- What you should know
- The Eagles lost to the Los Angeles Chargers, 22-19, in overtime on “Monday Night Football.” The loss, their third straight, drops them to 8-5 on the season.
- The Birds remain in first place in the NFC East, but the path to a potential first-round bye just became a lot more difficult.
- Jalen Hurts committed five turnovers in the loss, including two on the same play. It has Jeff McLane, who gave Hurts a D-minus Monday, wondering if the Eagles should bench him for Tanner McKee.
- If the team continues down this path, this collapse would be worse than 2023, argues columnist Mike Sielski.
- In addition to last night’s traditional “Monday Night Football” broadcast, which featured unretirement talk and more, there was an alt-broadcast that turned some Eagles into “Monsters, Inc.” characters.
- The Eagles next game is Sunday against the Raiders (1 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field).
// Timestamp 12/09/25 5:17pm
Eagles waive long snapper Cal Adomitis
The Eagles waived long snapper Cal Adomitis on Tuesday, opening the door for the return of Charley Hughlett.
Hughlett, the free agent the Eagles signed in the offseason to replace longtime snapper Rick Lovato, has been on injured reserve since late September after suffering a core muscle injury that required surgery.
Hughlett, 35, also had a neck injury in camp.
But his potential return has the Eagles in line to have their initial specialists back together for the first time since Week 4.
Jake Elliott is going through a little bit of a rough patch. The kicker missed from 48 yards before halftime Monday night. He missed an extra point and an attempt from 52 yards during a windy Black Friday loss to Chicago, and also missed from 56 yards indoors the previous week vs. Dallas.
“They need to stop,” Elliott said of the misses. “I feel like I’m striking the ball well. Last week, obviously, windy conditions. But no excuses here indoors. It’s frustrating.”
// Timestamp 12/09/25 3:54pm
Eagles are double-digit favorites vs. Raiders
Despite the offense’s struggles, the Eagles defense put up a bounce-back performance against the Chargers. Vic Fangio’s unit allowed just one total touchdown the entire game, and turned over Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert twice while sacking him seven times. Other than running back Kimani Vidal, who recorded a 60-yard reception on the Chargers’ third offensive snap, no L.A. pass catcher finished with over 25 yards.
The Eagles open as double-digit favorites on Sunday despite their current three-game losing streak. That likely has to do with their opponent, the Raiders. It has not been a good season for Las Vegas, which is riding a seven-game skid, including a 31-0 loss to the 6-7 Chiefs and a 24-10 loss to the 3-8 Browns. The Raiders have only scored 20 points once in their last seven games. Quarterback Geno Smith is also tied for the league lead in interceptions with 14. The Eagles enter the matchup as 11.5-point favorites.
- Spread: Eagles -11.5 (-105); Raiders +11.5 (-115)
- Moneyline: Eagles (-770); Raiders (+560)
- Total: Over 38.5 (-110); Under 38.5 (-110)
- Spread: Eagles -11.5 (-115); Raiders +11.5 (-105)
- Moneyline: Eagles (-950); Raiders (+625)
- Total: Over 38.5 (-112); Under 38.5 (-118)
// Timestamp 12/09/25 2:37pm
The Eagles’ biggest concern moving forward
// Timestamp 12/09/25 2:25pm
Reports: Philip Rivers joining the Colts
According to multiple reports, grandfather — yes, you read that correctly — Philip Rivers, who last played in 2020, is coming out of retirement to sign with the Colts practice squad, presumably with the plan of starting for the team if backup Riley Leonard (knee) is unable to suit up.
The Colts (8-5) lost starter Daniel Jones (Achilles) in Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, and Leonard, who came in to replace him, suffered a PCL sprain and is questionable for this weekend’s game against the Seahawks. Meanwhile, last year’s starter, Anthony Richardson, remains on injured reserve with an orbital injury.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 1:59pm
‘Incomplete’ Hurts is ‘not a top 10 guy’
The reigning Super Bowl MVP is not a top 10 quarterback in the NFL, according to ESPN analyst and Birds fan Ben Solak.
“He’s an incomplete quarterback. To me, he’s not a top 10 guy,” Solak said on the Up and Adams Show, when asked about what is fair to say about Hurt’s game the day after the Eagles extended their losing streak.
While offering Matthew Stafford, Jared Goff, Jordan Love, and Caleb Williams as examples of NFC quarterbacks that are playing better than Hurts, Solak also cautioned against overreacting to his poor showing on Monday Night Football.
