December 09, 2025
The Philadelphia Eagles played a weird, sloppy, and yet oddly entertaining game in Los Angeles against the Chargers. They lost in overtime, and have now dropped three straight.
As always, win, lose, or tie, we hand out 10 awards.
In the Eagles' first 11 games of the season, Hurts threw one interception. He threw one last week against the Bears, and four on Monday night against the Chargers.
On his first INT, Hurts didn't see Da'Shawn Hand, who had dropped into coverage from his interior D-line spot, and made a great catch. Hand then had the ball punched out by Will Shipley and the ball was recovered by Hurts, who then had it punched out by Jamaree Caldwell and recovered by Troy Dye. Wild play:
On his second INT, Chargers CB Donte Jackson seemed to be sitting on a DeVonta Smith stop route. He drove on the route, and made the easy pick while Smith slipped.
On INT No. 3, Hurts threw a little high to A.J. Brown, who had the ball glance off his hands and into the arms of Cam Hart. We'll come back to that one in a moment.
And finally, on INT No. 4, the game-sealer in overtime, Hurts tried to make a tight window throw to Jahan Dotson, but Hart made an outstanding play to fall back into coverage and get and hand on the pass, while Tony Jefferson was able to reach out with one hand and corral the pick.
That was a good play by Khalil Mack to read that Hurts was keeping the ball on the read option, and apply pressure on Hurts. And obviously, that is a great play by the two defensive backs.
It's probably worth noting that Hurts could have had a fifth INT on an overthrow, but the ball found its way through safety RJ Mickens' forearms and hit the ground on his diving INT attempt.
The Chargers' defense made a lot of great plays in this game. But this was also a disaster of a game by Hurts, who was given all kinds of opportunities to put the ball in the end zone, but couldn't break through.
Brown typically has some of the best hands in the sport. He has not had an very good season getting separation on his routes or yards after the catch, but he at least always reliably caught the ball when it hit his hands.
On Monday night, he was a drop machine.
Drop No. 1 was on a deep ball down the left sideline on a broken play. Hurts delivered a catchable play, and Brown couldn't make the catch. The Eagles eventually punted on the drive.
Drop No. 2 was the aforementioned Hurts high throw over the middle. Brown clearly sensed a hit coming, so he tried to make the catch and quickly pull his arms down to protect his ribs. But he never secured the catch, and a positive play became a turnover.
It's easy for a sportswriter or a fan at home on the sofa to say, "You just have to take that hit." And, well, it sucks but it's part of playing wide receiver in the NFL. Sometimes you're going to be exposed, but you have to make the catch.
Drop No. 3 was another deep ball down the left sideline late in regulation, and should have been a touchdown. Brown certainly thought he should have had it. Instead, the Eagles had to settle for a field goal.
All three of his drops were high leverage plays that could have changed the outcome if he had made any of the three.
There was also some questionable blocking from Brown in this game.
Brown wants to be the guy. But to be the guy, you have make the big plays. Brown did finish with 6 catches for 100 yards, but he left the big plays on the field.
The Chargers came into this game missing their two best offensive linemen, and the Eagles were able to get pressure on Justin Herbert all night, sacking him seven times. Jalyx Hunt had 2.5 sacks, Jordan Davis and Byron Young had 1.5 apiece, Nakobe Dean had 1, and Zack Baun chipped in a half sack. Jaelan Phillips also had a play in which he hit Herbert's arm as he threw, leading to an Adoree' Jackson INT.
It was imperative that the Eagles' pass rush won their battles in the passing game in this matchup, and they more than held up their end of the bargain, even with Jalen Carter out.
Tip of the cap to the Eagles' secondary, particularly Jackson and Cooper DeJean, who each had a pair of pass breakups.
The defense was outstanding in this game, and their performance was wasted by the offense.
With a 1st and Goal at the 2 yard line, the Eagles opted not to run the Tush Push as many times as it took before they got into the end zone. When the Tush Push was an unstoppable play, that's probably what the Eagles would have done.
But the Tush Push has not been as effective this year, so the Eagles tried running Saquon Barkley up the middle for 0 yards, followed by a TD throw to A.J. Brown that was negated by a Jordan Mailata holding call.
That made it 2nd and Goal from the 12. Two incomplete passes later, and the Eagles were kicking a field goal.
Over the last few seasons, I've watched with bemusement as other teams didn't have a cheat code play whenever they needed a yard or two and had a few tries to get them. The Eagles were one of those teams Monday night.
Another example of the Eagles eschewing the Tush Push for some other play was on a 3rd and 1 play early in the fourth quarter. The Eagles lined up in a Tush Push look, but instead pitched to Barkley, who ran 52 yards for a score.
On the one hand, Eagles fans can say, "Yay, Saquon ran for a long score like he used to!" On the other hand, a glass half empty view might be, "Great play! Buuuut they really don't think the Tush Push works anymore."
The Eagles' offense has been terrible this season, given the talent that they have on that side of the ball. But the one area where they have been great is in the red zone, where they have the best TD percentage in the NFL.
Not on Monday. They were 0/2, settling for a field goal when they they didn't Tush Push it in, and on the final drive of the game, when Hurts threw his fourth INT of the game.
As noted above, Phillips hit Herbert's arm on a pass that was intercepted by Jackson. That play happened just before the end of the first half. The Eagles had a chance to steal three points, but Elliott missed a 48-yard field goal.
Elliott now has misses in each of the last three games.
The Chargers' kicker, former Eagle Cameron Dicker, was 5/5 on his field goal attempts. He was the better kicker in this game, and those points mattered.
There probably won't be bunny masks at a parade down Broad Street in February.
The Eagles have installed the “positivity rabbit” into the locker room
— Ashlyn Sullivan (@ashlynrsullivan) December 6, 2025
It showed up today and the offensive line stressed to me they are not sad they just wanted a good vibes bunny 👍 pic.twitter.com/zJi0M93SEr
With the Cowboys' loss to the Lions on Thursday Night Football, the Eagles had a chance to all but wrap up the NFC East with a win in L.A. But, nope, their magic number is stuck at 3.
The Eagles final four regular season games:
• Week 15: Raiders (2-11)
• Week 16: At Commanders (3-10)
• Week 17: At Bills (9-4)
• Week 18: Commanders (3-10)
• Combined record: 17-35
In theory, the Eagles should still be able to take care of business and win the NFC East. Of course, that's what we thought in 2023 and then they lost to the horrid Cardinals and Giants.
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