by Tony Fiorello

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 24: Head coach Nick Sirianni of the Philadelphia Eagles talks with head coach Sean McVay of the Los Angeles Rams after their game at SoFi Stadium on November 24, 2024 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
Welcome to the 2024 NFL season’s Divisional Round Weekend. Here at Buffalo Sports Page we will attempt to inform and educate our readers about the upcoming playoff games and what each team might do to emerge victorious.
One of the NFC’s divisional round games will take place at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as the Los Angeles Rams will face the Philadelphia Eagles. Here’s what you should know:

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 13: Linebacker Jared Verse #8 of the Los Angeles Rams rushes the passer during the first half of an NFC Wild Card game against the Minnesota Vikings, at State Farm Stadium on January 13, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
RAMS’ DEFENSE REBUILDING
Former Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, one of the greatest defensive minds the game has ever known, favored a 3-4 scheme that asked his front seven to control one gap and play matchup-zone coverage behind it. Yet his unit between 2017-19 was merely so-so, leading to him being replaced by former Chicago Bears and Denver Broncos outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley.
Since Staley’s hiring in 2020 the Rams have based their scheme off quarters coverage, or as it’s more commonly known as, Cover Four, with each defensive back dividing the field into fourths with matchup principles to take away vertical concepts. This approach has been gaining in popularity in recent years throughout the NFL.
According to Smart Football’s Chris B. Brown, “It’s the most important defensive scheme of the past decade…. At first glance, Cover 4 looks like an anti-pass prevent tactic, with four secondary defenders playing deep. But therein lies its magic. The four defenders are actually playing a matchup zone concept, in which the safety reads the tight end or inside receiver. If an offensive player lined up inside releases on a short pass route or doesn’t release into the route, the safety can help double-team the outside receiver. If the inside receiver breaks straight downfield, it becomes more like man coverage. This variance keeps quarterbacks guessing and prevents defenses from being exploited by common pass plays like four verticals, which killed eight-man fronts. The real key to Cover 4, however, is that against the run both safeties become rush defenders (remember, the outside cornerbacks play deep). This allows defenses to play nine men in the box against the run – a hat-tip to the 46’s overwhelming force.”
This scheme – characterized by a four-man pass rush with many twists and stunts on the defensive line – can be excellent. Those games usually come from loaded fronts, with three linemen on one side of the formation and another on the opposite side. This helps create a lot of one-on-one opportunities when rushing opposing quarterbacks.
Staley’s success led to him getting the Los Angeles Chargers’ coaching job in 2021 and his successor, Raheem Morris, parlayed his run of good fortune into the head coaching position in Atlanta. Chris Shula, the grandson of Hall of Famer Don Shula, now runs this side of the ball.
Despite employing the league’s undisputed best defensive tackle in Aaron Donald, the Rams’ defense needed to rebuild in the worst way. Following their Super Bowl win three years ago, a salary cap crunch led to the team letting various veterans walk out the door and general manager Les Snead decided to go with a youth movement on this side of the ball.
Donald, a future Hall of Fame pass rusher on the level of names like Joe Greene, John Randle and Warren Sapp with his explosive quickness and strength, is now retired. Despite missing his obvious talent, L.A. has been able to replace his production not with one man, but by committee.
That committee includes rookies Jared Verse and Braden Fiske, second-year players Kobie Turner and Byron Young and nose tackle Bobby Brown III. Verse, a first-year draft pick, can convert speed to power and boasts quickness and good hand usage while Fiske, who went in the second round, is a good athlete with solid strength and can play two gaps at once. Michael Hoecht is a nice backup who is reminiscent of former Patriots Rob Ninkovich and Kyle Van Noy and Omar Speights and Christian Rozeboom are the Rams’ inside linebackers.
At cornerback are Cobie Durant and Darious Williams, but both are better fits in the slot rather than on the boundary due to their lack of height, explosiveness and athleticism. Veterans Kameron Curl, John Johnson III (currently injured), Kamren Kinchens (who L.A. likes to use in big nickel packages), Jaylen McCollough (their dime defender) and the versatile Quentin Lake are the team’s primary safeties.
Los Angeles ended 2023 20th in total yards and passing yards given up, 12th against the run and 19th in points surrendered. They were also 24th in sacks and third last in takeaways. This year has been more of the same, as they’re 17th in points, 26th in total yards, 22nd against the run and 20th versus the pass. Additionally, they were 21st in sacks and tied for 14th in takeaways.

