December 9, 2025 • 34 mins
Arguably the greatest Chargers quarterback in franchise history is attempting a career revival... and it's still not the most bizarre Bolts story of the day. That's because the Los Angeles Chargers defeated the Philadelphia Eagles on Week 14's Monday Night Football in a game featuring 8 fumbles (5 lost), 4 Jalen Hurts interceptions and one Saquon Barkley house call touchdown. Gregg Rosenthal and Nick Shook handle recap duties for this wild game, before discussing the sheer possibility that Philip Rivers plays quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts in 2025, following Daniel Jones' Achilles injury.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Kerts in the shotgun.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
A touchdown would win it for the Eagles. Kerts pulls it, Froze.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Intercepted, game over, intercepted Dame over dayon Henley game over.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
The fourth interception Tony Jefferson.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Ump doesn't the bowl always finds Tony Jefferson. It was
tipped to him.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Unbelievable way to end this game for the second week
in a row.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Tony Jefferson with a huge interception.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Ow.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Tony Jefferson calls game. Matt Montey Smith calls game as well.
Chargers winning overtime twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Two to nineteen.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
After an incredible diving tip from Chargers cornerback Cam Hart.
It's been their secret sauce all season, these cornerbacks, and yes,
Tony Jefferson, who a couple of years ago was in
the scouting department of the Baltimore Ravens, gets the game
winning interception and the Chargers survive in one of the
nuttiest games of the entire season. I was watching it
(01:12):
at so far across the street here it shook. Did
it look as stupidly entertaining on TV as it was
in person?
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Absolutely? Do you love slot beest.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Do you love crazy bounces of the spheroid that we
call a football.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Then you're gonna absolutely love this game.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Do you do you love it when a diva receiver
lets the ball go off his hands for an interception
and then you see three turnovers happen in.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
One play, an interception, a fumble and another fubble. Is
this was great?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It was highly entertaining, even if it wasn't precise well
executed football all the time.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Well they always they wrote that book back in the
day like the greatest game ever played, you know, the
game that changed football Giants Colt Like there was seven
turnovers in the first half of that game, So an
ugly game can be great, and this was great. I
don't know if it was the greatest game ever played,
but it did include eight fumbles.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Five were recovered.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
I believe we got up to seven turnovers for those
who were Jalen Hurts interceptions, which was, you know, more
than he had by far all season. But yeah, when
they were driving at the end of the game, that
play reminded me just a little bit of the Malcolm
Butler play in that it felt like one team is
going in for a game winning touchdown. Obviously they're not
(02:24):
on the goal line or anything. And instead, in one
second you hear Matt mney Smith on that call a
touchdown you know, could win the game for the Eagles. Instead,
it completely flips. Matt money Smith said he's been calling games.
I just saw him walk by with Daniel Jeremiah. He's
been calling games for fifteen years. He has never blown
(02:45):
out his voice before. He could not speak before, like
it cracked. It was over and it was that kind
of game. And maybe I shouldn't be that shocked because
for every good play that Jalen Hurts made tonight, and
he did have a good drive at the end of regulation,
he got them into position there into overtime, there was
(03:06):
another play where he was just half a second late
and he let the Chargers make.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Plays because of it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, and I hate to start with the negative, but
it's pretty clear to me at this point in the
season with the Eagles and their dysfunctional offense that is
constantly stuck in the mud, that there if they just
operated with a sense of urgency that they display in
key moments, they'd be a much better team, like when
they have when their backs are against the wall and
they have to produce, they move the football, they do
it well. Jalen Hurt steps up in overtime and throws
(03:33):
a bullet to DeVonta Smith.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
On third and sixteen.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
He finds aj Brown on a quick slant that moves
them into field goal range just before the end of regulation.
Like they're capable of doing this, it's just that they're
over complicating everything. And he's holding onto the ball a
little too long, and it's almost as if the perfectionist
in him is trying too hard to make the perfect
play instead of the play that his instincts tell him
to make. And that is a huge reason why they're
just so stuck right now and why they end up
losing games like this. And he commits the amount of
(03:57):
turnovers that he did tonight.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Yeah, it's so funny because he plays such a safe
brand of football, like that's his biggest problem, safe, right,
And yet the last couple of weeks, it's suddenly like
the one thing that he had as a superpower, which
was avoiding these turnovers, is suddenly turning around on him. Hell,
(04:19):
he had turnovers, as you mentioned in one play.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
And then here comes a bliss from Day on ticket.
They are intercepted big man.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Oh and the ball is out.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
And the ball is out again, the Chargers fall on
In my goodness, that's an interception, a fumble recovery by
the offense, and a fumble recovery by the defense.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Let's get it all sorted out. When it's all uncovered,
it's troy Don. It's got the ball. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Oh man, Troy Die, who also had a big sports
fumble I believe in the game, wasn't on special tea.
I'm losing track of how many different fumbles there were
in this game.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I thought like, man, I've never seen two turnovers in
one play like that. And then my son Walker, who
was next to me at the game and is in
the control room right now literally being our video playback operator.
He's hitting the button for the highlights, which is incredible.
He was like, no, there was three turnovers in that play.
And yes, apparently that according to Alia Sports Bureau, yeah,
(05:27):
that's the first play they have on record that one
person committed two turnovers in a single play.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
You never know what you're gonna say.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
You know that we love our listeners, right, So one
of our listeners reached out to me via Instagram DMS
Andrew Khalil said, Hey, can you and Greg please look
into whether or not anyone else in NFL history prior
to Jalen Hurts has thrown an interception and fumbled the
ball in the same place. So I asked our research
team and they said, according to the information system that
they use, that it's the first two turnover play committed
by a player since at least nineteen ninety one.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So we saw history. Tonight wasn't the greatest game, but
we saw history.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I mean you said it by pointing out like the
great the good throws that Jalen Hurts had, like the
DeVante rip over the middle. I made a comment when
he nearly threw an interception on a pass over the
middle in the first quarter. They called it a pick
and then it was overturned upon review. It's like, well,
that's why Jalen Hurts doesn't throw the ball over the middle,
(06:19):
and Eagles fans are getting mad and the mentions and everything,
and actually he did have a couple really nice anticipation
throws over the middle in this game. But like for
every good play that they make, for every play that
aj Brown makes tonight, you mentioned the drop that he had,
and he had really three or four passes. You know,
(06:40):
the first throw of the game could have been a
long touchdown to AJ Brown. He can't bring it down.
There's another play I believe it was the last drive
of regulation, not overtime, right where Hurts throws it up
on third down and I'm watching that pass and I'm like,
you know, Brown is well covered. I don't know about that,
And actually he put perfect amount of air under it,
(07:00):
and AG Brown could have made a play. And AJ Brown,
even though he gets one hundred yards, like, didn't make
enough plays in this game.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yeah, And I think we had three total drops at
least off off that tally. And it's kind of mystifying
because it is a receiver he usually has very sure,
very strong hands, losing the battle at the catchpoint against
the defensive back and really on his own volition just
by dropping these passes. And it also like it's a
great example of the Eagles. Now they started the game
with this, but they also had this third or fourth
(07:27):
down tendency to just say, f it, We're just going
to throw it to AJ Brown down the field somewhere,
and one on one. They did it again in overtime
before they hit that third and sixteen, And it just
kind of points to me the dysfunction of this team overall,
because what has been the narrative with this team throughout
this entire season. A J.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Brown is unhappy.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
It's it's a nightmare as he wants to describe it
in different words on a Twitch stream. And then when
the opportunity presents itself for him time and time again
in this game, he fails to deliver. I mean, the
ball over the middle that ended up in an interception
was it was a high ball, but it hit him
right in the hands. Just a shocking display of a
lacks of lack of execution for one of the best
receivers in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Taekwon Barkley has a big play in this game, and
we'll listen to it in a little bit, but I
do want to point out how like the success rate
for both these teams running the ball was actually really poor.
There was a lot of negative runs by Barkley that
put them in bad down and distance situations. Kimani Viidel
got most of the carries for the Chargers, their success
(08:27):
rate was even lower. Making a mistake, This was a
defensive game not only the turnovers. There were twenty seven
drives in this game, which is an incredibly big amount.
Where were we talking about a game on Sunday where
one of the teams had six drives like the Eagles
in this game had.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Uh it was the Broncos game Bronx Raiders.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
So the Broncos had six drives, the Eagles had fourteen drives,
the Chargers had thirteen. And yet the Chargers still didn't
crack three hundred yards and the Eagles didn't I don't
believe until overtime. Like the Chargers somehow survived the game
where Justin Herbert throws for one hundred and thirty nine yards.
