Los Angeles Rams' Defense Faces Big Test In Philadelphia Eagles' Aerial Attack

The Los Angeles Rams' pass defense has had a strong start to the season, but Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles' star receivers will serve as a measuring stick.

Most NFL fans recognize the Philadelphia Eagles as a team that leans on their strong ground game, but their passing game is no slouch either.

Jalen Hurts is one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the league, and a much better passer than many give him credit for. With three star pass catchers in tight end Dallas Goedert and receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, the Eagles' aerial attack has been a headache for many teams over the past year and change.

With a matchup against Philadelphia looming on Sunday, the Los Angeles Rams will be the latest team to go against the Eagles' fearsome passing game. Stopping that passing game will be key to a Rams victory, and on Thursday, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris spoke to the challenge of such a task.

"And it's just like those guys [Brown and Smith] bring such a challenge vertically to the game and their coach lives and dies off explosives and that's what he wants," Morris told reporters. "That's what he preaches and that's what he's been getting. And to have those two guys on the edge, when you got that kind of a run game and you know you're going to be able get some singles and even when they are doubled, they have the ability to come down with it. Those guys present all types of challenges."

The Rams have the league's seventh-best past defense entering this game, allowing just 184 yards per contest. Their best performance came in their Week 1 win over the Seattle Seahawks, when they allowed just 95 yards to quarterback Geno Smith. Most recently, the Rams beat the Indianapolis Colts in overtime while allowing just 196 passing yards as quarterback Anthony Richardson completed less than half of his attempts.

Meanwhile, the Eagles rank No. 14 in passing offense with an average of 226 yards per game. However, they did just have their best passing game of the season in Week 4 against the Washington Commanders, racking up 311 yards through the air. Brown had a particularly impressive day, catching nine passes for 175 yards and two touchdowns.

Ultimately, whoever controls the air will have a great chance of winning on Sunday.