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

Things got very interesting in the AFC West on Sunday. With the Kansas City Chiefs losing to the Houston Texans, 20-10, in prime time at Arrowhead Stadium, the division is now a two-team race between the first-place Denver Broncos (who beat the Raiders) and Jim Harbaugh’s Los Angeles Chargers. It’s simple math. Andy Reid’s team is five games behind the Broncos with four weeks remaining.

As for the Chargers, they own an 8-4 record and look to be within two games of Sean Payton’s team by night’s end at SoFi Stadium. That certainly won’t be easy with the NFC East leading Philadelphia Eagles, losers of their last two games, the opponent on Monday evening.

It has been a different kind of the year for the Eagles, who finished 14-3 a year ago on the way to four straight postseason wins and a Super Bowl LIX title. Nick Sirianni’s team is 8-4 and have now twice lost consecutive games. Running back Saquon Barkley has not been close to what he was in 2024, while quarterback Jalen Hurts has had his ups and downs.

Chargers Giants — New York Giants cornerback Deonte Banks (2) defends Los Angeles Chargers cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (24) during a game at MetLife Stadium, Sep 28, 2025, East Rutherford, NJ, USA. | Yannick Peterhans / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Meanwhile, Harbaugh’s squad (0-2 vs. NFC East teams this season) has overcome a slew of injuries, particularly on the offensive line, to win eight games—including four of its last five contests. A lot of eyes will be on Chargers’ quarterback Justin Herbert, who is listed as questionable after suffering a left wrist injury in last week’s win over the Raiders.

Chargers vs. Eagles History

There really isn’t a storied history between these franchises. The Chargers own a three-game lead in the standings (8-5) and when these teams last met, the Bolts came up with a 27-24 victory at Philadelphia in 2021. The last time the Chargers hosted this series was 2017, when the Eagles came away with a 26-24 victory at Stub Hub Center (now Dignity Health Sports Park) in Carson, California.

Eagles’ Offense Grounded in Recent Weeks

The Eagles are 4-4 in their last eight games after a 4-0 start. Sirianni’s club has been limited to 17 or fewer points in five of those games. In their last four outings, Philadelphia has scored 62 points and scored seven offensive TDs. In Week 8, the Birds scored a season-high 38 points and five offensive touchdowns.

Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter’s pass rush has seen a recent resurgence. The Bolts have won four of their last five games and racked up 17 sacks in those games (5.0 by Tuli Tuipulotu). In their first seven games, this unit also had 17 sacks, but played four of those contests without veteran Khalil Mack.

Keep an Eye on Chargers’ RB Omarion Hampton

The 2024 Birds owned the NFL’s top-ranked defense in terms of fewest total yards and passing yards allowed. They were also 10th in the NFL vs. the run. The Eagles entered Week 14 a stunning 24th in rushing defense. This could be a perfect time for Chargers’ running back Omarion Hampton to return.

The Bolts’ ground game is averaging 122.1 yards per game this season—led by Kimani Vidal via 543 yards. Second on the list is Herbert, who has already run for a career-best 353 yards in 12 games. In Harbaugh’s head coaching debut with the team in 2024, Herbert ran for a then-personal best 306 yards in 17 games.

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