This was such a strange game. He is their leading
(09:06):
rusher despite them being very run heavy. Their leading receiver
is Kimani Videll, who had exactly one catch and it
was on the third play of the game. It was
like a sixty yard dump off to videl where he,
like you know, gets loose on the sideline. They really
couldn't get anything going consistently on offense except for Herbert scrambling.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
And yet despite all that, I think Herbert played a
pretty good game. How would you describe this justin Herbert game.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
As they get to nine to four and they keep
winning games this year that in the past you would say, Oh,
they're going to charger this one, and instead they're they're
finding ways to win them.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Now, dude, that's the defining theme of their season, is
that they in games in which they would charge it away,
they are doing the opposite.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
They're winning these games, which.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
I don't know if that's emblematic of a regime change
and a culture change taking effect, I don't know. Will
unpack that eventually, but what I will say is that
for as many takes ways as they got, they couldn't
turn anything into points.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Justin Herbert led them in rushing.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
A guy with a broken left hand with a pad
on it trying to stiff arm defenders with a broken
left hand lead you in rushing. How about this you
do want to talk about like this is why numbers
don't scan the box scores guys on the next morning.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
I know that people used to do it with the
newspapers and now you do it with the internet. Don't
do it. That is not defining this game.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Because he finished ten to twenty one, I believe that
was his passing line. He was sacked a career high
seven times. He completed a career low forty six point
two percent of his passes.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
He posted the lowest.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Passer rating in a weir and win in his career
on Monday Night, and.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
He won the game. And he's been sacked six or
more times in three games in his career.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
He's three and oho.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
In those games.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
This justifies the idea that he's Superman because he's overcoming
in incredible odds that are against him.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
That's all absolutely true.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
It's so hard to pick apart Herbert in general because
of the team he plays for, and especially this year,
because everything you said is true. And he had three
or four really awesome throws tonight. He did not have
any open receivers. That really stuck out. One of the
reasons why he kept holding the ball. I'm watching it,
(11:13):
you know, I got the all twenty two. We're up
in the third section and got live and like, they're
just not creating open receivers with formations, with motion, with rubs,
with anything.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Guys are covered.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
And he had some nice plays where he was on
the move and he would like throw it over the middle,
and he had some side arms. All that said something
DJ and Money said to me, and I totally agree
it was gonna be. One of my big points today
is he left the pocket without any pressure a lot.
I think he got spooked fairly early in this game
with good reason that, like the pressure was not gonna
(11:49):
his protection was not gonna hold up, and when it
did hold up, he would just leave anyways. But it's
kind of hard to blame him when you're just watching
Bradley Boseman be like, Hey, Nikobe Dean, would you like
to justlit's up the middle? Why don't I just let
you walk right by me? Again and again? They're running
the same blitz over and over. It's not even a
blitz some of the times because it looks like they're
(12:09):
going to rush five and it's only four. And so
it's hard to blame Herbert too much. And some of
his runs where he made people miss and obviously showed toughness,
were among the biggest reasons they won this game, so overall, like,
I think he played great, and yet it's a systemic
problem that honestly has me pretty worried. In the wrong matchup,
basically against any good pass rush, they're going to be
(12:30):
in trouble.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
In fact, Nikobe Deane got home so often that the
one time he was an unabated rusher, like just complete
free rusher to Justin Herbert, he ends up whiffing on
a sack attent and Herbert turns it into a positive
gain on the ground because he was just I think
he was probably surprised that he didn't run into Commandi
Vadal for the first time all night. And you're right,
And things got worse once they lost Trey Pipkins to
injury the right tackle and they had to replace him
(12:52):
with another body. It's been the story of their entire season.
They cannot stay healthy upfront. They have different offensive line
combinations every week. But I think two things can be true,
and that Herbert did play really well, given the fact
that his stat line does not reflect that, and at
the final score while they win by three points, doesn't
reflect that because he had to overcome so much. But
he also did step up into pressure at times. Greg,
(13:13):
if you had to guess, what do you think his
average time to throw was tonight three three point two
to one seconds, which is far too long to hold
onto the football behind that offensive line. But I think
you're absolutely right that at times he didn't trust his
line and felt like he needed to do what Deshaun
Watson used to do in Houston, which is break clean
pockets because he didn't trust his offensive line. And not
to say that the pocket was clean all the time,
because it wasn't, but it just felt a little bit unnecessary.
(13:35):
And yet they find a way to win. They have
to give a game ball to Cameron Dicker for hitting
all these field goals to win this game. Is it
a viable path to success down the road? Probably not
big reason that you should be concerned about this team,
but we should also give credit to their defense of
playing good ball and stepping up in the big spot.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
Look, Tim Harbough thinks it's a path to success. He's
playing this way the whole game. He's kicking field goals
on fourth and two in the red zone and it's
working for me. He kicked it also on a punt
when he had a fourth and short, kind of in
the middle of the field where most coaches at this
(14:12):
point are gonna go for it, and I don't really Clay.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Of all people, of all people, Troy Aikman pointed to
analytics on the broadcast and said, you know, analytics says
you should go for it here, but that's not Harbaugh's style.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
No, And I think about the first drive of the
second half, which took ten minutes long. I believe it
was like, you know, sixteen plays something like that and
when sixty yards, like they ended up kicking a pretty
long field goal. They actually had Cameron Dicker kicked two
field goals sixteen plays forty two yards and took up
(14:44):
about ten minutes. And I was like, this is what
Jim Harbaugh wants to do. He's like, oh, we're winning
by four, like I'm gonna treat it like it's twenty one.
They only had five first downs passing the whole night,
like it is Harbaugh's dream to just go three yards,
three yards, three yards. And they do have a couple
good running backs.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
I love what I saw at Hampton tonight showing some explosion,
and I love that they kept the Doll like very active.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
He's a good pass protector.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Hampton's just coming off the injury, and it's a good
one to two punch. But man, they just had too
many drives On a night when they had thirteen drives,
there was only four where they had multiple first downs.
So it is going to be really hard for them
to win games. But in the AFC, how many defenses
have that good of a pass rush. Not many, and
(15:32):
they found a way to beat this one tonight.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I'm thinking about a potential AFC West showdown in the
final few weeks between the Denver Broncos and the Chargers
in Week eighteen, and how gross that game truly could
be because you have a Broncos defense that is good,
you have a Chargers defense that's playing its best ball
the season right now, and you have two offenses that
are inconsistent. The Broncos are getting better offensively in recent weeks,
but we know what the Chargers are.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
We saw it tonight.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
This is unfortunately largely their ceiling unless Herbert can connect
with his receivers and they can get open, which they
did not tonight. So how gross is that Week eighteen
game going to be? If the Broncos are playing their
starters and it matters, it could be one of the
grossest of the entire season.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
You know, we should pick up here a little bit,
but I do want you to give me something on
what you saw out of their defense, because I think
that is a big takeaway to me that Jesse Minter
has come out of the bye week being more aggressive.
He showed a lot of cool like designer blitzes, which
he is not known for. I thought it was very effective.
It's one of the reasons why I picked the Chargers tonight.
Adam Rank wasn't the only one. And if you don't
(16:32):
know what I'm talking about, check out the Chargers social
loved it.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I thought they would trust me.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
I thought they would prevent the big play, which through
the air. In the end, they got some breaks, but
they did. They only gave up one touchdown and their
cornerbacks have played great all year. Their pressure was good,
and I thought that the pass rush was a good
plan tonight.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
What did you see?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
I love the way that they're deploying different blitzers where
they'll show us a sim pressure on one play in
a real pressure on the It complicates the picture for
opposing quarterbacks. But what I really like more than anything
is their continuity at ever level of their defense. Since
they've gotten Khalil Mack back from that elbow injury, they've
been a better defense.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I love their defensive interior.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Deshaun Hand drops back in coverage tonight, Jalen Hurts is
never expecting a defensive tackle to be near the line
to gain throws it right to him for an interception.
