The 8-4 Philadelphia Eagles blew a 21-0 lead against the Dallas Cowboys Week 12, and then got physically dominated Week 13 at home against the Chicago Bears. They will look to end their two-game slide against the talented-but-flawed Los Angeles Chargers on Monday Night Football.
The Eagles will be without star RT Lane Johnson, their best defensive lineman in Jalen Carter, and starting rookie safety Andrew Mukuba. The Chargers have had their share of significant injuries as well, particularly along their offensive line, where they are missing their two best offensive tackles in Rashawn Slater and Joe Alt. Starting quarterback Justin Herbert will play, but he could be hampered by a fractured left hand. You can find the Eagles' and Chargers' inactives here.
As noted in our five things to watch, the Chargers are likely to lean on their rushing attack, seeing as (a) their quarterback is hurt, (b) their offensive line is a patchwork mess at the moment, and (c) the Eagles gave up 281 rushing yards to the Bears Week 13. The Eagles must stop the run first and foremost, force long downs/distances, and then get after Herbert.
On the other side of the ball, it was reported that Nick Sirianni was "more involved" in the offense's preparation for this matchup than he typically is. If you have followed the Eagles all season, you already know that the offense has fallen far short of expectations, to put it kindly. The Chargers have an excellent pass defense, but a not-so-great run defense. Matchups aside, the Eagles just need to look like a competent unit again.
The Eagles are 1.5-point favorites. Feel free to discuss the game in the comments section below.
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