GLENDALE, ARIZONA - JANUARY 13: Quarterback Matthew Stafford #9 of the LA Rams rests on the bench during the second half of the Minnesota Vikings versus Los Angeles Rams NFL Wild Card football game at State Farm Stadium on January 13, 2025 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images)
GREATEST SHOW ON TURF, PART TWO
After Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk, Orlando Pace, Torry Holt and Issac Bruce roamed the Rams’ sidelines over 20 years ago the team didn’t field a good offense again for a long time. That changed when Sean McVay took over in 2017 and he has created an offensive juggernaut in the City of Angels.
Prior to being hired by the Rams McVay spent 2010-13 working with Mike and Kyle Shanahan in Washington, and was also on the staffs of both Jon and Jay Gruden. The Shanahans were the most influential when it comes to McVay’s preference in the running game.
The McVay-Shanahan system relies on smaller, quicker linemen who can work in unison and push defenders towards the sideline on outside-zone running plays while leaving backside lanes for running backs. It has long been a staple of those coaches and countless tailbacks have had success in it – from Todd Gurley to Darrell Henderson and from Cam Akers to the current starter in Kyren Williams. Williams, who has good patience, vision and decisiveness when reading defenders and pressing holes, finished third in the league in rushing yards a year ago and tied for seventh in touchdowns on the ground despite missing five games and has continued to play at a high level in 2024.
In front of him are offensive linemen Kevin Dotson, Alaric Jackson, Beaux Limmer, Steve Avila and Rob Havenstein (ex-Detroit Lion Jonah Jackson is also on the roster) and they have helped the Rams execute most of their runs out “11” personnel (one back, one tight end, three receivers) and “12” personnel (one back, two tight ends, two receivers). This year, while outside zone continues to be their foundational run the Ram have also mixed in more “duo” (a form of inside zone) and gap scheme concepts.
One tactic that McVay and company love to use in the running game is to pull their tight ends (also known as split-flow action) along with sending their wide receivers behind them on fake end-arounds before giving the ball to their tailbacks. This is used to create hesitation for opposing linebackers and safeties, and the Rams’ love for sending wideouts in motion has expanded greatly to give their receivers the ball on handoffs and screens, to become crack-back blockers on running plays and to identify coverages.
Passing-wise the Rams are aligned with the West Coast offense’s principles. A ball-control passing game that can eat up clock while stretching teams horizontally rather than vertically, this version of the system features mobile quarterbacks who can move within the pocket. It also will have its skill players line up anywhere on the line of scrimmage to try and get defenses to declare their coverages and will align wide receivers close to the offensive line to give them more space to operate and to block on running plays.
Their passing game makes excellent use of intertwining route combinations, especially ones involving posts, crossing patterns and flood concepts with option routes at the deep, short and intermediate levels. These are mostly executed out of “empty” shotgun formations with “bunch” and “stack” alignments by their receivers, with many of their run-action plays performed under center.
Due to inconsistencies in his game former first overall draft pick Jared Goff was shipped to the Detroit Lions in 2021 in exchange for two-time Pro Bowler Matthew Stafford, who remains one of the NFL’s most dangerous passers. Possessing one of pro football’s strongest arms and uncanny pocket mobility, he has also developed a mind and accuracy to match while leading L.A. to a Super Bowl victory three years ago. According to former MMQB/SI writer Andy Benoit, “Stafford continues to make the big-time, tight-window passes that he has always made – he’s especially deft throwing deep outside against Cover Two…. His bold throws are now also good decisions.”
The weapons that Stafford has at his disposal are wideouts Cooper Kupp, Puka Nacua and Demarcus Robinson and tight end Tyler Higbee. Higbee is effective in the screen game and on wheel routes along the sideline opposite play-action bootlegs (also known as “leak” concepts).
Kupp, who accomplished the rare feat of leading the NFL in receptions, yards and touchdowns in 2021, is particularly great out of the slot, especially on corner routes out of their previously mentioned flood concepts. His quick feet, elite separation skills at the top of his pass patterns and understanding of coverages help him defeat man concepts, and Los Angeles also likes to use Kupp and company in what are known as “high/low” plays – with one receiver being the low man on short routes to influence defensive backs to cheat down low and take him away while creating open space for Kupp on deep dig routes in the vacated “high” area.