That was the multiple turnover play. And it starts with
the defensive lineman picking off Jalen Hurts. So that's a
great product of good design catching an offense by surprise.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
I love what tier Tart has done throughout this season.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
There was a game earlier this season where he's deflecting
like every third pass with his hands at the defensive line.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
They're active up front. Their linebackers play good ball.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
They like this rotation with Denzel Perriman in on the
early downs and the running downs. You put Troy down,
it die in back on passing downs because he's more athletic,
he's younger, he can move better. I love what their
secondary is doing. It's not just Derwin James anymore. It's
Cam Hard, It's star Heep Steel still still excuse me,
it's Tony Jefferson unk back there making plays like.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
They play cohesively at every level.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And no, they don't have a ton of star power necessarily,
they're playing together and I think that's what matters the most.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
And they rotate their cornerbacks, and it's really worked. Dante Jackson,
for people who have not watched the Chargers has been
one of the best free agent pickups in the NFL
this year.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
I'm shocked by it because he struggled in Pittsburgh. But
they have a bit of a secret sauce reminds me
a little bit of the Chiefs, where almost any cornerback
they bring in, like even Christian Fulton, who you know
came from Tennessee. Whether it's guys that they inherited from
from the previous regime, like they just coached them up
and they're all playing well, and so it's Jefferson, it's
(18:33):
Benjamin Saint, just cam Hart had that big play. Tar
Heap still was running step for step with aj Brown
and DeVante Smith throughout the night.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
And it's a really good defense.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
So if you have a really good defense, a team
that plays hard, it has talent on offense, like Herbert
has some skilled players around him, maybe they can make
up for that huge weakness. But man, it is a
huge weakness. Shout out to the Eagles defense too. By
the way, Jordan Davis, Ojamo or Ojamo, Jalen Phillips all
(19:03):
had six pressures and then Hunt and Byron Young had
had four. So it's like they had five guys with
at least four pressures, which.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Is just an outrageous amount for one day.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
And they did that, you know, without Jalen Carter in there.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
I thought that was a big part of Jordan Davis's
performance to night was kind of plugging the gap and
making up for the loss of Jalen Carter by just
being a menace on the interior. And you know, I
think n Kobe Dean's had a really good run as
of late too. You know, like John Campbell I thought
was gonna be a big part of this defense that
he hasn't really needed to be because of Nacobe Deans.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Yes and no, I think the last two weeks he
has been Boomer boss watching him live, especially like he
was on the wrong end too early of some negative
plays where he was a little too aggressive.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
He's got to finish the play.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
He kind of reminded me of Derwin James, who I
thought the Eagles were actually picking on early. He made
a couple plays of his own too, but sometimes they
used his aggressiveness against him.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Man, that was a crazy game.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
I give the Chargers fansom credit on a night where
the Eagles fans took over that stadium and you know
they're they're booing the Eagles at some points, and you
know they're they're making it loud for the Chargers offense
at other points, and the Chargers fans are getting loud
to We're leaving the stadium and you know we're packed
like on our way out of there, and Eagles fans
(20:18):
are outnumbering the Chargers fans for sure, but there is
a hardy let's go Chargers chant And I was like,
is a fight gonna.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Breakout right now with my son right here?
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Like I'm actually a little surprised by the hutzpah of
the Chargers fans, like staring at all the Eagles fans
in the face and chanting a big Let's go Chargers.
So the Chargers fan have some have some toughness, just like,
just like that team, even if they're overmatched a little bit.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
I man, they set the tone in preseason twenty twenty four.
Welcome to the field, Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
That's right, going all the way back to that first
preseason game we were at we we have one more
highlight Chris, should we run it just to give Walker
another chance to press the button?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
It's up to you.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I mean, he has been killing it, Okay, it is flawless,
so I think we should put him to this. I
do like that We've been talking about maybe it's the
end of the touchbush, but you.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Know, maybe not.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
When the Eagles are finally getting exposed to play running
a variation of position, let's make this. Uh, it's time
for Who Delivered presented by Uber Eats.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Hurts with a quick pitch out to Barkley.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
He's the first down of ball. Coy Thurry turning ten touchdown.
You're not going to play.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
You're not going to.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Catch him until fifty three. You wont scrapper by Saquon Barkley.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
They set up that touch push formation, but there's so
many things that they're.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Able to do all of that, and yes, Saquon getting
it done. That was Who Delivered, presented by Uber Eats.
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Order now watching a person though, Juk, I gotta say,
I don't even think it's a question if you give
me a mari and Hampton with a little bit of
space or Saquon Barkley with a little of a space.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I'm taking Hampton. I mean I believe that.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
And you know, as he broke free a soapon broke
free on that run, the thought crossed my mind, which
was does he know how to finish these runs still?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Because he just hasn't had these this year.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Like he he's probably like, oh, I forgot what this
feels like, being an open space with nobody between me
and the end zone. I thought for a second he'd
slow down and get caught, but.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
No, he has enough straight line speed. Don't get me wrong,
Saquon Barkley's a good back. But there were a couple
of runs on the night where you saw like big
creases developing and the Eagles fans would start like swelling
and think the big play was coming. And with Hampton,
I think he's hitting that hole like faster and that
there's just a little more juice you want your running
(22:51):
backs young and man.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
The Eagles fall to eight and five. They are still
leading the division.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
The fact that the Cowboys lost this week, you know,
gave them a little bit of a cushion, But It's
so funny how when the Cowboys lost that game, when
we were doing our Thursday night recap, We're like, well,
the division, that's probably out. They're back up against it,
but they got to win out. I know the Eagles
schedule is favorable, but there's still only one and a
(23:21):
half games out of the division. I give the Eagles
or the Cowboys a better chance of making the playoffs
by winning the division than I do making it as
a wildcard. They are not out of it. Two out
with or to play is not out of it. With
the way that these Eagles team, they can trick a
game away.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, I mean that's totally fair because they're definitely not
going to earn a wildcard spot, not with how tight
the NFC race is right now. But look, man, Raiders, Commanders, Bills, Commanders.
I know it's any given Sunday in this league and
crazy things happen. But if the Eagles lose to the Raiders,
Eagles fans have every reason in the world to light
up WIP on the next morning talk show. They have
every reason the world to riot downtown.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Could they lose one lose that game?
Speaker 2 (24:02):
Okay, they can lose to the Bills though, could they
lose one to the Commanders.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I think, I mean, a divisional split would make sense.
The Commanders at this point, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I think they have that in them. This Eagles team
is there's just something sour about it. And there were
a lot of.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Chiefs fans watching this game, maybe even Steelers and Ravens
fans who are thinking about potential wild card situation. I
don't think Colts fans are watching football anymore, and they're
they're disappointed about what happened here because the Chargers are
at nine and four, they are three losses ahead of
the Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Forget about that.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
There was a trio of Broncos fans in the stands
at this game tonight that they should on TV like
talk about a troll job.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I did not see them among the crowd. A lot
of fun tonight.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Let's take a quick break on the other side, We're
going to do some quarterback news and then we'll get out,
get into the La craft. Philip Rivers is making a comeback.
What back on NFL Daily set down for the game.
(25:14):
Mostly Eagles fans around me, but right in front of
me was a man and his father with a Philip
Rivers Chargers Jersey on and it was just before the
game started, as I'm scrolling my phone that I see
that Philip Rivers is making a comeback. And I just
assumed this was a fake Adam Schefter or rhaps the account.
(25:37):
It's like, Nope, Philip Rivers is going to try out
with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, and if all goes well,
they will sign them to their practice squad with an
eye on potentially joining the team. Yes, this is the
time for Quarterback Keeper presented by Snapdragon. I did not
think that Philip Rivers would be part of Quarterback Keeper
(26:00):
presented by Snapdragon in the year twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
What do you make of this?
Speaker 3 (26:05):
When I first got the message about this this evening
in the Eastern time zone, I let out a hearty.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Chuckle because, like you, I thought it was a joke.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
And then I did a double take and realized, oh, no,
this is serious and I need to write about this
right now, which I did, and I pulled up Pro
Football Reference just to get a little bit of, you know, context,
a little bit of a refresher in my brain about
when was the last time Philip Rivers played twenty twenty
uh we were in a pandemic in twenty twenty. Philip
Rivers was still playing good football in twenty twenty, and
(26:35):
then he walked away from the game because age told
him to, even if he was still playing good ball.
It sent the Colts into their latest abyss at the
quarterback position, which they thought they finally saw when they
drafted Anthony Richardson.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
They didn't. They signed Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones is now
out for the year.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
And somehow we have circled all the way back to
Philip Rivers. The obvious reason is Shane Steichen and his
history with Rivers from their time spent with the Chargers
as his quarterbacks coach, which his interim offensive coordinator before
Rivers went on to the Colts. It is insane, and
it perfectly captures the desperation that the Colts find themselves
(27:10):
experiencing right now after losing Daniel Jones and watching there
once solidly on the AFC South slipping through their fingers
and just fearing another late season collapse at the hands
of the Texans or maybe even the Jaguars this year,
and this is the only thing they can figure out.
