monster game.

Trent Cole vs. Rodger Saffold

This will be a one-on-one battle between one of the better up-and-coming tackles and one of the premier defensive ends in the league. Rodger Saffold will have the tough task of protecting Sam Bradford's blind side. Saffold will not only have to be just about perfect in pass-blocking, but also in the run-blocking department against Trent Cole. Cole's task will be to take advantage of a younger and less experienced player.

Sam Bradford vs. Eagles Secondary

Sam Bradford is considered one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the NFL. The Eagles secondary is arguably the best in the NFL. So, who wins this matchup? This will be a very tough game for Bradford. The lack of receivers on the Rams roster really hurts his odds. The Rams should have hope though. Bradford has shown that he is a very tough kid in the past, and Asante Samuel has been caught trying to jump routes in the past.

Eagles Advantages

If you have a quarterback with 4.4 speed and a cannon arm, you ride him all the way to victory. Michael Vick will be the biggest difference maker in this game.

During the preseason, Vick struggled terribly. He finished with a 45.9 passer rating. The good news for Eagles fans is that it was just the preseason. Plus, the Eagles look like they will have Vick's No. 2 receiver Jeremy Maclin back along with former New York Giant Steve Smith.

In my personal opinion, Vick should look to scramble more. He ran just six times in the preseason. This was likely because the Eagles don't want him injured, but that shouldn't be the case this weekend. Michael Vick just looks more comfortable when he's running around and making plays. When he is scrambling, it seems like he gets into his rhythm a little faster.

LeSean McCoy is going to be a major X factor in this game as well. He may not rush for a lot of yards against St. Louis, but he creates matchup problems out of the backfield. Similar to Philadelphia, the Rams have struggled with outside linebacker play. If the Eagles can manage to get McCoy one-on-ones in the open space, than he could have a big time game.

The final guy that Philly needs a big game from is Jason Babin. Babin will have to prove that he is worth the money that the Eagles paid him. I previously mentioned the matchup with Trent Cole and Rodger Saffold. Saffold will likely have some help with blocking Cole, which will leave Babin with opportunities on the other side. Whether or not he capitalizes on the opportunities is something to watch. 

Rams Advantages

Combine Steven Jackson with an Eagles defense who has dropped from fourth to ninth to 15th in rushing yards allowed in the past three seasons and what do you get? A big-time performance from one of the league's best rushers.

Everything is lined up for Jackson. The addition of Harvey Dahl to the Rams offensive line will help tremendously. He was one of the main reasons that Michael Turner was able to have the success that he has had in Atlanta.

On top of that, the Eagles will be starting rookie Casey Matthews alongside second-year man Jamar Chaney and third-year man Moise Fokou—talk about inexperience. The success that Steven Jackson will have against the Eagles will play a huge role in the ball control game.

All three defensive ends on the St. Louis Rams roster will play large roles against the Eagles. It is imperative that Chris Long, James Hall and Robert Quinn can get to Michael Vick. Philadelphia allowed the fourth most sacks a season ago with 49, so the opportunity is there. Vick can be a bit careless at times, so if either Long, Hall or Quinn can get the strip on top of the sack, then it will cause major problems for the Eagles.

Rookie tight end Lance Kendricks will be looked on to make plays in the Rams passing game. Kendricks is already being compared to Antonio Gates by some. He was way more impressive than any other Rams receiver during the preseason. As I mentioned before, the Eagles have inexperienced linebackers. Kendricks could take advantage of that and get off to the fast and furious start that he is capable of. 

Prediction

I'm going with the upset victory in Week 1. The St. Louis Rams will shock the Philadelphia Eagles.

Before the preseason started, I didn't think the Rams would stand much of a chance against the Eagles, but everything is shaping up in their favor.

The pressure to win is already on the Eagles. People expect them to win just about every game this season. Not only is there pressure, but despite their 3-1 preseason record, the Philly starters looked shaky. Vick was throwing picks up there like there was no tomorrow against the Steelers.

On the other hand, the Rams looked impressive this preseason. Sam Bradford was sharp, and he found instant chemistry with tight end Lance Kendricks. St. Louis has zero pressure on them to win this game. Absolutely nobody, except for Rams fans, believe that they can win this game.

Even though the Rams roster isn't as star-studded as the Philadelphia Eagles, they look like a team with confidence and unity. It might not be pretty or decisive, but the Rams will win the game.

Final Score: 27-21 Rams