Matchups and predictions for a pair of Eagles rivals in Week 8 of the 2023 NFL season

Rams offense vs. Cowboys defense

This really comes down to how much pressure the Cowboys can put on Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford. He’s really not good at all when he’s got some heat on him. 

Last week, the Rams’ played the Steelers. T.J. Watt and the gang were able to mess with Stafford so much that he only completed two passes to Cooper Kupp. That’s not where the Rams want to be.

For the Rams to get their offense going, Kupp needs to be able to eat. Sure, they have rookie wide receiver Puka Nacua who has been a delightful surprise, but he can’t be WR1 against a good Cowboys defense for the Rams to walk away with a win. It’s got to be Kupp. 

A good thing about Kupp’s dud of a game last week is that the guy is immune to having consecutive bad weeks when he’s healthy. That’s definitely something to look forward to.

If the Cowboys are smart, they’ll move cornerback Daron Bland back into the slot position to cover Cooper Kupp, but that might not be enough to limit a guy who has sold his soul to be a tremendous receiver. 

The Rams do have capable running backs, but it’s hard to say which one will start. It's hard to determine who will have a productive game. It's hard to know who Sean McVay will bench (and why). L.A. runs the ball well at times, but without Kyren Williams they aren't as much of a threat to do so.

Prediction: Rams +6.5

The Cowboys are going to win this game, but it’s not going to be a comfortable one for them. That just means that this will be another normal game for Dallas.

Don't expect blowouts. The Rams are good enough in the right spots to make this game competitive, but if their offense can’t consistently get big plays, they’re going to stall out enough times to lose. Luckily, this one falls in the early slate, so we won’t have to watch it. Good for us.