Charger Report

Chargers vs Eagles primetime thriller: Quick analysis and takeaways

The Los Angeles Chargers were able to come away with an thrilling victory over the Philadelphia Eagles, doing so on primetime. What are some quick takeaways?
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The Los Angeles Chargers completed a game on Monday Night Football, giving a primetime stage for both them and the Philadelphia Eagles that yielded one of the craziest finishes in recent Chargers memory.

With that, what are some quick takeaways that could be had for the Bolts?

RELATED: Chargers drastically improve playoff odds after wild overtime win over Eagles

Quick Takeaways

This entire football game was a mess. Turnovers, penalties, missed kicks and more all seemed to plague both rosters. Both teams were able to find some rhythm in the run game, allowing for some offensive fireworks.

Jesse Minter had an absolute masterclass of a performance, with unique fronts, pressure schemes and coverages. All of which allowed for a secondary that had multiple injuries in the middle of the game perform an elite level. The Chargers defense gave up 231 passing yards, most of which due to middling linebacker play.

The Chargers offensive line is incredibly awful. Pressure continued throughout the entirety of the game, with the record for the highest pressure rate in danger of being held by the Bolts. With a successful overtime period, Justin Herbert ends the game with a 68.3% pressure rate, which still ranks the sixth-highest in a game (min. 20 dropbacks) over the last 10 seasons, per NextGenStats.

Top Stat

There are so many different statistics that could be noted for this victory, but the one that comes to mind and is deserving of credit is Cameron Dicker being 5/5 field goal attempts, with a long of 54. Without Dicker, the Chargers most definitely would not have put up half the points they did today.

A few other stats that deserve a mention are Herbert's 66 rushing yards (which led the team), four interceptions thrown by Jalen Hurts and the Chargers time of possession being 38:05. All of which were also crucial in this electrifying win.

RELATED: Khalil Mack's potent pass rush stays hot, top things to know for Eagles vs. Chargers

Player(s) of the Game

With the top stat giving context to Herbert's heroics, Dicker's clutch kicks and the defense's impressive turnover creation, a tight race occurs for the true "player of the game".

With that said, due to the magnitude of the moment, Tony "Unc" Jefferson deserves the accolade. Jefferson was fourth on the Safety depth chart, playing limited snaps early on. Then came injuries to Derwin James and Elijah Molden, with Molden eventually being ruled out. James later returned and was paired with Jefferson as the Molden replacement.

Jefferson, with his late start to playing time in the matchup was still able to a major impact, collecting five tackles, a pass breakup and the game sealing interception. A fantastic performance for someone who is in his second year back from retirement.

What's Next

The Chargers are set to face off against the Kansas City Chiefs in an early 10 A.M. matchup, with the Bolts doing whatever the can to clinch the playoffs and gain better seeding while doing so.

If they are able to win against the Chiefs, they will effectively end the season of the team that has haunted the Bolts for nearly a decade. A big matchup on the way.

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Nate Gosney
NATE GOSNEY

Nate Gosney is lifelong Chargers fan and football nerd who has been writing NFL content since 2022. As a former OL/TE in a run-only offense, he loves some old-school, tough football. Gosney is also a Journalism Graduate from Chaffey College, and is now furthering his studies at Cal State San Bernardino. Follow Gosney on X for more updates: @NateGosney