I don't know what happens, but I do want to
point this out. Pro Football Hall of Fame decided to
chime in on this tonight. Yes, if Rivers assigned to
(27:32):
the active roster, his Hall of Fame clock resets. He's
a semi finalist for the class this year. That's how
long he's been out of football. This is crazier than
pulling Jeff Saturday out of the booth to coach the Colts.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It is so cold.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
You know who Philip Rivers offensive coordinator was for that
Colts team. By the way, Philip Rivers had a quietly
great way to end his career where he played very
well for a surprising eleven win Colts team and went
toe to toe in a playoff game that they only
lost by a field goal, and he played very well
with Josh Allen against the Bills they lost twenty seven
(28:08):
to twenty four.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Do you know who was his coordinator of that year?
Speaker 1 (28:11):
It was the guy who lost to Night, Nick Sirian.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
That's right. I love Philip Rivers.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
He's maybe my favorite quarterback of all time. He's been
wanting to make this comeback like a year after year,
and no one really wanted him to do it. For
the first couple of years and then it just never happened.
It's five years later. It's insane, and yet I'm sick
enough I do want it to happen. Riley Leonard is
not one hundred percent and he might not even be
(28:38):
ready for Sunday. Watch that tape he actually played, Okay,
I think they would start Riley Leonard over Philip Rivers.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I can't believe him.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yeah, no, I thought he played pretty well in relief
of Daniel Jones and that loss.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I can't believe this is a thing.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
The problem is Tarvarius Ward is entering the concussion protocol
for a third time this season. That's probably it or
his season. They have another concussion for Braden Smith, their
right tackle. He's probably out this week, maybe beyond. Forrest
Buckner's not back. Saus Gardner's not back. Like the chances
(29:12):
of Philip Rivers, even in a heroic Hollywood scenario, playing
well enough to actually compete with this team is maybe
not high enough.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
And yet I want to see it.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
You know, life is short, and that's what Philip Rivers
is thinking. And who cares about Hall of Fame clocks.
I don't need a I don't need a Philip Rivers
versus Eli Manning debate in a couple months.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
I mean, look, we got multiple seasons of Joe Flacco
writing a similar story. We have Aaron Rodgers over forty
years old, having one of the best games of his
last few years.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
But he didn't take four he didn't take five years off.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
He's also not forty four years old, which Philip Rivers
turned on Monday. But I will say the schedule has
never cleared better for Philip Rivers to make a comeback
than right now because the high school football team that
he coaches lost in the state semifinal in Alabama on
November twenty eighth.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
He's got the time.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Tom Brady was forty four years old when he led
the NFL in touchdowns and yards for the Buccaneers. Is
his second to last season. I thought he should have
won the MVP that year. I thought that was his
best year with the Bucks. Was not the year that
they won the Super Bowl. He just got edged out
for the MVP by Rogers, right, And I think Philip
(30:23):
Rivers has about a point one percent chance of playing
at that level.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
And yet it would be it'd be fun.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Let the old kid sling it and who knows, maybe
he could be their quarterback for twenty twenty six, because
it's probably not gonna be Daniel Jones.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
I don't really know Daniel Jones.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
It was confirmed is going to have a surgery on
a torn Achilles tendon, and we're gonna end up talking
about this in the offseason and later this season. But
it creates a really difficult situation because he is a
free agent. I assume you're not going to use the
franchise tag and a guy with an Achilles tendon. But
it would make sense for him to want to stay
(30:58):
with the Colts if they still have the same coach.
And I'm already hearing a little bit of buzz, like
if they lose out Carly, you know, Gordon Nurse is
a new owner. Essentially, they usually want a fresh start.
Like just because they got a lot of bad luck
doesn't mean Shane Stike and Chris Ballard are necessarily safe.
(31:19):
And maybe that's why you pull the ripcord and you
truly believe that it's Rivers that could save the day.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Yeah, I mean, this is a desperation move that fits,
you know, the Colts in the recent in recent memory,
Chris Ballard is Dodgs getting fired you know, once, if
not twice already. So if they were to lose out, yeah,
I would not be shocked at all. I would be
a little bit more surprised because I think Steichen's done
a good job of coaching. I also think that he's
had a tough hand dealt to him by the decisions
made by the personnel department, drafting Anthony Richardson fourth overall
(31:46):
and never getting him to quite fit with his coach,
the orbital bone for actual landing made on IRS side.
It felt like that was kind of a lost cause anyway,
which is what led them to Daniel Jones, the competition,
Aaron Jones winning the job, all of that stuff. But
it's tough because now this's the verse Sam Darnald, And
it also kind of relates to Kirk Cousins and his
Achilles injury, which is that like an achilles at this
point in the season means he's gonna miss probably half
(32:07):
of next season. You don't know if he's gonna be
the same guy when he comes back from the Achilles.
Mobility is one of his strengths and if he's lost
some of that because of the Achilles, that takes away
his value and unlike Darnald with the Vikings last year,
coming off of a great season that ended in disaster,
you don't have that same strength to make a case
to bring him back.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
But you do have the need that the Vikings thought
they didn't. So we'll see what happens.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Yeah, you basically can't count on Daniel Jones. He's just
someone to have in the building if Shane Stiken is there,
But you need to come up with a completely separate
plan at quarterback and assume you're not gonna get anything
out of Daniel Jones, at least for a good chunk
of next season. They're at Seattle the Colts in week fifteen,
(32:48):
oh Man, Philip Rivers potentially making his first start in
five years on Monday Night football struck me you YouTube
Live December twenty second, a couple days before Christmas.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Oh, the best gift ever?
Speaker 4 (33:04):
This We gotta make this happen. That was Quarterback Keeper,
presented by Snapdragon. Learn more at snapdragon dot com. Last laptop, Yes, Chucky, do.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
You think he still has the sprinter van decked out
for film study that he had driving from San Diego
to La back in the day.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
I don't think there's a large market. I think he
still has that thing. I don't know who's he selling
that to. Maybe Jeremiah could use that coming up, coming
up for work.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I'll have to ask him. It was It was a pleasure.
It was a lot of fun over at TOFI tonight.
Thank you to.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
My friend Chris Babona producing the show. We got Lavender
in the back, we got Walker on the ones and Tues.
We will be back in this studio on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Hit the button.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
I said, we're gonna keep this short until we can
get out. I didn't nick you're gonna be back with
me later this week with Ally Connolly.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
By the way, they all underrated team.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
But before that we still got a DNM and before
that me Jordan Rodrigue, Colleen Wolfe on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
We'll see you next Tues.
Kerts in the shotgun.
Speaker 2 (00:02):
A touchdown would win it for the Eagles. Kerts pulls it, Froze.
Speaker 3 (00:08):
Intercepted, game over, intercepted Dame over dayon Henley game over.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
The fourth interception Tony Jefferson.
Speaker 1 (00:19):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Ump doesn't the bowl always finds Tony Jefferson. It was
tipped to him.
Speaker 4 (00:28):
Unbelievable way to end this game for the second week
in a row.
Speaker 1 (00:34):
Tony Jefferson with a huge interception.
Speaker 3 (00:38):
Ow.
Speaker 4 (00:39):
Tony Jefferson calls game. Matt Montey Smith calls game as well.
Chargers winning overtime twenty.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
Two to nineteen.
Speaker 4 (00:49):
After an incredible diving tip from Chargers cornerback Cam Hart.
It's been their secret sauce all season, these cornerbacks, and yes,
Tony Jefferson, who a couple of years ago was in
the scouting department of the Baltimore Ravens, gets the game
winning interception and the Chargers survive in one of the
nuttiest games of the entire season. I was watching it
(01:12):
at so far across the street here it shook. Did
it look as stupidly entertaining on TV as it was
in person?
Speaker 1 (01:20):
Absolutely? Do you love slot beest.
Speaker 3 (01:22):
Do you love crazy bounces of the spheroid that we
call a football.
Speaker 1 (01:27):
Then you're gonna absolutely love this game.
Speaker 3 (01:28):
Do you do you love it when a diva receiver
lets the ball go off his hands for an interception
and then you see three turnovers happen in.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
One play, an interception, a fumble and another fubble. Is
this was great?
Speaker 3 (01:39):
It was highly entertaining, even if it wasn't precise well
executed football all the time.