“We can’t take a guy who is on a historic pace to avoid interceptions this year, by the way, and immediately just rip him down the rankings off of one four-interception game, two of which were batted balls,” he said.
But Solak said that recent games have shown Hurts’ limitations.
“Jalen has done such a wonderful job in the NFL working around his deficiencies, getting so much better in areas like situational management, he’s usually really good at avoiding turnovers, he is a great scrambler … But if you wanted to start a team right now and build a complete passing game, you have to do it with a guy like Caleb Williams’ arm and all the throws at his disposal,” he said.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 1:18pm
A.J. Brown owns his drops: ‘I wasn’t great when it mattered’
A.J. Brown believes he has the “best hands in the world.”
The Eagles’ star receiver, who has been open about the need for the passing game and the offense as a whole to meet its potential, and for the team to take advantage of his abilities, reached 100 yards for the third consecutive game.
He had six catches for 100 yards and made a few key plays. But inside the visitor’s locker room at SoFi Stadium late Monday night, it was the balls that hit his hands and landed elsewhere that stood out the most and had Brown looking inward.
The Eagles lost for a variety of reasons to extend their slump to three games. Jalen Hurts was nowhere near good enough. They had untimely penalties. Jake Elliott missed a field goal that proved pivotal. But Brown knows that his three drops changed the game.
Each one of them in isolation could have produced a different result Monday night. He wanted all of them back, he said, and was probably going to spend the long cross-country flight home thinking about them before he planned to “flush” the game when the plane touched down in Philadelphia.
Brown touched on all three drops.
“I’m more than capable of making those plays,” Brown said after the loss. “Jalen trusts me in any situation. I made some plays, but I wasn’t great when it mattered.”
// Timestamp 12/09/25 12:28pm
Some are ‘very concerned’ about the Eagles; others think they’ll ‘cruise’ to the playoffs
Ultimately, Stephen A. Smith said on First Take Tuesday, the Eagles lost to the Chargers because Jalen Hurts and the offense once again failed to step up and deliver in a big moment. While not all of Hurts’ five turnovers were his fault — one of his four interceptions slipped right through Brown’s hands — his game-sealing pick was a bad mistake.
“You can’t make that throw,” Smith said. “You’re in field-goal range, in a position to tie, you know how much is on the line. Dallas has a tie on its record in your division and they’re tugging at your heels. … If you’re playing this game like Jalen Hurts has shown he’s capable of playing this game, that is a mistake at that particular moment in time that you simply cannot make. He made it, and once again we find ourselves sitting here talking about the Eagles offense, because the Eagles’ defense, outside of the 80-yard drive to open the game put the Chargers pretty much on lock and key.”
Longtime former Colts center Jeff Saturday said he thinks the Eagles listened too much to outside noise about the offense, and moved away from the more conservative style that won them games last year.
“I’m very concerned, because I don’t think they know who they are,” Jeff Saturday said. “It was such a boring offense to watch, but they won that way. It was a very low-risk, high-reward profile that they were playing under. I understand their run game was struggling, their offensive line wasn’t the same, they’re not as dominant, I get all of that, but there is a style of play that translates to wins for the Philadelphia Eagles.”
Despite the concerns, Smith and the First Take panel still believe the Eagles will ultimately win the NFC East and make the playoffs.
“The Philadelphia Eagles are going to win the NFC East, they are,” Chris Canty said. “When you look at the remaining schedule, they’re going to cruise to 11 wins.
“That’s not the conversation we should be having about the Philadelphia Eagles. The conversation we should be having about the Philadelphia Eagles is how can they position themselves to go back to back, because that’s all anybody was talking about after Super Bowl LIX. … We were ready to compare the Eagles to those modern day dynasties. They are a far cry from that.”
// Timestamp 12/09/25 12:07pm
Former Eagles debate Hurts’ performance: ‘He was the reason they lost today’
No one has defended Jalen Hurts more than former Eagle LeSean McCoy over the course of the season, but even he didn’t have much to say in Hurts’ defense after his performance on Monday.
“Did he play bad?” McCoy said. “Yes. Did he play horrible? Hell yeah, but he ain’t no four-pick-type quarterback. He had a bad game. A lot of quarterbacks have that.”
“You guys have been waiting for a moment like this,” McCoy said later in the show. “You talk about Jalen Hurts all the time and you try to bash him. The truth is, all he does is win. You can’t really bash him.”