Due to injuries at wide receiver and on their offensive line in the first half of the season the Rams started off winning just once in their first five games but have gotten hot en route to winning the NFC West. As such they’re just 20th in points, 15th in total yards, 24th in rushing and 10th in passing.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 12: Saquon Barkley #26 and Jalen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles interact prior to the game against the Green Bay Packers during the NFC Wild Card Playoff at Lincoln Financial Field on January 12, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
EAGLES’ OFFENSE A DUAL THREAT
After Doug Pederson brought a Super Bowl championship to Philadelphia in 2017, things began to sour rather quickly in the City of Brotherly Love. Following a deterioration of talent thanks to age, free agency and the salary cap, general manager Howie Roseman let go of Pederson and hired his replacement in former Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Nick Sirianni.
Sirianni, who worked for Pederson’s championship-winning offensive coordinator in Frank Reich, has brought a similar system to the Eagles. Pederson offense’s – a chip off the old block from his mentor, former Eagles coach Andy Reid – is a West Coast-style unit that is built off misdirection concepts, quick underneath throws (especially on slant-flat concepts), screens, bootlegs, run-pass options and occasional downfield route combinations – mostly outside the numbers. Sirianni and offensive coordinator Kellen Moore also rarely utilize formations from under center – except for their patented “Tush Push” play, their famous (or infamous) version of a quarterback sneak – and have increased their number of “empty” sets to spread the field and make easier reads in the passing game.
Moore, who is in his first season calling the plays after stints in Dallas and Los Angeles, does a good job of using tight splits for his wide receivers and motion to get defenders to commit to soft coverage. He then has his wideouts defeat them with double moves, and he’ll also go no-huddle from time to time.
The Eagles’ top offensive weapon is arguably running back extraordinaire Saquon Barkley. The 6-foot, 233-pound Barkley evokes comparisons to Marshall Faulk and Barry Sanders for good reason – able to make plays in both the passing and running game, Barkley possesses the strength and quickness to break tackles and slither in and out of gaps. The quote “Give me 18 inches of daylight, that’s all I need” from Hall of Famer Gale Sayers certainly applies to Philly’s tailback, as he can make big plays with his burst and excellent vision.
Thanks to Barkley and backup Kenneth Gainwell, the Eagles have consistently been a top-10 rushing offense in the NFL over the last four years. They were second this year, and were eighth, fifth and first in each of Sirianni’s seasons at the helm of Philadelphia.
Helping them in that department has been quarterback Jalen Hurts. Hurts, a product of Oklahoma, has utilized his mobility on several types of read option plays with zone, power and counter concepts built into them and capitalized by rushing for double-digit touchdowns in each of the last four years – the only signal-caller ever to do so. He also has a strong arm and his accuracy, ability to identify coverages, manipulate safeties with his eyes and decision-making post-snap has grown by leaps and bounds while executing a passing game with defined primary reads.
But Hurts has developed a habit of looking at the opposing pass rush too much and bailing out of the pocket prematurely, and he also needs to get rid of the ball quicker. He also doesn’t like throwing the ball into tight windows over the middle and is more comfortable throwing outside the numbers.
To accelerate his growth, in 2022 Roseman acquired one of pro football’s most physical wide receivers in A.J. Brown from the Tennessee Titans. Brown, perhaps the Eagles’ best pass-catching threat since Terrell Owens, performs well out of high-low concepts and he, deep threat DeVonta Smith, slot receiver Jahan Dotson and tight end Dallas Goedert make up one of the NFL’s best receiving corps.
Blocking for Hurts and his cohorts is an elite offensive line made up of Lane Johnson, Jordan Mailata, Landon Dickerson, Mekhi Becton and Cam Jurgens (the latter two replacing the departed Jason Kelce and Issac Seumalo). They’ve become one of the best thanks to the development prowess of position coach Jeff Stoutland and can execute most rushing concepts (gap schemes, duo, inside zone outside zone etc.).
