Eagles vs. Chargers predictions: Our writers pick a winner for Week 14

The Eagles bring their two-game losing streak with them to sunny California for a Monday Night Football showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

It’s a matchup of 8-4 teams jockeying for playoff positioning in their respective conferences.

Who has the edge? Here’s how our writers see it:

No Jalen Carter against a team with one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL, with the Eagles coming off of a game in which they allowed 281 yards on the ground. The Eagles’ offense hasn’t produced more than 21 points in their last four games. The maligned offensive coordinator’s house was vandalized.

» READ MORE: With Jalen Carter out, the Eagles’ defense faces an ‘accountability’ test at a critical juncture

All signs point to a Chargers win and the continuation of an Eagles collapse that has people pointing to 2023 for a comparison, right?

The oddsmakers don’t seem to agree. The Eagles are a 2½-point favorite, according to ESPN Bet as of Thursday evening. And that feels about right.

Justin Herbert is wearing a cast on his left hand, and the Chargers have a passing attack that should play into the Eagles’ hands, as long as they’re able to stop the run and get Herbert into third-and-longs. That may seem like a big ask without Carter, and it is, but the Eagles have had a solid enough run defense for most of the season to think Vic Fangio and Co. will make sure the last performance was just a one-game blip.

The Chargers do have a good defense, particularly their pass defense. But they did give up 30 first downs and 35 points to the Jaguars just a few weeks ago, a game that included Jacksonville rushing for 192 yards.

I keep thinking each game is a get-right game for the Eagles, and while I’m not sure the offense necessarily breaks out Monday night, I expect the Eagles to do enough to win the game, especially given the potential limitations facing Herbert.

Prediction: Eagles 23, Chargers 20

Something about this game is giving Bears 2.0 vibes.

Like the Bears, the Chargers are a team with a strong record against a favorable schedule, leaving some room for doubt about the legitimacy of their success this season.

But unlike the Bears, the Chargers are arguably more well-rounded on both sides of the ball. Herbert is one of the league’s best passers, ranking in the top five in completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns since he entered the league in 2020. When Herbert is incapacitated, like he was last week with his fractured non-throwing hand, the Chargers run game compensated with nearly 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

The Chargers are at a disadvantage on the offensive line, as evidenced by Herbert’s third-most sacks in the league this season (38). But the Eagles will be missing one of their top defenders in Carter (shoulders), giving the Chargers a break on the interior. If Herbert is limited by his injury, the Chargers are going to want to run the ball again, and the Carter-less Eagles can’t afford a repeat of the D’Andre Swift-Kyle Monangai experience.

Meanwhile, Hurts and the Eagles offense are set to face one of the best passing defenses in the league in the Chargers, who have only given up 168 yards through the air per game (No. 2 in the NFL).

The Eagles cannot afford to fall behind the sticks in this game due to penalties or negative plays. The Chargers will make them pay — they have 16 sacks on third down this season, which is tied for the third most in the league. The Eagles, conversely, have converted just 34.5% of their third downs, which ranks 28th.

On one hand, I find it hard to believe that this Eagles team, with all of its talent, will lose three straight games for the first time since 2023. On the other, these matchups aren’t exactly favorable for the Eagles, even with an injured Herbert factored into the equation.

Prediction: Chargers 27, Eagles 24

Omarion Hampton is trending to play Monday night, giving the Chargers a two-headed rushing attack against the Eagles. Does that remind you of anything? The Eagles failed to stop the run on Black Friday as Swift and Monangai combined for 255 yards. Expect the Chargers to attack the same way, especially as Herbert is expected to play a week after surgery on his non-throwing hand. Hampton and Kimani Vidal, who has been excellent since Hampton went on injured reserve, will be even more of a challenge thanks to the absence of Carter.

Just one team has gained more than 100 yards on the ground against the Chargers over the last five weeks so it’s hard to see this being the week that the Eagles finally get Saquon Barkley going. The best route to beat them could be through the air as Geno Smith had his highest completion percentage (78.3) of the season last week but the Chargers still won by 17. But it’s hard to express much confidence in the Birds’ aerial attack after Black Friday. This seems like a tough spot.

Prediction: Chargers 27, Eagles 17