His podcast co-host Emmanuel Acho wasn’t buying his defense.
“Do your job,” Acho said. “… He’s been average all season, and he was atrocious today. He was the reason they lost today.”
// Timestamp 12/09/25 11:41am
LeGarrette Blount thinks more Saquon Barkley is the answer for Eagles
Eagles Super Bowl champion LeGarrette Blount believes that getting more touches for Saquon Barkley is the key to unlocking Philly’s stagnant offense. While Barkley finished the game with 122 rushing yards and a touchdown, Blount said the Eagles star needs the ball even more.
“You got to get him more and more touches,” he said on Good Morning Football, pointing out that while Barkley carried the ball 13 times in the first half against the Chargers, he only carried it 7 more times in the second half and in overtime. Barkley finished the game without a reception.
“That’s not enough to get it done,” Blount said.
Blount advocated for the bell-cow approach, despite the Eagles’ struggle to get the running game going during points of the game. Removing his 52-yard breakaway rush in the fourth quarter, which broadcasters said could have been called back for a Jordan Mailata hold, Barkley averaged 3.7 yards per carry.
It appears the team is still desperately missing perhaps its most important player. Since Lane Johnson was drafted in 2013, the Eagles are 15-27 in games played without him.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 11:29am
How ’bout that Eagles defense?
Lost in the offensive calamity Monday night was another outstanding performance from Vic Fangio’s defense, which came after its worst effort of the season last week.
Here are some highlights from the defense …
- Justin Herbert was pressured on 68.3% of his drop backs, according to Next Gen Stats, the highest pressure rate of any defense this season and the sixth-highest since 2018. Eight Eagles tallied at least three pressures against a banged-up Chargers offensive line. Jaelan Phillips and Nolan Smith each had seven pressures apiece.
- How did the Eagles replace Jalen Carter? By committee. Jordan Davis had an outstanding game, but he didn’t see a major uptick in snaps. Neither did Moro Ojomo. Instead, Byron Young saw increased work, Brandon Graham was used on the inside, and Ty Robinson was in for seven snaps. The defensive line dominated, too. Young was credited with 1½ sacks, the firsts of his career. The Eagles sacked Herbert seven times, with Jalyx Hunt’s 2½ sacks leading the way.
- Cooper DeJean was excellent in pass coverage, especially in his ability to keep Ladd McConkey in check. DeJean had a few lockdown coverage reps against the talented inside-outside pass catcher. McConkey was targeted five times and caught one pass for 12 yards.
- Nakobe Dean continues to excel as a blitzer. He rushed Herbert five times Monday and tallied four pressures and two quarterback hits, including one sack. Dean is up to 11 pressures on 26 pass rushes through seven games since returning from injury.
- Marcus Epps started at safety after coming off injured reserve with a shoulder injury. It will be his job to lose for as long as Drew Mukuba is out — which will be a while. Fangio doesn’t seem to prefer Sydney Brown being on the field in most situations. Epps has a chance to stabilize the back end down the stretch.
- The Eagles haven’t allowed more than 24 points in seven consecutive games and are allowing 18.3 points per game during that stretch.
- One area where the defense struggled Monday was containing Herbert when the quarterback decided to run. Herbert ran 10 times for 66 yards, his most rushing yards in a game since Nov. 19, 2023.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 10:47am
Will Eagles turn it around? ‘I thought they would until last night.’
Monday’s game against the Chargers was the worst game of Jalen Hurts’ NFL career. Hurts threw four interceptions and lost a fumble, which was on the same play as one of his interceptions, making him the first player in recorded history to commit two turnovers on one play.
“If you were going to tell me going into last night that somebody was going to throw four interceptions, I would have thought it’d probably be the guy with only one hand,” Dan Graziano said on ESPN’s Get Up, referencing Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert’s broken non-throwing hand.
So, is there hope that the Eagles can turn it around in time for the playoffs? Or is the offense doomed to repeat the collapse of 2023?
“I thought they would until last night,” Jeff Saturday said. “When you look at the way that they’re moving, the only thing that feels different about this than a couple years ago, their defense can win games, and they’ve already beat the best teams.”
// Timestamp 12/09/25 10:26am
Last time the Eagles offense was this bad, Terrell Owens was involved
Seven months after he nearly played hero in the Super Bowl, Terrell Owens started the 2005 season by doing sit-ups in his driveway after being sent home from training camp in Lehigh University during a contract dispute with the team.
