Red-Hot A.J. Brown Among Top 5 Storylines For Eagles-Chargers Monday Night

The Philadelphia Eagles will need to play better run defense than they did in losing to the Bears in order to win this Week 14 matchup, but there are other storylines, too, with a final score prediction.

Nov 28, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) makes a reception defended by Chicago Bears cornerback Nahshon Wright (26) during the second quarter of the game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images | Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

LOS ANGELES – The Eagles will be without their two best linemen, with right tackle Lane Johnson set to miss his third straight game with an ankle injury, and defensive tackle Jalen Carter about to miss his third game this year, this time after having platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections on both shoulders last week.

The Chargers might not have their star quarterback Justin Herbert, who had hand surgery to repair a broken bone last week, and is listed as questionable.

Regardless of who is in or out – it’s Week 14, teams have injuries – this game is a big one for postseason hopes. Both teams are 8-4, and the Eagles have lost two in a row.

Here are five storylines with a final score prediction:

Run defense. Nobody needs a reminder of what the Bears did to the Eagles on the ground. If Vic Fangio didn’t figure out how to defend the cutbacks into the middle of the line, it could be a big night for rookie Omarion Hampton, who is making his return to the lineup after being injured on Oct. 5.

Jalen Hurts. The quarterback must play better than he did against Chicago. It was windy, yes, but he struggled with accuracy and, more importantly, didn’t seem to see receivers that were open.

Nov 10, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Philadelphia Eagles tight end Dallas Goedert (88) attempts to make a catch against the Green Bay Packers in the second half at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

A.J., Smitty, and Dallas. It’s a broken record to say that Saquon Barkley needs to get the running game jump-started. It just hasn't happened. So why not focus on the three targets in the pass game? A.J. Brown has had back-to-back games with more than 100 yards, including three in his last five games, DeVonta Smith leads the NFL with 344 receiving yards on third down, and Goedert has seven touchdowns, but hasn’t had one since he got two against the Giants on Oct. 26.

Cooper. The Eagles slot corner will be put to the test with the versatile duo of Ladd McConkey and Keenan Allen. Cooper DeJean has been up to the task much of the season. DeJean has allowed the second-fewest yards per coverage snap among the league’s slot corners at 0.73, per Pro Football Focus. PFF also has him as its highest-graded slot corner in run defense at 82.8.

Coaching. Nick Sirianni has been one of the league’s more successful coaches since taking over the Eagles five years ago. Jim Harbaugh, who is in his second year with Chargers, had most of his success with the Chargers from 2004-06 and the 49ers 2011-14, but both coaches have over 75 games and a .680 winning percentage. That makes this the first meeting between two head coaches with this resume to meet in the regular season since 1988 when Chicago’s Mike Ditka and Washington’s Joe Gibbs met.

Prediction. The Eagles need to remember the strong teams they have mowed down already this season – the Rams, Packers, and Lions. If they do that, they should win this game.

Eagles 27, Chargers 22

Season record: 7-5

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