INGLEWOOD, Calif. — In a season marred by inconsistency for the Los Angeles Chargers, their “Monday Night Football” outing appeared headed toward a loss in a similar fashion.

The Chargers’ defense was suffocating, forcing five turnovers from Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts, the most in the Super Bowl MVP’s career. But after an opening-drive touchdown, the Chargers’ offense stalled.

This time was different for the Chargers, however. In a thrilling 22-19 overtime win, quarterback Justin Herbert rushed for 66 yards, the third most in his career, just seven days after surgery on a fracture in his left hand. And L.A.’s defense got a stop when it needed it most, as safety Tony Jefferson intercepted Hurts to secure the victory in OT.

It was the biggest win of the season for a Chargers team that appeared to be spiraling out of playoff contention — and it could help propel them into the postseason for the second year in a row.

Los Angeles Chargers (9-4)

What to make of QB performance: Herbert’s injured left hand clearly bothered him throughout the night, but he played without much limitation — taking snaps under center, scrambling for yards and absorbing hits. Herbert’s counting stats weren’t impressive — completing 12 of 26 passes for 139 yards — but some of that can be credited to an Eagles defense that blanketed receivers and consistently pressured him. His performance with the broken hand was an encouraging sign for an offense heading into a four-game stretch that features each opponent vying for a playoff spot or improved seeding (Kansas City, Dallas, Houston, Denver).

Hole in the game plan: Pass protection.

The Eagles — missing star defensive tackle Jalen Carter — pressured Herbert on 68.3% of his dropbacks, per NFL Next Gen Stats, and sacked him seven times. One pressure in the second quarter forced an interception after Eagles edge rusher Jaelan Phillips pushed tackle Bobby Hart into Herbert’s throwing arm. Pass protection has been an issue all season, particularly since Joe Alt‘s season-ending right high ankle injury in week 9. Since that injury, Herbert has been sacked 21 times, tied for second most in the NFL (Geno Smith, 30).

Trend to watch: Usage between RBs Omarion Hampton and Kimani Vidal.

With first-round rookie Hampton back for the first time since Week 5, he and Vidal shined.

On the opening drive, they combined for 78 yards, capped off with a 4-yard receiving touchdown by Hampton. Their workload was similar — Hampton with 13 carries and Vidal with 14 — and the coming weeks will prove whether this should be a shared backfield or if Hampton will go back to being the featured back. — Kris Rhim

Next game: at Kansas City Chiefs (1 p.m. EST, CBS)

Coming into Monday night’s game on a two-game slide, the Eagles needed Hurts to pull the offense out of its funk and lead the team to a stabilizing win over the Chargers.

Instead, he put forth one of the worst performances of his career, factoring heavily into their 22-19 overtime loss.

Hurts had five turnovers on the night, including an interception in overtime that ended a promising drive near the goal line. He was protecting the football as well as anyone for the bulk of the season, but now he has seven giveaways over the past two games. His receiving corps could have helped him out more — an A.J. Brown drop over the middle in the second half led to a pick — but Hurts held the offense back more than anyone against L.A.

A mediocre outing would have been enough on a night when the defense registered seven sacks and Saquon Barkley rediscovered some of his 2024 magic with a 50-plus-yard touchdown run.

The Eagles remain in a solid position to win the NFC East. But their offensive woes have hit crisis levels, stoking fears in Philadelphia that the defending champs are careering toward a 2023-like collapse.

Most surprising performance: Two unheralded defensive players made big impacts in the game. Cornerback Adoree’ Jackson, the subject of much scrutiny amid the team’s quest to identify a CB2 opposite Quinyon Mitchell, had an interception and two passes defensed to continue his improved play. Defensive tackle Byron Young made the most of his increased role in Jalen Carter’s absence with 1.5 sacks, two QB hits and a tackle for loss.

Trend to watch: Kicker Jake Elliott has three missed field goals and a missed extra point over his past three games. He was unable to connect on a 48-yard attempt at the end of the second quarter Monday. With the offense struggling, the margins are too small to absorb an inconsistent kicking game over the long term.

Stat to know: Barkley’s 52-yard TD scamper early in the fourth quarter was his 15th career rushing touchdown of at least 50 yards, including playoffs, tying him with Barry Sanders for the second most in NFL history behind Adrian Peterson‘s 16. Barkley entered Monday’s contest with just one run of 40-plus yards on the season. — Tim McManus

Next game: vs. Las Vegas Raiders (1 p.m. EST, Fox)

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts was involved in a wacky play on Monday night after throwing an interception to Los Angeles Chargers defensive lineman Da’Shawn Hand.

Hand dropped back into coverage on the snap and Hurts threw it to wide receiver A.J. Brown, who was triple-covered. Hand was there to intercept the pass and began to run it up the field. However, he fumbled while trying to take the ball back.

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Hurts picked the ball up and thought he had saved the play for a minute. Instead, the ball was knocked out of his hands. Finally, Chargers linebacker Troy Dye recovered the ball. Hurts committed two turnovers in one play.

The Chargers kicked a field goal on their next drive to take a 10-3 lead.

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) warms up before an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, Monday, Dec. 8, 2025, in Inglewood, California. (AP Photo/Caroline Brehman)

The play certainly perplexed NFL fans.

Los Angeles had a 10-6 lead going into halftime, but turnovers were running rampant. Both teams committed three turnovers each before the end of the second quarter.

PHILIP RIVERS, 44-YEAR-OLD WHO RECENTLY BECAME GRANDFATHER, TO VISIT COLTS FOR POTENTIAL NFL RETURN: REPORTS

The lone touchdown was scored when Justin Herbert found rookie running back Omarion Hampton for a 4-yard touchdown in the first quarter. Since then, Herbert has had one of his passes picked off and lost a fumble.