Beyond their rushing accolades, the Eagles were also eighth in total yards and seventh in scoring. But they were just 29th in passing.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JANUARY 12: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers is tackled by Zack Baun #53 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the second quarter of a game during the NFC Wild Card Playoff at Lincoln Financial Field on January 12, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)
PHILLY DEFENSE, GREAT TWO YEARS AGO, HAS BEEN REBUILT
The Eagles’ defensive play-caller from 2022, Jonathan Gannon, is now in Arizona as head coach of the Cardinals. Last year he was replaced by former Chicago Bears coordinator Sean Desai, and both were avid fans of longtime defensive guru Vic Fangio (a consultant for the Eagles two years ago).
Gannon took Fangio’s approach and got impressive results with them while leading Philly to a Super Bowl berth. Desai, meanwhile, struggled last in 2023, leading to an in-season demotion in favor of Matt Patricia and neither coming back this fall. Instead, Sirianni opted to bring back Fangio.
Fangio doesn’t like to blitz much. Relying on a four-man pass rush with stunts, twists and slants and two-deep safety looks often, he heavily employs well-disguised hybrid coverages that feature man and zone concepts – especially Cover Four, or “quarters”, with each defensive back dividing the field into fourths and matchup principles to take away vertical concepts.
This approach has been gaining in popularity in recent years throughout the NFL. According to Smart Football’s Chris B. Brown, “It’s the most important defensive scheme of the past decade…. At first glance, Cover 4 looks like an anti-pass prevent tactic, with four secondary defenders playing deep. But therein lies its magic. The four defenders are actually playing a matchup zone concept, in which the safety reads the tight end or inside receiver. If an offensive player lined up inside releases on a short pass route or doesn’t release into the route, the safety can help double-team the outside receiver. If the inside receiver breaks straight downfield, it becomes more like man coverage. This variance keeps quarterbacks guessing and prevents defenses from being exploited by common pass plays like four verticals, which killed eight-man fronts. The real key to Cover 4, however, is that against the run both safeties become rush defenders (remember, the outside cornerbacks play deep). This allows defenses to play nine men in the box against the run – a hat-tip to the 46’s overwhelming force.”
Although they were just 17th versus the run, they ended 2022 second in total yards given up, first against the pass, eighth in points allowed, tied for fourth in takeaways and were first in sacks with an eye-popping 70 – 15 more than the second-closest team (Kansas City). In fact, Philadelphia became just the fourth team ever to reach 70 sacks in a season – along with the 1984 and ’87 Bears and ’89 Minnesota Vikings – and were just three away from breaking the ’84 Bears’ all-time record.
In 2023 the Eagles’ defense fell off a cliff. While 10th against the run, they were just 19th in sacks, 26th in total yards surrendered, second-last against the pass and tied for 23rd in takeaways. With Fangio now back, Philly’s defense is back as well – they were first in total yards and against the pass (the first team ever to go from 22nd or worse to first), 10th versus the run, second in points allowed, sixth in takeaways and tied for 13th in sacks.
To have success this way, you need to get pressure from a defensive line that has depth and talent. Which the Eagles have in spades, allowing them to use a 5-2 front at the line of scrimmage (a departure from most teams who use a four or three-man unit).
It helps that Philly has rebuilt this unit from one that was veteran-laden to the youngest defense in the NFL. Once boasting names such as Fletcher Cox, Haason Reddick, Linval Joseph, Derek Barnett, Javon Hargrave, Ndamukong Suh and Robert Quinn, now the Eagles can roll out names like Brandon Graham (currently injured), Josh Sweat, Jordan Davis, Milton Williams, Bryce Huff, Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith on every snap and not miss a beat.
More change has come at the second and third levels of their defense. While cornerbacks Darius Slay, James Bradberry and Avonte Maddox remain (Bradberry has missed the entire season due to injury), the Eagles drafted Quinyon Mitchell from Toledo in the first round and Cooper DeJean from Iowa in the second. DeJean has had a very good rookie season as he’s displayed good blitzing ability, patience and physicality at the top of opponents’ routes. Safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson, one of the game’s rangiest and smartest centerfielders who can also play in the slot, holds down the back end along with Reed Blankenship.
After employing T.J. Edwards and Kyzir White two years ago and Zach Cunningham and Nick Morrow last season, Philly has upgraded at linebacker in the form of Zack Baun and Nakobe Dean (currently injured). Baun has gotten some consideration for the league’s Defensive Player of the Year award as he has made a near seamless transition from the defensive line due to his excellent awareness.
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