Rams Intent On Limiting Explosive Runs

“It's tough because he's one of those guys where when he gets a crease, he can take it 60 yards at any point,” Shula said as his 2-0 Rams team gets set to visit the 2-0 reigning Super Bowl champs. “You feel like you play well and then next thing you know, boom. He hits it.”

Sunday, Shula is preaching gap control and discipline. No hero ball for the Rams' talented front, which is better known for its pass-rushing acumen rather than its run support.

“We just have to play sound. … Good gap, sound defense, good knockback at the line of scrimmage, gang tackle, pursuit and all the same stuff that you would play in traditional run defense,” Shula said. “You just have to do it every single snap because at any point he can break the game open.”

Shula agreed that Barkley is a unique player to stop, and the All-Pro will come in Sunday looking at loaded boxes with an opportunity to bounce back from a somewhat slow start in which he’s averaged only 3.7 yards per carry over two games (40 carries for 148 yards and 2 touchdowns).

“If you try to load the box to stop the run, it was what I was referring to. Then the next thing you know, he gets a seam and there's nobody else to tackle it so there are some levels and layers to the defense’s vision on him,” said Shula.

“That goes to the pursuit and the gain-tackling and everybody there. Any one-on-one tackle with space and Saquon is an extremely tough tackle as we all know.”

Complicating matters further is the plus-one ability of Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts in the running game, plus a passing attack that hasn't yet kick-started, all of which hasn’t been fleshed out in what has been a slog for the Philadelphia offense so far.

“That's the dichotomy of it.  They have great players all over,” Shula noted. “They have great receivers. They have a great tight end. You stop one guy, and you put all your resources to Saquon and Jalen Hurts can beat you and hurt you.”

The scars are still healing with the Rams.

“We’ve played him recently, obviously twice last year or the year before and he’s hurt us in the pass game, and we know he is definitely capable of doing that,” Shula explained. “You have to divide your resources accordingly.”

JOHN MCMULLEN'S PREDICTION: Eagles 28, Rams 24.