The matchup preview series took a week off for week 8 against the Lions, as I was both much too frustrated with the team and overwhelmed with responsibilities outside of writing to spend my time analyzing the matchup of Quintes Cephus and Jalen Reagor. Now, the series returns after a 44-6 thrashing of Detroit where we saw some very positive signs from Philly on both sides of the ball. In week 9 the Eagles seek to pull off a major upset against Justin Herbert and the Chargers, who began the season extremely hot but lost some footing in recent weeks. Here, we go position by position to analyze how these two teams match up to determine if and how the Eagles have a shot to win on Sunday.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts wasn’t asked to do much Sunday, which was a good thing. It’s clear that Jalen was not fitting well with an offense where he was forced to throw 40 times a game every game – as would most young QBs. Hurts fares best in a balanced offense where he’s able to execute from the pocket and make plays with his legs when needed. Yes, Hurts missing reads and abandoning pockets is a major issue. But with the right gameplay, they’re ones that can be minimized – and Hurts can be productive on the field. Right now, it’s hard to say Hurts is anything more than a low-tier QB, but it will be interesting to see how he looks as the season marches forward.
Justin Herbert is a bonafide stud. The Sophomore has built off of his historical rookie campaign, launching himself into the conversation of elite-tier QBs like Josh Allen and Russel Wilson. Herbert has it all – Arm talent, pocket presence, mobility, decision making – and for a second-year player, that’s saying a ton. He’s had some less-than-ideal games recently, but he’s still one of the best young quarterbacks in the NFL. Point Chargers.
Running Back
It seems like Sirriani has finally embraced the running game, but unfortunately, Miles Sanders isn’t here to reap the benefits. In his absence, running backs Boston Scott and Jordan Howard received most of the touches. Both were effective behind a very good run-blocking offensive line, with Jordan Howard looking surprisingly explosive after his 2020 campaign. We didn’t see much of Kenneth Gainwell against Detroit, and I’m not very sure why, but as it stands this group is passable.
The Raiders running game is led by star back Austin Ekeler. Ekeler is a major threat in both the running game and receiving game, and when healthy, puts up production to match even the Alvin Kamaras of the world. Ekeler alone makes this group a strong one, but with nice change of pace options like Justin Jackson, this core is one of the better in the whole NFL. Point Chargers.
Offensive Line
This Eagles offensive line, even without Isaac Seamalo and Brandon Brooks, is truly a dominant one. With quality starters across the line and a great mix of veteran and young presence, this line has 0 weak links. The recent strength of this line has been the run blocking, where Mailata, Dickerson, Kelce all have elite mauling skill sets. Pass protection being elite is just an added bonus, as well as the insane depth.
To start the year, many believed the Charger offensive line would have a worst to first type progression after an abysmal 2020 year. There’s definitely been improvement overall, but it’s had some shaky moments and exploitable weaknesses in this line. Part of the improvement has come from the additions of rookie tackle Rashawn Slater and veteran center Corey Linsley. Slater has been an absolute game-wrecker at tackle, playing about as well as you could ask for any player, let alone a rookie. Linsley has also been as advertised, playing at the highest level possible for a center. Guard Matt Feiler has also been playing at an extremely high level, rounding out a great top 3. However, there are two weaker links on this line. Guard Michael Schofield has been less than great this season, but passable – the real hole is tackle storm Norton. Norton has been extremely poor this season, and his side of the line is one that can be attacked by pass rushers in order to neutralize Herbert. The Chargers line is far from bad, but due to the dominance of the Eagles unit, they get the point.
Wide Receivers
This Eagles wide receiver core still hasn’t seen too much in terms of high-end production, but the talent and explosiveness they possess is obvious to anyone who watches. Devonta Smith is a time bomb ready to explode when this offense finds out how to unlock him, and Quez Watkins is the same way. The lions game even showed how we can utilize Jalen Reagor to get the most out of his freakish athleticism and speed, and I think that it’s a good sign that the offensive staff have finally realized how to unlock this group – get them the damn ball.
The Chargers have a very, very well-rounded receiving core with some high-end veterans. Keenan Allen may have seemed like he’s lost a step, but he’s still one of the premier route runners in the NFL and a reliable target for Herbert. The real star of this receiving core is Mike Williams, who’s finally showing why he was selected in the early first round. Williams is a fantastic vertical and contested catch threat, with the ability to take over games if he’s left unchecked. This group doesn’t have too much in the way of depth, but Jalen Guyton is a solid third option. Due to the star power and provenness of the Charger’s group, this point goes to them.