Speaker 4 (01:43):
Well they always they wrote that book back in the
day like the greatest game ever played, you know, the
game that changed football Giants Colt Like there was seven
turnovers in the first half of that game, So an
ugly game can be great, and this was great. I
don't know if it was the greatest game ever played,
but it did include eight fumbles.
Speaker 2 (02:00):
Five were recovered.
Speaker 4 (02:02):
I believe we got up to seven turnovers for those
who were Jalen Hurts interceptions, which was, you know, more
than he had by far all season. But yeah, when
they were driving at the end of the game, that
play reminded me just a little bit of the Malcolm
Butler play in that it felt like one team is
going in for a game winning touchdown. Obviously they're not
(02:24):
on the goal line or anything. And instead, in one
second you hear Matt mney Smith on that call a
touchdown you know, could win the game for the Eagles. Instead,
it completely flips. Matt money Smith said he's been calling games.
I just saw him walk by with Daniel Jeremiah. He's
been calling games for fifteen years. He has never blown
(02:45):
out his voice before. He could not speak before, like
it cracked. It was over and it was that kind
of game. And maybe I shouldn't be that shocked because
for every good play that Jalen Hurts made tonight, and
he did have a good drive at the end of regulation,
he got them into position there into overtime, there was
(03:06):
another play where he was just half a second late
and he let the Chargers make.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Plays because of it.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
Yeah, and I hate to start with the negative, but
it's pretty clear to me at this point in the
season with the Eagles and their dysfunctional offense that is
constantly stuck in the mud, that there if they just
operated with a sense of urgency that they display in
key moments, they'd be a much better team, like when
they have when their backs are against the wall and
they have to produce, they move the football, they do
it well. Jalen Hurt steps up in overtime and throws
(03:33):
a bullet to DeVonta Smith.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
On third and sixteen.
Speaker 3 (03:36):
He finds aj Brown on a quick slant that moves
them into field goal range just before the end of regulation.
Like they're capable of doing this, it's just that they're
over complicating everything. And he's holding onto the ball a
little too long, and it's almost as if the perfectionist
in him is trying too hard to make the perfect
play instead of the play that his instincts tell him
to make. And that is a huge reason why they're
just so stuck right now and why they end up
losing games like this. And he commits the amount of
(03:57):
turnovers that he did tonight.
Speaker 4 (03:59):
Yeah, it's so funny because he plays such a safe
brand of football, like that's his biggest problem, safe, right,
And yet the last couple of weeks, it's suddenly like
the one thing that he had as a superpower, which
was avoiding these turnovers, is suddenly turning around on him. Hell,
(04:19):
he had turnovers, as you mentioned in one play.
Speaker 1 (04:25):
And then here comes a bliss from Day on ticket.
They are intercepted big man.
Speaker 2 (04:30):
Oh and the ball is out.
Speaker 1 (04:33):
And the ball is out again, the Chargers fall on
In my goodness, that's an interception, a fumble recovery by
the offense, and a fumble recovery by the defense.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
Let's get it all sorted out. When it's all uncovered,
it's troy Don. It's got the ball. Oh my goodness.
Speaker 4 (04:52):
Oh man, Troy Die, who also had a big sports
fumble I believe in the game, wasn't on special tea.
I'm losing track of how many different fumbles there were
in this game.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I thought like, man, I've never seen two turnovers in
one play like that. And then my son Walker, who
was next to me at the game and is in
the control room right now literally being our video playback operator.
He's hitting the button for the highlights, which is incredible.
He was like, no, there was three turnovers in that play.
And yes, apparently that according to Alia Sports Bureau, yeah,
(05:27):
that's the first play they have on record that one
person committed two turnovers in a single play.
Speaker 2 (05:32):
You never know what you're gonna say.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
You know that we love our listeners, right, So one
of our listeners reached out to me via Instagram DMS
Andrew Khalil said, Hey, can you and Greg please look
into whether or not anyone else in NFL history prior
to Jalen Hurts has thrown an interception and fumbled the
ball in the same place. So I asked our research
team and they said, according to the information system that
they use, that it's the first two turnover play committed
by a player since at least nineteen ninety one.
Speaker 1 (05:56):
So we saw history. Tonight wasn't the greatest game, but
we saw history.
Speaker 4 (05:59):
I mean you said it by pointing out like the
great the good throws that Jalen Hurts had, like the
DeVante rip over the middle. I made a comment when
he nearly threw an interception on a pass over the
middle in the first quarter. They called it a pick
and then it was overturned upon review. It's like, well,
that's why Jalen Hurts doesn't throw the ball over the middle,
(06:19):
and Eagles fans are getting mad and the mentions and everything,
and actually he did have a couple really nice anticipation
throws over the middle in this game. But like for
every good play that they make, for every play that
aj Brown makes tonight, you mentioned the drop that he had,
and he had really three or four passes. You know,
(06:40):
the first throw of the game could have been a
long touchdown to AJ Brown. He can't bring it down.
There's another play I believe it was the last drive
of regulation, not overtime, right where Hurts throws it up
on third down and I'm watching that pass and I'm like,
you know, Brown is well covered. I don't know about that,
And actually he put perfect amount of air under it,
(07:00):
and AG Brown could have made a play. And AJ Brown,
even though he gets one hundred yards, like, didn't make
enough plays in this game.
Speaker 3 (07:06):
Yeah, And I think we had three total drops at
least off off that tally. And it's kind of mystifying
because it is a receiver he usually has very sure,
very strong hands, losing the battle at the catchpoint against
the defensive back and really on his own volition just
by dropping these passes. And it also like it's a
great example of the Eagles. Now they started the game
with this, but they also had this third or fourth
(07:27):
down tendency to just say, f it, We're just going
to throw it to AJ Brown down the field somewhere,
and one on one. They did it again in overtime
before they hit that third and sixteen, And it just
kind of points to me the dysfunction of this team overall,
because what has been the narrative with this team throughout
this entire season. A J.
Speaker 1 (07:43):
Brown is unhappy.
Speaker 3 (07:44):
It's it's a nightmare as he wants to describe it
in different words on a Twitch stream. And then when
the opportunity presents itself for him time and time again
in this game, he fails to deliver. I mean, the
ball over the middle that ended up in an interception
was it was a high ball, but it hit him
right in the hands. Just a shocking display of a
lacks of lack of execution for one of the best
receivers in the NFL.
Speaker 4 (08:05):
Taekwon Barkley has a big play in this game, and
we'll listen to it in a little bit, but I
do want to point out how like the success rate
for both these teams running the ball was actually really poor.
There was a lot of negative runs by Barkley that
put them in bad down and distance situations. Kimani Viidel
got most of the carries for the Chargers, their success
(08:27):
rate was even lower. Making a mistake, This was a
defensive game not only the turnovers. There were twenty seven
drives in this game, which is an incredibly big amount.
Where were we talking about a game on Sunday where
one of the teams had six drives like the Eagles
in this game had.
Speaker 1 (08:42):
Uh it was the Broncos game Bronx Raiders.
Speaker 4 (08:45):
So the Broncos had six drives, the Eagles had fourteen drives,
the Chargers had thirteen. And yet the Chargers still didn't
crack three hundred yards and the Eagles didn't I don't
believe until overtime. Like the Chargers somehow survived the game
where Justin Herbert throws for one hundred and thirty nine yards.
This was such a strange game. He is their leading
(09:06):
rusher despite them being very run heavy. Their leading receiver
is Kimani Videll, who had exactly one catch and it
was on the third play of the game. It was
like a sixty yard dump off to videl where he,
like you know, gets loose on the sideline. They really
couldn't get anything going consistently on offense except for Herbert scrambling.
Speaker 2 (09:29):
And yet despite all that, I think Herbert played a
pretty good game. How would you describe this justin Herbert game.
Speaker 4 (09:35):
As they get to nine to four and they keep
winning games this year that in the past you would say, Oh,
they're going to charger this one, and instead they're they're
finding ways to win them.
Speaker 3 (09:43):
Now, dude, that's the defining theme of their season, is
that they in games in which they would charge it away,
they are doing the opposite.
Speaker 1 (09:48):
They're winning these games, which.
Speaker 3 (09:49):
I don't know if that's emblematic of a regime change
and a culture change taking effect, I don't know. Will
unpack that eventually, but what I will say is that
for as many takes ways as they got, they couldn't
turn anything into points.
Speaker 1 (10:02):
Justin Herbert led them in rushing.
