Nothing is ever easy with the 2025 Eagles. Nothing. They overcame turnovers, penalties and sloppy play to hold a late lead in regulation and then to be in the red zone in overtime. And they still lost 22-19.
Brutal.
The defense was outstanding for most of the night. They gave Justin Herbert fits, but he used his legs (10-66) to cause them problems in some key moments. They sacked Herbert 7 times and came up with 2 takeaways. That wasn’t enough.
Jalen Hurts had a nightmare game, going 21-40-240 with 4 INTs and a lost fumble. He had been brilliant at protecting the ball until recently and now he’s become a turnover machine. Ugh.
This loss is on the whole team. Hurts had a bad night, but got plenty of help. AJ Brown dropped 3 passes. One of them could have been the game-winning TD. Another drop was picked off. Jake Elliott missed a FG for the third week in a row. The OL again had a sloppy night. One holding call negated a TD pass. Quinyon Mitchell had a PI late in regulation that kept the Chargers drive alive.
As much as we want to rip the Eagles over and over, we do have to give the Chargers some credit. Their defense is legit. They were outstanding in coverage. They flew to the ball and tackled well. Their offense is a mess, but Herbert is the kind of special talent who can do just enough to help his team win. If he wasn’t so mobile the Eagles could have had 10 sacks. That dude is hard to tackle and he’s tough as nails.
The Eagles had chance after chance to win the game. They couldn’t make the plays that were needed and it cost them. That’s what happens when you don’t play well overall and games stay close. You have little to no margin for error. If you let the other guy hang around, all he has to do is make a couple of plays and he can steal the win.
Some people are going to get all fired up about the season being over or the need for drastic changes. The Eagles have four games left and three of them are against bad teams. The Eagles have every chance in the world to win the division. It just won’t be as easy as it should have been. So much sloppy football.
Nick Sirianni has to think in terms of solutions. If cutting someone, benching someone or firing someone makes sense to him, do it. But don’t make moves just to appease frustrated fans. I spent the night yelling at my TV. I’m sure my neighbors would love to know why they heard “Goddammit Jalen” for three straight hours. Anyone on the team or following this team is frustrated.
They don’t just shoot themselves in the foot, they reload and do it again and again. Every frickin week. Someone tell them to put the gun down and get back to playing smart football.
There were positives to take away from the game, but they’re greatly overshadowed by all the mistakes and the ensuing L. This team does not want me to enjoy football season and they are doing a masterful job of making that happen.
The rested Eagles head to Cali to take on the Chargers. Both teams are 8-4, but still very different. The Chargers have had a lot of injuries and most people would say this team is about where it should be. The Eagles are on a two-game losing streak and have felt a bit like underachievers for most of the year. Same record, different vibes.
DVOA has the Chargers at 17th in the league. They have the Eagles at 11th. The Chargers haven’t played an overly difficult schedule. Their best wins are over the Chiefs in Week 1 and the Broncos in Week 3. The win over Denver came on a last second FG. LA started 3-0, then lost 3 of 4 and since then have won 3 of 4. They are a bit on the streaky side.
QB Justin Herbert is not 100 percent.
Chargers QB Justin Herbert says his surgery went well.
Herbert says he had a plate and screws inserted to stabilize his left hand.
Herbert says he is planning to play Monday vs. Eagles: “Yeah, that is the plan to play Monday.” pic.twitter.com/ghwrZSzYTt
He will likely have to play most, if not all, of the game in the pistol or shotgun. He hasn’t taken snaps from under center this week. That will affect the Chargers run game and play-action game. They will get RB Omarion Hampton back from IR and he could give the rushing attack a boost. Hampton has good speed and big play ability.
The Chargers OL has been a mess this season. Both starting OTs are out. RG Mekhi Becton has disappointed with his performance. The line just isn’t playing well.
Once again, saying “the Chargers’ offensive line is one of the worst in a decade” isn’t hyperbole.
Why can’t Justin Herbert have just one season without something being generationally bad — whether it’s the coaching, the defense, or the O-line? pic.twitter.com/9qU3fAOOSN
With Herbert being banged up and the OL struggling, the Eagles must win the battle up front and get good pressure. This would be an ideal night for Jaelan Phillips, Jalyx Hunt and Moro Ojomo to come up big. Jalen Carter is out. That puts pressure on the others to step up. Luckily they have favorable matchups. Win the battle, win the game.
It sounds like Marcus Epps will start in place of Sydney Brown. Vic Fangio’s scheme needs safeties who are smart about staying deep and attacking the ball at the right time. Brown had some coverage issues last week. Epps should have a better feel for that role.
Herbert has good weapons to work with if you give him time. Ladd McConkey, Quentin Johnson and Nick Sirianni favorite Keenan Allen are a good trio of receivers. They’ve combined for 16 TDs. Rookie TE Oronde Gadsden is an athletic playmaker. One of the X-factors for the offense is Herbert’s ability to scramble for time or just to flat out run. Defenses must account for his legs. Herbert has an explosive arm so if he buys a bit of time he can then find someone deep for a big gain. The Eagles must attack, but also play under control.
Fangio worked on a staff with Jim Harbaugh and offensive coordinator Greg Roman so everyone knows everyone. I don’t know if that gives an advantage to one side or the other.
The Chargers defense is one of the best in the league. They are third in yards allowed and 11th in points allowed. They are particularly good against the pass, but you do have to point out they haven’t faced a gauntlet of elite QBs. This game will be an interesting test for the Eagles and Chargers.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni has been more involved in the offensive preparations this week, according to team sources.https://t.co/dygawOqXDx
Kevin Patullo is still calling plays. Sirianni is getting more involved during the weekly meetings. It is possible he will have a stronger voice on gameday. We’ll have to wait and see about that.
This will be a tough matchup for the Eagles offense.
What’s the biggest challenge Jalen Hurts will see from the Chargers on Monday night?@FDuffyNFL breaks down why it’s third down dime defense. pic.twitter.com/hNpXaOjO8Z
The Eagles have struggled on third downs all year long. LA does a great job in those situations so sustaining drives will be challenging.
LB Tui Tuipulotu leads the team with 10 sacks. Khalil Mack has 4.5. He isn’t a force anymore, but still has his moments. Safety Derwin James is the best overall player on the defense. He’s one of those special players who can rush, blitz, play the run and is good in coverage. The Eagles need a good plan for how to attack him.
The Chargers have been vulnerable against the run at times. They have allowed 118 or more yards in six games. This would be an ideal week for the Eagles ground game to get going. We’ll see if the reported new wrinkles can help. Better blocking would be a great place to start.
I think Sirianni’s approach can help in games like this. He likes his players to live in the moment. Don’t get too up for specific games. You want a consistent approach every week. Ray Rhodes would give a fire and brimstone speech before big games. Then those teams would go and lose a game they shouldn’t. You need to be as even as possible emotionally.
This is a crucial game, but you don’t want the Eagles feeling extra pressure. Go play football. Be smart. Execute. That’s how you win. You don’t need some wild speech to get you fired up.
There will be a lot of Eagles fans at SoFi Stadium. That will be a great thing…if the Eagles play well.