Instant observations from Chargers 22, Eagles 19: Jalen Hurts blows a winnable game with four interceptions

The 8-4 Philadelphia Eagles came off their second mini-bye of the season, with a Monday Night Football matchup against the 8-4 Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.

It was not a pretty game. Jalen Hurts, who has protected the ball at all costs all season, had three first-half turnovers… including two on the same bizarre play. Then he had one in the second half, too. But the Chargers had three turnovers of their own, as the Eagles defense settled down after giving up an opening-drive touchdown. The game went to overtime at 19-19.

And then, with the Eagles driving for the potential win in overtime down three, Hurts threw his fourth interception of the game… a terrible force job on first down that should have been a clear throwaway. And the Eagles lost in Los Angeles, 22-19.

Here are the PHLY Eagles staff’s observations.

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EJ Smith

INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Watching the Eagles offense drift through most of Monday night’s 22-19 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, Jalen Hurts’ past comments about a “different chef” being the reason for the lack of cohesion on an experienced Eagles offense with all the same ingredients rattled around my brain long enough for a different cooking analogy to take shape.

This team only has one recipe that works right now.

For as fortified as the Eagles defense looked for most of Monday and as capable as the group was to carry the team through most of this game, the offense looked even more concerningly disjointed. The extended break leading into this game was Nick Sirianni and Kevin Patullo’s best chance to turn things around offensively, but Hurts and Co. turned in more of the same against the Chargers.

Hurts finished with a career-high five turnovers with four interceptions, the last of which cost the Eagles the game on a batted pass intended for Jahan Dotson. Turnovers aside, it’s hard to envision where the Eagles offense goes from here.

Eagles players spent the week insisting the sky wasn’t falling, but their play confirms the clouds are descending upon them.

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Bo Wulf

Jalen Hurts has more turnovers in the past two games than in his previous 16 games combined and that’s probably all we’ll talk about this week despite a crazy amount of other wild things that happened tonight, from A.J. Brown’s costly drops to the well-coached surprise non-tush-push Saquon Barkley touchdown run and a dominant performance from the Eagles’ defensive line. No, they can never be normal.

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Jamie Lynch

I don’t want to spend too much time talking about that offensive first half of football because that was unbelievably putrid. Just terrible. Maybe don’t run hitch routes on every single route concept, because the Chargers knew to time them & jump them.

I shouldn’t be so negative, because history WAS made in the 1st half. Jalen Hurts became the first player in NFL history to record 2 turnovers in the SAME PLAY! Kudos, it was so atrocious that I wasn’t even mad, in fact had a decent laugh about it.

One Saquon Barkley run for a TD & we’re back! Hell of an effort by the defense tonight and Mr. Jordan Davis. Came up with big plays when they needed them.

Sirianni’s late game management still befuddles me from time to time, like out of a timeout with 2 minutes & change left you call a screen pass? At least keep it on the ground and force the Chargers to burn a timeout to save the 2 minute warning. Instead, you gave them two timeouts for free?
This game was always destined for OT. Penalties, penalties, penalties. And then that. 4 INT’s from the QB. 5 turnovers. Just absolutely brutal. Eagles playoff chances still stand at 94%, but no one feels good about their chances.

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Rich Hofmann

I thought the Eagles tried to play aggressive offense, which was nice. The quarterback turned the ball over five times (really four), finally playing a modern offense. That can’t happen. It’s going to be a long week for Jalen Hurts. That was not even close to good enough from him.

It should be a long week for A.J. Brown, too.

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Fran Duffy

I think for this week I’m just going to have my six-year old son write my entry for this piece. His notes from the first hal (he fell asleep just before Saquon’s long touchdown run)f:

“Boom. Saquon is amazing.” (After a second-straight run for over 10 yards, which I’m pretty sure happened for the first time all season tonight)
“Oh my god, I am about to crash out.” (after a Jalen Hurts scramble for no yardage)
“Shave your head! Shave your head! Shave your head!” (as Nick Sirianni went crazy on the sideline yelling at a referee)

He covered the major points there!

Seriously though, yeah, this was another tough watch on offense. Vic Fangio’s defense was outstanding after a tough explosive play in a scramble drill on the opening drive. The response from that side of the ball was really good to see after a disappointing outing last Friday afternoon. Offensively this team looked lost in the woods for much of this game, but after a well-designed fake Tush Push got Saquon into the end zone from 52 yards out, they were able to rely on Jake Elliot’s foot the rest of the way to get them to overtime … but the turnovers came back to bite them. Five in total, four from Jalen Hurts, and the Eagles drop their third straight.