The Los Angeles Rams had a chance to make a massive statement against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday NIght Football. Instead, they laid a gigantic egg.
The Rams fell by a score of 37-20 as the Eagles gashed them for 481 yards of total offense, including an eye-popping 314 yards on the ground.
Star running back Saquon Barkley racked up 255 yards himself, and Philadelphia also got contributions from quarterback Jalen Hurts and fellow halfback Kenneth Gainwell.
While Barkley is one of the best the game has to offer and the Eagles actually own the NFL's best rushing attack, there was no excuse for the putrid display we saw from Los Angeles' defense in Week 12, and it made a glaring need abundantly clear for the Rams.
Better linebackers.
Los Angeles has an incredibly talented group of young pass rushers that includes Kobie Turner, Byron Young and Jared Verse. However, when it comes to stopping the run, Los Angeles ranks just 28th in the league.
So while Philadelphia certainly made the Rams' paltry run defense painfully visible, this is nothing new for a Los Angeles squad that is now just 5-6 on the season.
Players like Christian Rozeboom, Omar Speights and Troy Reeder (who is on injured reserve) just aren't cutting it. It is blatantly obvious that the Rams need better athletes once you get past the defensive front, or else they will continue to get leveled by top-flight ground games.
For all the talent Los Angeles may have on the defensive side of the ball, it ranks 25th in yards allowed and 26th in scoring defense for a reason.
The Rams have very gaping holes that good opponents are exploiting, and the Eagles did just that on Sunday evening.
Los Angeles is slated to have a decent amount of cap room to play with during the offseason, so it must address this pressing issue in free agency.
Sure, injuries are largely to blame for the Rams' lackluster record. Both Puka Nacua and Cooper Kupp missed extensive time at the beginning of the season.
But it's evident that Los Angeles has many more problems than just checkered health, and if the Rams end up missing the playoffs, there will be various reasons why.
A shoddy run defense will represent one of the biggest culprits.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/rams/ as Rams' Glaring Need Abundantly Clear After Eagles Loss.