The Eagles haven’t had much success on offense.

Hurts is 10-of-19 for 95 yards and has thrown two interceptions.

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Both teams entered the game with an 8-4 record and were in need of a win to bolster their playoff hopes.

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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Daniel Jones limped off the field and into the tunnel leading to the locker room of dejected Indianapolis Colts. He was rain-soaked, disheveled and had just sustained a right torn Achilles a couple hours prior. The expression he wore after Sunday’s 36-16 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was the perfect illustration of his team’s bleak predicament.

The Colts (8-5), already in the midst of a precipitous slide after starting the season with the NFL’s best record at 7-1, now face a long list of complicated questions in the wake of Jones’ serious injury. A torn Achilles, which is what a source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter Jones suffered, can take as long as a year to fully recover from, raising thorny issues related to the future of the position in Indianapolis. And given the unraveling of the Colts’ season, what might a disappointing finish mean for the team’s leadership, its veteran players and everyone involved?

With Jones headed for season-ending surgery and months of rehab, here are the critical questions brought about by Jones’ devastating injury.

What happens in the immediate term?

For now, rookie backup Riley Leonard takes the reins, and that puts the Colts in a tough spot. Leonard was drafted in the sixth round out of Notre Dame with the team viewing him as a developmental quarterback. He was the third-string option until a scary pregame accident involving quarterback Anthony Richardson Sr., who sustained an orbital fracture to his face after a mishap involving stretching bands in October. Richardson remains on injured reserve.

Leonard has been the No. 2 quarterback ever since. And while he has worked diligently and has made significant strides — just last week Leonard spent a late evening at Jones’ house doing extra game prep — one of the primary strengths of the Colts’ offense was Jones’ ability to process situations quickly and accurately and make sound decisions. Leonard will be hard-pressed to duplicate that given his inexperience.

Against the Jags, Leonard completed 18 of 29 attempts for 145 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. Leonard also rushed for a score. But 16 of Leonard’s attempts were five yards or fewer down the field, according to ESPN Research.

Leonard did show the game wasn’t too big for him, and he’ll need to demonstrate that again if he makes his first start next Sunday at the Seattle Seahawks. In the immediate aftermath of the game, Leonard was already getting significant support from his teammates.

“Having guys like [All-pro guard] Quenton Nelson come up to me and say he believes in me,” Leonard said, “Everybody on the sideline was so supportive. That’s always good for a rookie quarterback.”

What’s next at quarterback for Indy?

The Colts had been having internal discussions about a contract extension for Jones long before they became the hottest offense in the NFL. Through eight games, the Colts were averaging six more points than any other team and were producing 6.5 yards per play, on pace for one of the highest marks in franchise history.

Jones was the key to unlocking all of it, with his efficiency, accurate passing and execution of coach Shane Steichen’s smart schemes. Jones seemed like an answer to the Colts’ yearslong uncertainty at quarterback. But now, everything about his future is in question.

He is scheduled to become a free agent in the spring, when his one-year contract expires. But he will be far from a return to the field at that point, and his status for next season is, at best, in question.

Do the Colts take a chance and sign him to a reduced contract? Do they look elsewhere? Can they even count on him for 2026?

Those answers are a long way off, but the impression Jones has made on the Colts was clear in the reaction to his injury.

“That’s our team leader,” receiver Alec Pierce said. “That’s our team captain right there. Everything runs through him. That was brutal.”

Worth noting is that Richardson remains under contract for 2026. His future has been in question since he lost a preseason position battle with Jones. But Sunday’s developments could change things for him. Richardson showed improvement through training camp and is still just 23 years old.

What if the season unravels?

In many ways, it is already unraveling. The Colts started Sunday in a tie for first place in the AFC South, but Jacksonville (9-4) now sits alone atop the division. The Colts dropped to the periphery of the wild-card standings after the loss.

So, after a remarkable start that had Indianapolis with the best record in the NFL, how will a collapse down the stretch reflect on the men in charge of the team?

The futures of general manager Chris Ballard and Steichen were in question after last season’s 8-9 finish. But the late owner Jim Irsay, who passed away in May, agreed to give the pair one more shot in 2025.

Losing a starting quarterback in Week 14 with the playoffs still within reach certainly complicates the evaluation process. But things were already slipping away even before Jones’ injury. Nothing that’s happened in recent weeks reflects well on the team’s brass, and it will be a difficult assessment if the Colts can’t finish strong in its remaining games against the Seahawks, Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans. The combined record of those teams is 39-14.

What is the impact of ownership changes?

The subplot to all of this is that all the difficult decisions ahead of the Colts will be made by different decision-makers.

Irsay’s oldest daughter, Carlie Irsay-Gordon, and her sisters, Casey Foyt and Kalen Jackson, are now primary owners. How they will process what’s happened isn’t certain. Jim Irsay was often prone to emotional and abrupt decisions, but his daughters are seen as much more pragmatic.

However they choose to proceed, the Colts are not in an optimum situation. Jones’ injury is compounded by the absence of their first-round picks in 2026 and 2027, which the team recently traded to the New York Jets for cornerback Sauce Gardner in an effort to make a deep playoff run this season.

The Colts also will have to navigate the futures of core players. Pierce and defensive end Kwity Paye are entering free agency, receiver Michael Pittman Jr.’s salary-cap figure jumps to $29 million and running back Jonathan Taylor is due an extension (2026 is the final season of his contract).

A single injury has led to a multitude of questions for which there are no immediate answers.