Rams vs. Eagles: 7 Things We Learned from Both Teams after Sunday's Game

The St. Louis Rams (0-1) played host to the Philadelphia Eagles (1-0) for the opening day matchup at the Edward Jones Dome. 

The Eagles entered the game as a possible Super Bowl contender, while the Rams entered as a team thought to be capable of pulling off an upset in Week 1. 

But after quarterback Michael Vick threw for two touchdowns and rushed for over 100 yards, and after the deadly cornerback duo of Nnamdi Asomugha and Asante Samuels kept the Rams passing attack completely in check, the Eagles escaped with a convincing victory. 

The Eagles walked away with a 31-13 victory over the Rams, but the score alone doesn't tell the whole story.

Here are seven things we learned about the two teams as a result of their opening day matchup.

The Rams Are Still in Need of a Wide Receiver

The Rams' need for a legitimate receiving threat was painfully clear during their loss to the Seattle Seahawks during the 2010 season finale. 

Actually, that need was clear for the entire 2010 season, and now that need is spilling over into 2011. 

Mike Sims-Walker was almost completely absent from Sunday's game with only a single five-yard reception, and while Brandon Gibson had 50 yards on only three catches, he completely spoiled any flash of potential he displayed by dropping multiple passes. 

You have to give the receivers a break since they were facing a great set of cornerbacks, but the injury to Danny Amendola during the game makes it hard to believe that the wide receiver position will be a strength at any point in 2011.

Michael Vick's 2010 Season Was No Fluke

During his opening game against the Rams, quarterback Michael Vick had a huge game on the ground, as well as through the air. 

St. Louis is not a pushover defense—they are solid against the run and can get to the quarterback, but Vick was able to expose weaknesses all day long. 

When the Rams blitzed him on first and second down he was frequently able to get outside for a decent run, and even though he only completed 14 out of 32 passes, he was able to get completions when it mattered the most.

From what we saw today, Vick is more than capable of compensating for the Eagles' weak offensive line. 

Sam Bradford Is Still Young

There is a reason why the Rams are commonly discussed as a team that will make the playoffs, but never as a team that might be able to win a playoff game or two when the time comes. 

It's because quarterback Sam Bradford is young and inexperienced, just like many other key pieces on the team. 

Bradford is going to have a good season. This game should not cast any doubt on that, but he has not mastered the game of football, or even his offensive scheme. 

There will still be mistakes with Bradford, just like we saw with Josh Freeman during his second season last year. 

Bradford completed only 17 of his 30 passes for 188 yards against the Eagles. His inexperience was too much to overcome the Philadelphia secondary.

But one important thing to consider is that he had no interceptions, which is huge. There are not a lot of young quarterbacks who can walk into a game like that and walk away without a pick.  

DeSean Jackson Needs a New Contract

DeSean Jackson was in the midst of a contract holding during training camp, but he caved and returned to practice after it was clear that the Eagles were not going to reward him a new contract. 

It's understandable why Jackson held out, considering he is set to make only $560,000 in base salary for 2011, which is far below his value, but he did the right thing by returning to his team. 

Jackson made a statement to the Eagles front office today by catching six passes for 102 yards and a touchdown. 

Jackson had a 41-yard reception in the first quarter on a drive that ended in a LeSean McCoy touchdown, and he also had a six-yard touchdown on a crossing pattern in the end-zone during the third quarter.

If Jackson continues to play like he did today, then the Eagles will have no choice but to pay him his money, maybe sooner rather than later. 

The Rams Need Steven Jackson If They Want to Win

People like the thrill of change, which is why there is a lot of hype around some of the Rams more recent acquisitions, like Sam Bradford, James Laurinaitis, Lance Kendricks and Chris Long. 

But even though Rams fans are used to Jackson, meaning he's not new and exciting, there should be no confusion—Steven Jackson is the best player on the team. 

Sure, after Jackson left the game against the Eagles due to a quad injury, Cadillac Williams stepped up and had a great game as his pinch hitter. 

Cadillac rushed for 91 yards on 19 carries, and he was the only consistent player on the Rams offense throughout the whole game. 

But he doesn't strike fear into opposing defenses the way Jackson does. 

On his only two carries of the game, Jackson ran for 56 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown.

While he was in the game, the Rams looked like a team more than capable of upsetting the Eagles, but the offense was flat after his exit from the game. 

Cadillac was solid, and he'll be great for the Rams this year in a back-up role, but Jackson is a game changer who forces defensive coordinators to plan around him. 

It will be difficult for the Rams to win the division without the Jackson factor. 

Jason Babin Is Not a One-Hit-Wonder

After seven years in the NFL and never recording more that five sacks in a season, defensive end Jason Babin had a breakout year for the Tennessee Titans in 2010 with 12.5 sacks and a Pro Bowl appearance. 

But given his first seven years in the league, some people assumed that perhaps Babin's 2010 season was only a fluke. 

The Eagles didn't think so when they offered him a five-year contract worth $28 million last July. 

Babin silenced his doubters during the opening game against the Rams as he recorded four tackles and two sacks. 

He looked like someone willing to earn his money, and that will probably not change for the rest of the year. 

Expect him to reach a double-digit sack total once again in 2011.

Josh McDaniels Is Willing to Change

The Rams newly hired offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels had an unimpressive debut for the St. Louis in the opener against the Eagles. 

The Rams 13 total points and one touchdown did not exactly reflect McDaniels' high-octane reputation. 

But one thing we've learned so far is that he's willing to change and adapt. 

In his five previous seasons as either a head coach or coordinator for the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots, his offensive schemes have never produced a 1,000 yard rusher. 

Some wondered how a running back like Steven Jackson would react to someone so unwilling to put an emphasis on the run, but today McDaniels proved he's willing to stick to the run game. 

He called for 25 run plays against the Eagles out of 66 total plays on offense, and his ground game resulted in 154 yards and the Rams only touchdown of the game.

The Rams showed they can run the ball, but McDaniels needs to get back to his passing roots if the Rams want to win against playoff caliber teams.