Speaker 3 (10:05):
A guy with a broken left hand with a pad
on it trying to stiff arm defenders with a broken
left hand lead you in rushing. How about this you
do want to talk about like this is why numbers
don't scan the box scores guys on the next morning.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
I know that people used to do it with the
newspapers and now you do it with the internet. Don't
do it. That is not defining this game.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Because he finished ten to twenty one, I believe that
was his passing line. He was sacked a career high
seven times. He completed a career low forty six point
two percent of his passes.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
He posted the lowest.
Speaker 3 (10:32):
Passer rating in a weir and win in his career
on Monday Night, and.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
He won the game. And he's been sacked six or
more times in three games in his career.
Speaker 2 (10:41):
He's three and oho.
Speaker 1 (10:42):
In those games.
Speaker 3 (10:43):
This justifies the idea that he's Superman because he's overcoming
in incredible odds that are against him.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
That's all absolutely true.
Speaker 4 (10:51):
It's so hard to pick apart Herbert in general because
of the team he plays for, and especially this year,
because everything you said is true. And he had three
or four really awesome throws tonight. He did not have
any open receivers. That really stuck out. One of the
reasons why he kept holding the ball. I'm watching it,
(11:13):
you know, I got the all twenty two. We're up
in the third section and got live and like, they're
just not creating open receivers with formations, with motion, with rubs,
with anything.
Speaker 2 (11:24):
Guys are covered.
Speaker 4 (11:26):
And he had some nice plays where he was on
the move and he would like throw it over the middle,
and he had some side arms. All that said something
DJ and Money said to me, and I totally agree
it was gonna be. One of my big points today
is he left the pocket without any pressure a lot.
I think he got spooked fairly early in this game
with good reason that, like the pressure was not gonna
(11:49):
his protection was not gonna hold up, and when it
did hold up, he would just leave anyways. But it's
kind of hard to blame him when you're just watching
Bradley Boseman be like, Hey, Nikobe Dean, would you like
to justlit's up the middle? Why don't I just let
you walk right by me? Again and again? They're running
the same blitz over and over. It's not even a
blitz some of the times because it looks like they're
(12:09):
going to rush five and it's only four. And so
it's hard to blame Herbert too much. And some of
his runs where he made people miss and obviously showed toughness,
were among the biggest reasons they won this game, so overall, like,
I think he played great, and yet it's a systemic
problem that honestly has me pretty worried. In the wrong matchup,
basically against any good pass rush, they're going to be
(12:30):
in trouble.
Speaker 1 (12:31):
Yes.
Speaker 3 (12:31):
In fact, Nikobe Deane got home so often that the
one time he was an unabated rusher, like just complete
free rusher to Justin Herbert, he ends up whiffing on
a sack attent and Herbert turns it into a positive
gain on the ground because he was just I think
he was probably surprised that he didn't run into Commandi
Vadal for the first time all night. And you're right,
And things got worse once they lost Trey Pipkins to
injury the right tackle and they had to replace him
(12:52):
with another body. It's been the story of their entire season.
They cannot stay healthy upfront. They have different offensive line
combinations every week. But I think two things can be true,
and that Herbert did play really well, given the fact
that his stat line does not reflect that, and at
the final score while they win by three points, doesn't
reflect that because he had to overcome so much. But
he also did step up into pressure at times. Greg,
(13:13):
if you had to guess, what do you think his
average time to throw was tonight three three point two
to one seconds, which is far too long to hold
onto the football behind that offensive line. But I think
you're absolutely right that at times he didn't trust his
line and felt like he needed to do what Deshaun
Watson used to do in Houston, which is break clean
pockets because he didn't trust his offensive line. And not
to say that the pocket was clean all the time,
because it wasn't, but it just felt a little bit unnecessary.
(13:35):
And yet they find a way to win. They have
to give a game ball to Cameron Dicker for hitting
all these field goals to win this game. Is it
a viable path to success down the road? Probably not
big reason that you should be concerned about this team,
but we should also give credit to their defense of
playing good ball and stepping up in the big spot.
Speaker 4 (13:51):
Look, Tim Harbough thinks it's a path to success. He's
playing this way the whole game. He's kicking field goals
on fourth and two in the red zone and it's
working for me. He kicked it also on a punt
when he had a fourth and short, kind of in
the middle of the field where most coaches at this
(14:12):
point are gonna go for it, and I don't really Clay.
Speaker 3 (14:14):
Of all people, of all people, Troy Aikman pointed to
analytics on the broadcast and said, you know, analytics says
you should go for it here, but that's not Harbaugh's style.
Speaker 4 (14:21):
No, And I think about the first drive of the
second half, which took ten minutes long. I believe it
was like, you know, sixteen plays something like that and
when sixty yards, like they ended up kicking a pretty
long field goal. They actually had Cameron Dicker kicked two
field goals sixteen plays forty two yards and took up
(14:44):
about ten minutes. And I was like, this is what
Jim Harbaugh wants to do. He's like, oh, we're winning
by four, like I'm gonna treat it like it's twenty one.
They only had five first downs passing the whole night,
like it is Harbaugh's dream to just go three yards,
three yards, three yards. And they do have a couple
good running backs.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (15:04):
I love what I saw at Hampton tonight showing some explosion,
and I love that they kept the Doll like very active.
Speaker 2 (15:10):
He's a good pass protector.
Speaker 4 (15:11):
Hampton's just coming off the injury, and it's a good
one to two punch. But man, they just had too
many drives On a night when they had thirteen drives,
there was only four where they had multiple first downs.
So it is going to be really hard for them
to win games. But in the AFC, how many defenses
have that good of a pass rush. Not many, and
(15:32):
they found a way to beat this one tonight.
Speaker 3 (15:34):
I'm thinking about a potential AFC West showdown in the
final few weeks between the Denver Broncos and the Chargers
in Week eighteen, and how gross that game truly could
be because you have a Broncos defense that is good,
you have a Chargers defense that's playing its best ball
the season right now, and you have two offenses that
are inconsistent. The Broncos are getting better offensively in recent weeks,
but we know what the Chargers are.
Speaker 1 (15:55):
We saw it tonight.
Speaker 3 (15:56):
This is unfortunately largely their ceiling unless Herbert can connect
with his receivers and they can get open, which they
did not tonight. So how gross is that Week eighteen
game going to be? If the Broncos are playing their
starters and it matters, it could be one of the
grossest of the entire season.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
You know, we should pick up here a little bit,
but I do want you to give me something on
what you saw out of their defense, because I think
that is a big takeaway to me that Jesse Minter
has come out of the bye week being more aggressive.
He showed a lot of cool like designer blitzes, which
he is not known for. I thought it was very effective.
It's one of the reasons why I picked the Chargers tonight.
Adam Rank wasn't the only one. And if you don't
(16:32):
know what I'm talking about, check out the Chargers social
loved it.
Speaker 2 (16:37):
I thought they would trust me.
Speaker 4 (16:38):
I thought they would prevent the big play, which through
the air. In the end, they got some breaks, but
they did. They only gave up one touchdown and their
cornerbacks have played great all year. Their pressure was good,
and I thought that the pass rush was a good
plan tonight.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
What did you see?
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:54):
I love the way that they're deploying different blitzers where
they'll show us a sim pressure on one play in
a real pressure on the It complicates the picture for
opposing quarterbacks. But what I really like more than anything
is their continuity at ever level of their defense. Since
they've gotten Khalil Mack back from that elbow injury, they've
been a better defense.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
I love their defensive interior.
Speaker 3 (17:10):
Deshaun Hand drops back in coverage tonight, Jalen Hurts is
never expecting a defensive tackle to be near the line
to gain throws it right to him for an interception.
That was the multiple turnover play. And it starts with
the defensive lineman picking off Jalen Hurts. So that's a
great product of good design catching an offense by surprise.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
I love what tier Tart has done throughout this season.
Speaker 3 (17:29):
There was a game earlier this season where he's deflecting
like every third pass with his hands at the defensive line.
Speaker 1 (17:35):
They're active up front. Their linebackers play good ball.
Speaker 3 (17:37):
They like this rotation with Denzel Perriman in on the
early downs and the running downs. You put Troy down,
it die in back on passing downs because he's more athletic,
he's younger, he can move better. I love what their
secondary is doing. It's not just Derwin James anymore. It's
Cam Hard, It's star Heep Steel still still excuse me,
it's Tony Jefferson unk back there making plays like.
Speaker 1 (17:55):
They play cohesively at every level.
Speaker 3 (17:57):
And no, they don't have a ton of star power necessarily,
they're playing together and I think that's what matters the most.
