Philly Gets the Rams at Half-Strength on Defense

Puka Nacua is active, which is the good news. Aaron Donald is not, which is the bigger story going into Sunday in Philadelphia. As I noted Saturday, the Rams are heading into this one uneven, and the defensive side of that imbalance is what concerns me most.

With Garrett on injured reserve and Donald out, Braden Fiske is carrying the interior pass rush largely on his own. He's been solid — five sacks on the season — but asking one defensive lineman to be the primary source of pressure against a competent Eagles offense is a significant ask. Josaiah Stewart is active off the edge, and the linebacker group has Nate Landman available, but the front four doesn't have the same teeth it was supposed to have when this roster was assembled.

On the other side of the ball, Nacua back in the lineup gives Stafford his full complement of weapons again. Adams, Nacua, Parkinson, Williams out of the backfield — that's a lot to defend. The offense can carry weight. The question, as it has been for weeks now, is whether the defense can hold up long enough for the offense to win the game.

The Rams are 5-4 on the road going back to last season. Philadelphia is not the easiest place to absorb that kind of structural disadvantage.