Philly Leader

As the Philadelphia Eagles prepare for their upcoming Divisional Round matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio faces a challenge in adjusting to the absence of linebacker Nakobe Dean. Dean played a pivotal role in the Eagles' previous victory over the Rams on November 24, contributing significantly with eight tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. However, his season has been cut short due to a knee injury.

Fangio is considering deploying both veteran Oren Burks and rookie Jeremiah Trotter Jr. alongside All-Pro Zack Baun to fill the void left by Dean. "I think Trot's got a good future," Fangio stated at the NovaCare Complex. "That future may be now."

Zack Baun will take on additional responsibilities this Sunday as he wears the helmet with the green dot, receiving play calls from Fangio and relaying them to his teammates. The Eagles are set to face a formidable Rams offense that recently secured an impressive 27-9 victory over Minnesota.

Burks brings experience from his time with the San Francisco 49ers, while Trotter showed promise during his regular-season appearances. "He's a good athlete, can run," Fangio remarked about Burks' performance.

Fangio also highlighted improvements made by defensive end Nolan Smith, who delivered two sacks and seven tackles against Green Bay. "He's improved in all areas," Fangio noted.

On offense, Coordinator Kellen Moore aims for better execution after acknowledging that last Sunday's game against Green Bay was not their best performance. In their previous encounter with the Rams, running back Saquon Barkley rushed for 255 yards and two long touchdowns. Moore expects Los Angeles to focus on stopping Barkley this time around.

The Rams defense demonstrated its strength by sacking Minnesota's quarterback nine times on Monday night. Moore emphasized avoiding third-and-long situations for quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Tight end Dallas Goedert received praise from Moore for his contributions both in receiving and blocking during Sunday's game against Green Bay.

Special Teams Coordinator Michael Clay expressed enthusiasm about Oren Burks' impactful play on special teams last Sunday. Clay mentioned using new combinations in kick coverage and stressed the importance of fielding their best players as they prepare for another challenging matchup against Los Angeles' strong special teams unit.

The NFC Divisional Round Playoff game promises to be competitive as both teams bring momentum into Sunday's clash.