Speaker 4 (18:02):
And they rotate their cornerbacks, and it's really worked. Dante Jackson,
for people who have not watched the Chargers has been
one of the best free agent pickups in the NFL
this year.
Speaker 2 (18:10):
Yep.
Speaker 4 (18:11):
I'm shocked by it because he struggled in Pittsburgh. But
they have a bit of a secret sauce reminds me
a little bit of the Chiefs, where almost any cornerback
they bring in, like even Christian Fulton, who you know
came from Tennessee. Whether it's guys that they inherited from
from the previous regime, like they just coached them up
and they're all playing well, and so it's Jefferson, it's
(18:33):
Benjamin Saint, just cam Hart had that big play. Tar
Heap still was running step for step with aj Brown
and DeVante Smith throughout the night.
Speaker 2 (18:40):
And it's a really good defense.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
So if you have a really good defense, a team
that plays hard, it has talent on offense, like Herbert
has some skilled players around him, maybe they can make
up for that huge weakness. But man, it is a
huge weakness. Shout out to the Eagles defense too. By
the way, Jordan Davis, Ojamo or Ojamo, Jalen Phillips all
(19:03):
had six pressures and then Hunt and Byron Young had
had four. So it's like they had five guys with
at least four pressures, which.
Speaker 2 (19:10):
Is just an outrageous amount for one day.
Speaker 1 (19:13):
And they did that, you know, without Jalen Carter in there.
Speaker 3 (19:15):
I thought that was a big part of Jordan Davis's
performance to night was kind of plugging the gap and
making up for the loss of Jalen Carter by just
being a menace on the interior. And you know, I
think n Kobe Dean's had a really good run as
of late too. You know, like John Campbell I thought
was gonna be a big part of this defense that
he hasn't really needed to be because of Nacobe Deans.
Speaker 4 (19:33):
Yes and no, I think the last two weeks he
has been Boomer boss watching him live, especially like he
was on the wrong end too early of some negative
plays where he was a little too aggressive.
Speaker 2 (19:44):
He's got to finish the play.
Speaker 4 (19:45):
He kind of reminded me of Derwin James, who I
thought the Eagles were actually picking on early. He made
a couple plays of his own too, but sometimes they
used his aggressiveness against him.
Speaker 2 (19:54):
Man, that was a crazy game.
Speaker 4 (19:56):
I give the Chargers fansom credit on a night where
the Eagles fans took over that stadium and you know
they're they're booing the Eagles at some points, and you
know they're they're making it loud for the Chargers offense
at other points, and the Chargers fans are getting loud
to We're leaving the stadium and you know we're packed
like on our way out of there, and Eagles fans
(20:18):
are outnumbering the Chargers fans for sure, but there is
a hardy let's go Chargers chant And I was like,
is a fight gonna.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
Breakout right now with my son right here?
Speaker 4 (20:28):
Like I'm actually a little surprised by the hutzpah of
the Chargers fans, like staring at all the Eagles fans
in the face and chanting a big Let's go Chargers.
So the Chargers fan have some have some toughness, just like,
just like that team, even if they're overmatched a little bit.
Speaker 3 (20:42):
I man, they set the tone in preseason twenty twenty four.
Welcome to the field, Jim Harbaugh and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Speaker 4 (20:50):
That's right, going all the way back to that first
preseason game we were at we we have one more
highlight Chris, should we run it just to give Walker
another chance to press the button?
Speaker 2 (21:02):
It's up to you.
Speaker 4 (21:04):
I mean, he has been killing it, Okay, it is flawless,
so I think we should put him to this. I
do like that We've been talking about maybe it's the
end of the touchbush, but you.
Speaker 2 (21:13):
Know, maybe not.
Speaker 4 (21:13):
When the Eagles are finally getting exposed to play running
a variation of position, let's make this. Uh, it's time
for Who Delivered presented by Uber Eats.
Speaker 1 (21:26):
Hurts with a quick pitch out to Barkley.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
He's the first down of ball. Coy Thurry turning ten touchdown.
You're not going to play.
Speaker 1 (21:38):
You're not going to.
Speaker 2 (21:39):
Catch him until fifty three. You wont scrapper by Saquon Barkley.
Speaker 1 (21:42):
They set up that touch push formation, but there's so
many things that they're.
Speaker 4 (21:47):
Able to do all of that, and yes, Saquon getting
it done. That was Who Delivered, presented by Uber Eats.
When football makes you hungry, get game day deals on
Uber Eats, the official on demand delivery partner of the NFL.
Order now watching a person though, Juk, I gotta say,
I don't even think it's a question if you give
me a mari and Hampton with a little bit of
space or Saquon Barkley with a little of a space.
Speaker 2 (22:08):
I'm taking Hampton. I mean I believe that.
Speaker 3 (22:11):
And you know, as he broke free a soapon broke
free on that run, the thought crossed my mind, which
was does he know how to finish these runs still?
Speaker 1 (22:20):
Because he just hasn't had these this year.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
Like he he's probably like, oh, I forgot what this
feels like, being an open space with nobody between me
and the end zone. I thought for a second he'd
slow down and get caught, but.
Speaker 4 (22:30):
No, he has enough straight line speed. Don't get me wrong,
Saquon Barkley's a good back. But there were a couple
of runs on the night where you saw like big
creases developing and the Eagles fans would start like swelling
and think the big play was coming. And with Hampton,
I think he's hitting that hole like faster and that
there's just a little more juice you want your running
(22:51):
backs young and man.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
The Eagles fall to eight and five. They are still
leading the division.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
The fact that the Cowboys lost this week, you know,
gave them a little bit of a cushion, But It's
so funny how when the Cowboys lost that game, when
we were doing our Thursday night recap, We're like, well,
the division, that's probably out. They're back up against it,
but they got to win out. I know the Eagles
schedule is favorable, but there's still only one and a
(23:21):
half games out of the division. I give the Eagles
or the Cowboys a better chance of making the playoffs
by winning the division than I do making it as
a wildcard. They are not out of it. Two out
with or to play is not out of it. With
the way that these Eagles team, they can trick a
game away.
Speaker 3 (23:38):
Yeah, I mean that's totally fair because they're definitely not
going to earn a wildcard spot, not with how tight
the NFC race is right now. But look, man, Raiders, Commanders, Bills, Commanders.
I know it's any given Sunday in this league and
crazy things happen. But if the Eagles lose to the Raiders,
Eagles fans have every reason in the world to light
up WIP on the next morning talk show. They have
every reason the world to riot downtown.
Speaker 1 (24:00):
Could they lose one lose that game?
Speaker 2 (24:02):
Okay, they can lose to the Bills though, could they
lose one to the Commanders.
Speaker 1 (24:05):
I think, I mean, a divisional split would make sense.
The Commanders at this point, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
I think they have that in them. This Eagles team
is there's just something sour about it. And there were
a lot of.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Chiefs fans watching this game, maybe even Steelers and Ravens
fans who are thinking about potential wild card situation. I
don't think Colts fans are watching football anymore, and they're
they're disappointed about what happened here because the Chargers are
at nine and four, they are three losses ahead of
the Chiefs.
Speaker 2 (24:37):
Forget about that.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
There was a trio of Broncos fans in the stands
at this game tonight that they should on TV like
talk about a troll job.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
I did not see them among the crowd. A lot
of fun tonight.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Let's take a quick break on the other side, We're
going to do some quarterback news and then we'll get out,
get into the La craft. Philip Rivers is making a comeback.
What back on NFL Daily set down for the game.
(25:14):
Mostly Eagles fans around me, but right in front of
me was a man and his father with a Philip
Rivers Chargers Jersey on and it was just before the
game started, as I'm scrolling my phone that I see
that Philip Rivers is making a comeback. And I just
assumed this was a fake Adam Schefter or rhaps the account.
(25:37):
It's like, Nope, Philip Rivers is going to try out
with the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday, and if all goes well,
they will sign them to their practice squad with an
eye on potentially joining the team. Yes, this is the
time for Quarterback Keeper presented by Snapdragon. I did not
think that Philip Rivers would be part of Quarterback Keeper
(26:00):
presented by Snapdragon in the year twenty twenty five.
Speaker 2 (26:03):
What do you make of this?
Speaker 3 (26:05):
When I first got the message about this this evening
in the Eastern time zone, I let out a hearty.
