Despite dropping a disappointing game to the New England Patriots last week, the LA Chargers are favorites against Philadelphia ahead of Week 9's matchup.
LA will head to the opposite coast to take on the Eagles. A few weeks ago, this may have seemed like an easy win for the Bolts, but recent events are pointing to a much less comfortable competition. Philadelphia is carrying all the momentum coming into the contest after dominating Detroit last week while the Chargers were busy throwing away their game.
The Bolts need to get out of this rut and shake off the mediocrity of their last two games, and this Philly team is a great opponent to accomplish that feat against. They have yet to string together any consistency and have repeatedly failed to stay in the game against competitive teams. The only question for the Chargers is if they are going to show up in their competitive fashion or continue their pained performances of the last few weeks. My bet is on the former, and I fully expect LA to come out on top of this one.
Three reasons why the LA Chargers will beat the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 9
3. Justin Herbert is resilient
Quarterback Justin Herbert is still one of the most talented young quarterbacks in this league. Saying the league "figured him out" is an overreaction and it's time to reel it back in. It's fair to be concerned, but he had two below-average weeks plagued by conservative play-calling and struggled against a Belicheck-led defense. Nothing to sound the alarm over.
Herbert knows how to bounce back from disappointing runs. He's had to do it his entire career thus far. On a team that's been known to frequently drop close games and perpetually come out on the losing side of a late-game comeback, Herbert has been steady-handed. Just a few weeks ago the second-year player reversed that narrative in a win over the Raiders after Las Vegas clawed back into the game.
That resilience translates between games too. Herbert is unusually composed for such an inexperienced quarterback and that cool confidence has a positive effect on the entire offense. If the past is any indicator, Herbert will be able to reset after this loss to New England and bring that forward-facing mentality to advantage LA against Philly.
Herbert has 17 touchdowns and nearly 2000 passing yards this season. If he can take a deep breath and get back to his usual, spirited game against the Eagles, it will be pretty hard for the Chargers to lose this Sunday.