Every “next question” from Drew Rosenhaus should have foretold what was to come: a Super Bowl hangover, an offensive meltdown, and an eventual split between Owens and the Eagles.
Parallels to today? There are a few. The Eagles did something Monday for the first time since 2005: Had a fifth consecutive game come and go without scoring more than 21 points.
The streak in 2005 was eight games, from Week 5 to Week 13. The Eagles started 3-1 before losing six of their next eight.
Things aren’t quite that bad right now for the Eagles, but it’s not a season with which you want to have many touchpoints.
“Everything is still right in front of us,” A.J. Brown, the closest comparison there is to Owens, said Monday night after a game in which he had three crucial drops. “There’s still so much to be optimistic about. These tough losses, tough little stretch, I’m not going to say it’s humbling us but we are doing what we need to do, going back to work and taking pride into that and get this thing turned around at the right time.”
// Timestamp 12/09/25 10:08am
Benching Jalen Hurts for Tanner McKee? There’s some merit.
It was all there for Jalen Hurts.
Despite the turnovers, missed throws, and maybe the worst four quarters of his NFL career, the quarterback had an opportunity to drive the Eagles to victory in overtime.
He did not.
Instead, Hurts tossed an interception — his career-high fourth of the game — that was deflected and caught at the 1-yard line and gave the Los Angeles Chargers a wild 22-19 win over the Eagles at SoFi Stadium on Monday night.
“As frustrating as the night was, we had an opportunity to win the game,” Hurts said. “In the end, I had the ball in my hands driving down the field, having everything on our terms to a sense, and I didn’t bring it home.”
The loss, by no means, was all on the sixth-year quarterback. … But Hurts’ imperfections as a dropback passer were again glaring. He threw over and behind his intended targets. He made the wrong reads and missed receivers either schemed open downfield or on check downs. He was in a fog and couldn’t see the field, especially over the middle.
There were some good moments, no doubt. But not close to enough. It seems unimaginable that Eagles coach Nick Sirianni would consider benching Hurts for backup Tanner McKee. Opening that can of worms may cause more harm than good — especially in the long-term — but the idea has some merit.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 9:28am
Injury report: Eagles escape L.A. relatively healthy
While the Eagles suffered a stinging defeat Monday night in California, they did escape relatively healthy, with the only in-game injury being sustained by guard Landon Dickerson (calf). The injury occurred in the first half, but Dickerson, who along with a few fellow offensive linemen has battled injury all season, returned to the game after the halftime break. With Lane Johnson already out with a Lisfranc injury, Dickerson’s health will be worth monitoring.
Coming into Monday’s game, the only two starters carrying injury designations were Johnson and defensive tackle Jalen Carter, who underwent a procedure on his shoulders earlier in the week. Both were listed as questionable, but were inactive as expected.
We’ll keep you posted if any other injury news emerges out of Monday’s loss.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 8:46am
Playoff picture: Eagles still on track to win NFC East
The Eagles’ (8-5) magic number to clinch the NFC East — combined wins and Dallas Cowboys’ losses — remains three following Monday night’s overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers (9-4).
Yes, the vibes remain bad, but despite three straight losses, the Birds remain on track to become the first team in 21 seasons to win the NFC East in back-to-back years. That would mean hosting at least one playoff game at the Linc.
Even if the Cowboys win their four remaining games — at home against the Chargers and Minnesota Vikings (5-8), on the road against the Washington Commanders (3-10) and New York Giants (2-11) — Dallas would still need the Eagles to lose two of their final four games to take the division.
NFC East standings
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The race for the No. 1 playoff spot in the NFC is another story.
Thanks to Monday night’s loss, the Eagles have less than a 1% shot at ending the season atop the NFC, according to the New York Times playoff simulator.
In order for the Eagles to earn the No. 1 seed with a 12-5 record, they’ll have to win out and root for a lot of losses from a lot of teams at the top of the NFC. Wharton professor and Eagles analytics nerd Deniz Selman has a full breakdown if you’re curious:
NFC playoff picture
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// Timestamp 12/09/25 9:13am
Jalen Hurts does something that hasn’t been done in nearly 50 years
When Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts turned the ball over twice on the same play against the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, not even the fictional characters of Disney/Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. could keep up with one of the most bizarre sequences in recent NFL memory.
It also proved costly, giving away three valuable points in what would be a 22-19 overtime loss for the Eagles.