Speaker 1 (26:11):
Chuckle because, like you, I thought it was a joke.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
And then I did a double take and realized, oh, no,
this is serious and I need to write about this
right now, which I did, and I pulled up Pro
Football Reference just to get a little bit of, you know, context,
a little bit of a refresher in my brain about
when was the last time Philip Rivers played twenty twenty
uh we were in a pandemic in twenty twenty. Philip
Rivers was still playing good football in twenty twenty, and
(26:35):
then he walked away from the game because age told
him to, even if he was still playing good ball.
It sent the Colts into their latest abyss at the
quarterback position, which they thought they finally saw when they
drafted Anthony Richardson.
Speaker 1 (26:45):
They didn't. They signed Daniel Jones. Daniel Jones is now
out for the year.
Speaker 3 (26:48):
And somehow we have circled all the way back to
Philip Rivers. The obvious reason is Shane Steichen and his
history with Rivers from their time spent with the Chargers
as his quarterbacks coach, which his interim offensive coordinator before
Rivers went on to the Colts. It is insane, and
it perfectly captures the desperation that the Colts find themselves
(27:10):
experiencing right now after losing Daniel Jones and watching there
once solidly on the AFC South slipping through their fingers
and just fearing another late season collapse at the hands
of the Texans or maybe even the Jaguars this year,
and this is the only thing they can figure out.
I don't know what happens, but I do want to
point this out. Pro Football Hall of Fame decided to
chime in on this tonight. Yes, if Rivers assigned to
(27:32):
the active roster, his Hall of Fame clock resets. He's
a semi finalist for the class this year. That's how
long he's been out of football. This is crazier than
pulling Jeff Saturday out of the booth to coach the Colts.
Speaker 2 (27:44):
It is so cold.
Speaker 4 (27:46):
You know who Philip Rivers offensive coordinator was for that
Colts team. By the way, Philip Rivers had a quietly
great way to end his career where he played very
well for a surprising eleven win Colts team and went
toe to toe in a playoff game that they only
lost by a field goal, and he played very well
with Josh Allen against the Bills they lost twenty seven
(28:08):
to twenty four.
Speaker 2 (28:09):
Do you know who was his coordinator of that year?
Speaker 1 (28:11):
It was the guy who lost to Night, Nick Sirian.
Speaker 2 (28:13):
That's right. I love Philip Rivers.
Speaker 4 (28:17):
He's maybe my favorite quarterback of all time. He's been
wanting to make this comeback like a year after year,
and no one really wanted him to do it. For
the first couple of years and then it just never happened.
It's five years later. It's insane, and yet I'm sick
enough I do want it to happen. Riley Leonard is
not one hundred percent and he might not even be
(28:38):
ready for Sunday. Watch that tape he actually played, Okay,
I think they would start Riley Leonard over Philip Rivers.
Speaker 2 (28:44):
I can't believe him.
Speaker 3 (28:45):
Yeah, no, I thought he played pretty well in relief
of Daniel Jones and that loss.
Speaker 2 (28:48):
I can't believe this is a thing.
Speaker 4 (28:50):
The problem is Tarvarius Ward is entering the concussion protocol
for a third time this season. That's probably it or
his season. They have another concussion for Braden Smith, their
right tackle. He's probably out this week, maybe beyond. Forrest
Buckner's not back. Saus Gardner's not back. Like the chances
(29:12):
of Philip Rivers, even in a heroic Hollywood scenario, playing
well enough to actually compete with this team is maybe
not high enough.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
And yet I want to see it.
Speaker 4 (29:24):
You know, life is short, and that's what Philip Rivers
is thinking. And who cares about Hall of Fame clocks.
I don't need a I don't need a Philip Rivers
versus Eli Manning debate in a couple months.
Speaker 3 (29:34):
I mean, look, we got multiple seasons of Joe Flacco
writing a similar story. We have Aaron Rodgers over forty
years old, having one of the best games of his
last few years.
Speaker 2 (29:42):
But he didn't take four he didn't take five years off.
Speaker 3 (29:44):
He's also not forty four years old, which Philip Rivers
turned on Monday. But I will say the schedule has
never cleared better for Philip Rivers to make a comeback
than right now because the high school football team that
he coaches lost in the state semifinal in Alabama on
November twenty eighth.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
He's got the time.
Speaker 4 (30:01):
Tom Brady was forty four years old when he led
the NFL in touchdowns and yards for the Buccaneers. Is
his second to last season. I thought he should have
won the MVP that year. I thought that was his
best year with the Bucks. Was not the year that
they won the Super Bowl. He just got edged out
for the MVP by Rogers, right, And I think Philip
(30:23):
Rivers has about a point one percent chance of playing
at that level.
Speaker 2 (30:27):
And yet it would be it'd be fun.
Speaker 4 (30:29):
Let the old kid sling it and who knows, maybe
he could be their quarterback for twenty twenty six, because
it's probably not gonna be Daniel Jones.
Speaker 2 (30:36):
I don't really know Daniel Jones.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
It was confirmed is going to have a surgery on
a torn Achilles tendon, and we're gonna end up talking
about this in the offseason and later this season. But
it creates a really difficult situation because he is a
free agent. I assume you're not going to use the
franchise tag and a guy with an Achilles tendon. But
it would make sense for him to want to stay
(30:58):
with the Colts if they still have the same coach.
And I'm already hearing a little bit of buzz, like
if they lose out Carly, you know, Gordon Nurse is
a new owner. Essentially, they usually want a fresh start.
Like just because they got a lot of bad luck
doesn't mean Shane Stike and Chris Ballard are necessarily safe.
(31:19):
And maybe that's why you pull the ripcord and you
truly believe that it's Rivers that could save the day.
Speaker 3 (31:25):
Yeah, I mean, this is a desperation move that fits,
you know, the Colts in the recent in recent memory,
Chris Ballard is Dodgs getting fired you know, once, if
not twice already. So if they were to lose out, yeah,
I would not be shocked at all. I would be
a little bit more surprised because I think Steichen's done
a good job of coaching. I also think that he's
had a tough hand dealt to him by the decisions
made by the personnel department, drafting Anthony Richardson fourth overall
(31:46):
and never getting him to quite fit with his coach,
the orbital bone for actual landing made on IRS side.
It felt like that was kind of a lost cause anyway,
which is what led them to Daniel Jones, the competition,
Aaron Jones winning the job, all of that stuff. But
it's tough because now this's the verse Sam Darnald, And
it also kind of relates to Kirk Cousins and his
Achilles injury, which is that like an achilles at this
point in the season means he's gonna miss probably half
(32:07):
of next season. You don't know if he's gonna be
the same guy when he comes back from the Achilles.
Mobility is one of his strengths and if he's lost
some of that because of the Achilles, that takes away
his value and unlike Darnald with the Vikings last year,
coming off of a great season that ended in disaster,
you don't have that same strength to make a case
to bring him back.
Speaker 1 (32:23):
But you do have the need that the Vikings thought
they didn't. So we'll see what happens.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Yeah, you basically can't count on Daniel Jones. He's just
someone to have in the building if Shane Stiken is there,
But you need to come up with a completely separate
plan at quarterback and assume you're not gonna get anything
out of Daniel Jones, at least for a good chunk
of next season. They're at Seattle the Colts in week fifteen,
(32:48):
oh Man, Philip Rivers potentially making his first start in
five years on Monday Night football struck me you YouTube
Live December twenty second, a couple days before Christmas.
Speaker 1 (33:03):
Oh, the best gift ever?
Speaker 4 (33:04):
This We gotta make this happen. That was Quarterback Keeper,
presented by Snapdragon. Learn more at snapdragon dot com. Last laptop, Yes, Chucky, do.
Speaker 3 (33:14):
You think he still has the sprinter van decked out
for film study that he had driving from San Diego
to La back in the day.
Speaker 4 (33:21):
I don't think there's a large market. I think he
still has that thing. I don't know who's he selling
that to. Maybe Jeremiah could use that coming up, coming
up for work.
Speaker 2 (33:31):
I'll have to ask him. It was It was a pleasure.
It was a lot of fun over at TOFI tonight.
Thank you to.
Speaker 4 (33:40):
My friend Chris Babona producing the show. We got Lavender
in the back, we got Walker on the ones and Tues.
We will be back in this studio on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (33:50):
Hit the button.
Speaker 4 (33:52):
I said, we're gonna keep this short until we can
get out. I didn't nick you're gonna be back with
me later this week with Ally Connolly.
Speaker 2 (34:00):
By the way, they all underrated team.
Speaker 4 (34:01):
But before that we still got a DNM and before
that me Jordan Rodrigue, Colleen Wolfe on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (34:09):
We'll see you next Tues.
Host
Gregg Rosenthal
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