Tight Ends
Dallas Goedert had arguably his best game of the season vs. Detroit, and that’s in a game where Jalen Hurts only threw 14 times. Goedert has proven on tape he can be a game-wrecker, and possibly the best target on the field for Hurts at a given moment. Elite production is on the horizon. The Goedert takeover has begun.
(Tyree Jackson is coming off of IR too but i liked the way this section ended)
The Chargers TE group isn’t super strong, but both Jared Cook and Donald Pahram have been solid targets for Justin Herbert when needed. Even so, Point Eagles.
Defensive Line
The Eagles defensive line had an absolute day against Detroit. It seemed like everyone was getting in on the action, from Josh Sweat to Derek Barnett and even Milton Williams. This line is, and has been, very strong. The aforementioned Edge rushers have been quietly wrecking offensive lineman for the first half of the season, and while sack numbers haven’t been high, the duo of Sweat and Barnett have been providing constant pressure against opposing QBs. The same can be said for Javon Hargrave, who continues to produce insane pressure numbers, and it’s only a matter of time before he starts getting in on the QB sacking action with the rest of these guys again. Cox even looked more comfortable on Sunday against the Lions, a very good sign for the future production of this unit.
The Chargers pass rush may not be as deep as the Eagles, but they certainly don’t lack high-end talent. By high-end talent, I really mean one man: Joey Bosa. Bosa is indisputably one of the top pass rushers in the NFL, and a nightmare for any offense to have to scheme against. Attempting to benefit from the attention Bosa gets are defensive lineman Jerry Tillery, Justin Jones, Kyler Fackrell, and Linval Joseph. It’s painfully obvious that this group is missing a great #2 like Melvin Ingram; none of the guys listed are really anything special. Bosa makes this group a passable one, but it’s obvious this point goes to the birds.
Linebacker
For the first time in what seems like forever, there is something to look forward to when it comes to Eagles LBs. Sophomore Davion Taylor has looked increasingly good over the past few weeks, and it’s a great sign considering he was drafted as an absolute freak athlete after barely playing football at any level. TJ Edwards was also excellent against the Lions, both in coverage and the run game, to the point where the Eagles felt comfortable releasing Eric Wilson. This group isn’t proven at all, but I’m excited to see how it looks as the season progresses.
With rookie Kenneth Murray out on IR, this Chargers LB core is not looking great. Drue Tranquill has been a solid player this season, but on the other side, Kyzir White has been less than optimal. It isn’t all bad, but neither of these groups has much to brag about. This point is a tie.
Cornerback
The Eagles CB unit is good. Really good. Darius Slay has regained his form as a top 5 CB in the NFL. Steven Nelson has been very very good at CB2. Avonte Maddox has started to live up to his draft position, arguably playing as THE best slot corner in the entire NFL. As long as the defensive scheme allows them to succeed, this group will.
The Chargers CB group has been inconsistent this season, but with stud rookie Asante Samuel Jr. Now ruled out for this game, it’s possible that this core is a straight-up weakness for the Chargers. Chris Harris Jr. is the only real proven presence in this entire group, and behind him will be a rotation of names like Tevaughn Campbell, Kemon Hall, and Trey Marshall. Yikes. This point goes to the Eagles in a landslide.
Safety
The Eagles safety group is led by vet Rodney Mcleod, who’s been a criminally underrated piece on this Eagles D since returning from injury. Ant Harris has been playing well next to him, and Marcus Epps has been solid in rotation and relief. This is a very solid safety unit overall.
The Chargers safety room is arguably the strength of this defense, and that’s mostly due to star Derwin James. James has returned from two years of injury and picked off right where he left off from his all-pro rookie campaign. Nasir Adderly has been playing extremely well next to Derwin as well, and while neither of these groups are weak, the Chargers get the point here.
Conclusion
In overall position group points, the Chargers tie the Eagles 5-5 (one tie). It’s pretty clear that the Chargers have a much better offense than the Eagles, and that has a lot to do with Justin Herbert. Herbert has the potential to dominate any given week, and with the weapons on this squad, there’s no reason to believe it won’t happen this week. However, it’s also clear the Eagles take the cake on defense personnel-wise. As long as Jonathan Gannon calls a good defensive game, the Eagles D outclasses the Chargers in multiple ways. This is a winnable game for the Eagles, and it all depends on whether the pass rush can get home to Herbert and whether the running game can gash this porous Chargers run defense. However, due to the gap in QB play, I, unfortunately, have to pick the Chargers to win.
Prediction: 24-21 Chargers
Subscribe to our posts and bookmark these feeds:
* * *
Noah Berger is a featured writer at The Birds Blitz. For more from Noah, check out his archive and read through our Eagles articles for the latest news about the Birds.
Image Caption: Photo by Anders Krøgh Jørgensen on Unsplash
