Rams Lose Aaron Donald but Keep Puka Nacua for Eagles Clash

The Los Angeles Rams are heading into Philadelphia down their biggest defensive anchor, but they will at least have their top young weapon on the outside. ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Aaron Donald is officially out for Sunday’s game against the Eagles with a back injury.

The silver lining for Los Angeles is that Puka Nacua is expected to play. Having Nacua on the field means the Rams offense still has a pulse, which they are going to desperately need now that their defense is missing its central nervous system.

"Adam Schefter reported Donald is out and Nacua is expected to play."

Both teams are limping into this matchup trying to wash off the stench of ugly losses. The Rams just dropped a 30-26 game to the Denver Broncos, while the Eagles somehow managed to score exactly one touchdown in a 27-7 blowout loss to the Chicago Bears.

Trying to survive a physical road game without Aaron Donald is a nightmare scenario for any coaching staff. Without him eating double teams in the middle of the line, the entire geometry of the Philadelphia offense changes.

That massive shift in the trenches is exactly why the betting markets will be adjusting the totals and spreads leading up to kickoff. An Eagles offense that looked completely broken against Chicago suddenly gets a massive break against a gutted Los Angeles front.

The Rams will have to rely heavily on Nacua and the passing game to turn this into a track meet. If they cannot outscore Philadelphia, Sunday is going to be a very long afternoon in the trenches for Los Angeles.