Earlier than he signed with the Rams final March, security Kamren Curl performed 4 seasons for the Washington Commanders within the NFC East.
That resumé makes him one thing of a resident knowledgeable on the Philadelphia Eagles, and star operating again Saquon Barkley, who performed six seasons for the New York Giants.
“I’m a little familiar with them,” Curl stated Wednesday.
On Sunday night time, the Rams will attempt to maintain alive their playoff hopes after they play the streaking Eagles at SoFi Stadium.
The Eagles are 8-2 and have received six video games in a row with an offense that options Barkley, quarterback Jalen Hurts, receivers A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith, one of many NFL’s finest offensive strains and a protection that ranks at or close to the highest.
“Their roster, top to bottom, is as good as it gets in this league, if not the best,” Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford stated.
Kamren Curl has needed to take care of Saquon Barkley (26) earlier than, when the security was a Commander and the operating again a Large.
(Icon Sportswire / Icon Sportswire through Getty Pictures)
Curl has performed seven video games in opposition to the Eagles. He confronted Barkley six occasions in opposition to the Giants.
“They’re going to do what they do,” Curl stated of an Eagles crew coming off a victory over the Commanders. “They believe in their players, so they don’t really switch things up.
“They think that their skill players are better than yours. … It’s going to be good playing against them again.”
Barkley has made the Eagles the highest dashing crew within the NFL.
He has rushed for 1,137 yards and eight touchdowns whereas averaging 113.7 yards per recreation. He additionally has two landing receptions.
Since leaving the struggling Giants as a free agent, “it’s not all on his shoulders,” Curl stated.
“He looks fresher,” Curl stated. “He looks faster. He’s always been a great player and now he looks healthy. And like I said, those skill players complement him and he complements them, so it’s going to be a good challenge for us.
“But I feel like if we play our brand of football, we can come out with the W.”
Kamren Curl (31) has lined up in opposition to A.J. Brown (11) and the Eagles as a member of the Commanders earlier than the security joined the Rams.
(Perry Knotts / Getty Pictures)
Barkley has been “a huge energy spark” for the Eagles, Rams coach Sean McVay stated.
“They’ve hit their stride, and it’s no mystique why they’ve won six games in a row and they’re finding their identity,” McVay stated. “And certainly Saquon is in the middle of a lot of really good stuff that they’re doing.”
Hurts has handed for 12 touchdowns and rushed for 11, as soon as once more excelling in short-yardage conditions with the Eagles “Tush Push” play.
McVay stated that at this level within the season, simulating the play in observe and “what that would actually be like and some of those rugby scrum-type of settings” is troublesome.
“It’s why they’re one of one,” McVay stated. “A lot of people try to emulate that, but they’re the ones that have done it at such a high level.”
Final season, the Eagles defeated the Rams, 23-14, at SoFi Stadium.
Now the Eagles have a brand new offensive coordinator in Kellen Moore and a brand new defensive coordinator in Vic Fangio. (Former defensive coordinator Sean Desai is a senior defensive assistant for the Rams.)
McVay has not confronted Fangio since 2018, when Fangio was the Chicago Bears’ defensive coordinator for a 15-6 victory over the Rams.
Jared Goff was the quarterback then. Stafford is now.
“They do a really nice job of disguising their looks and giving you a bunch of things to look at,” Stafford stated. “They’re not wasting players in any kind of coverage or anything like that.
“They don’t have somebody to cover an area of grass just to cover an area of grass if nobody’s over there. They’re always trying to buy back defenders and do a great job of using the guys that they have on the field. That’s what makes this defense a challenging one.”
And many others.
The Rams didn’t observe however performed a walk-through. Offensive lineman Rob Havenstein (ankle) and cornerback Charles Woods (ankle) had been listed as non-participants on the harm report. Cornerback Cobie Durant (thigh), offensive lineman Joe Noteboom (ankle) and defensive lineman Neville Gallimore (shoulder) had been restricted…. A day after the Cleveland Browns signed offensive lineman Geron Christian off the Rams observe squad, the Rams opened the 21-day window for rookie offensive lineman KT Leveston to return to observe from injured reserve.