Hurts didn’t see defensive tackle Da’Shawn Hand dropping back into coverage over the middle on third down midway through the second quarter and threw it right to the 300-pounder. Hand started running but was stripped from behind by Eagles running back Will Shipley, sending the ball bouncing into Hurts’ hands, only for Chargers defensive tackle Jamaree Caldwell to force another fumble which was recovered by linebacker Troy Dye.
According to Elias Sports Bureau, it was the first time one player committed two turnovers on one play since at least 1978, which is as far back as available play-by-play data goes.
— Dan Greenspan
// Timestamp 12/09/25 9:04am
A.J. Brown on how the Eagles can turn their season around
// Timestamp 12/09/25 8:56am
Sielski: This could be worse than 2023
So we know what kind of team the Eagles are now. It took 13 games, and to watch most of them was to experience the same amount of pleasure as when you slam your fingers in a door. But they have revealed themselves, and there’s no use disputing the diagnosis.
The Eagles are an excellent defensive team, and that is all, and that is not enough, not even close. Not with an offense like this. Not with this team’s tendency to commit untimely and inexcusable penalties. Not with so many questions that don’t get answered and so many problems that don’t get solved.
They lost Monday night to the Los Angeles Chargers, 22-19 in overtime, and we know now that the most basic assessment of their status is deceiving. They still are 8-5, still in first place in the NFC East, still on track to make the playoffs and, in theory, have a shot at winning another Super Bowl in a conference without a dominant team. But no one who has watched them can see through that spin, that false representation of who they are and how the rest of this season could play out.
They have lost three straight games, and they are poised for a breakdown as bad or worse than their collapse in 2023. That was six losses in seven games and a franchise that faced an inflection point with its head coach. This is different. This disintegration, if it continues, will be harder and graver, because it will mean their season is transforming from an attempt to defend a championship into a referendum on the coach, the quarterback, and any number of players who were presumed to be part of a talented and tested team’s core.
“Who said it was going to be easy?” Brandon Graham said. “This year, coming off a Super Bowl, man, all we got to do is make sure we stay together.”
Easy to say. Challenging to do.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 8:22am
Eagles fall to Chargers in OT behind Hurts’ four interceptions
On Monday night, the Hollywood lights were too bright for Jalen Hurts.
The fifth-year starting quarterback tossed a single-game career-high four interceptions in the Eagles’ 22-19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Backup safety Tony Jefferson called game, picking off Hurts near the end zone on a pass intended for Jahan Dotson.
The game went to overtime after Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker tied it, 19-19, with eight seconds remaining in regulation. The Eagles won the toss, and the Chargers had the first possession. Vic Fangio’s defense got gashed on the ground, but limited the Chargers to a field goal, giving the offense a chance to win the game with a touchdown.
On the first play of the drive, Justin Herbert kept the ball and rushed right for a 12-yard gain punctuated by a stiff-arm on Reed Blankenship with his injured left hand. Omarion Hampton followed it up with an 18-yard run to the same side.
Ultimately, the Chargers were forced to settle for a 54-yard field goal.
The Chargers and the Eagles scored one touchdown apiece. Los Angeles scored on its opening drive on a 4-yard pass to Hampton, while Saquon Barkley notched a 52-yard rushing touchdown in the fourth quarter off a Tush Push fake.
// Timestamp 12/09/25 8:10am
2025 Eagles schedule
- Week 1: Eagles 24, Cowboys 20
- Week 2: Eagles 20, Chiefs 17
- Week 3: Eagles 33, Rams 26
- Week 4: Eagles 31, Buccaneers 25
- Week 5: Broncos 21, Eagles 17
- Week 6: Giants 34, Eagles 17
- Week 7: Eagles 28, Vikings 22
- Week 8: Eagles 38, Giants 20
- Week 9: Bye week
- Week 10: Eagles 10, Packers 7
- Week 11: Eagles 16, Lions 9
- Week 12: Cowboys 24, Eagles 21
- Week 13: Bears 24, Eagles 15
- Week 14: Chargers 22, Eagles 19
- Week 15: Raiders at Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 14, 1 p.m. (Fox 29)
- Week 16: Eagles at Commanders, Saturday, Dec. 20, 5 p.m. (Fox 29)
- Week 17: Eagles at Bills, Sunday, Dec. 28, 4:29 p.m. (Fox 29)
- Week 18: Commanders at Eagles, TBD (TBD)
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