Eagles at Chargers Line

Written by Rock Henderson

The San Diego Chargers will take on their second NFC East opponent in a row when the 5-3 Philadelphia Eagles make the cross country trip to clash with the Chargers. San Diego is coming off their biggest win of the season that ran their record to 5-3 and kept them within striking distance of division leading Denver. The Philly express was slowed down by a very good Dallas team last weekend and they hope to bounce back in strong fashion against another top team in the league. According to our NFL lines, the Chargers are a 2.5 point favorite with the total set at 47.

Philadelphia only sits one game out of the division lead, but can’t afford to fall too far behind a Cowboy team that has taken on a different look this season. QB Donovan McNabb missed a couple games due to injury and backup Kevin Kolb filled in nicely for the Pro Bowler. McNabb has still managed to throw for over 1200 yards and 10 touchdowns with just three interceptions in limited duty. His 59% completion percentage needs to be higher if the offense wants to be more efficient. The running back position has been an area of concern for the Eagles. Brian Westbrook has only carried the ball 41 times this year due to injuries, which seem to be a reoccurring theme for the veteran back. Rookie LeSean McCoy has seen the majority of the action, carrying the ball 83 times for 348 yards and two touchdowns. Head coach Andy Reid has always preferred the short passing game and his backs are mainly used to catch the ball out of the backfield and maintain some balance in the offense. TE Brent Celek is having a very good season to date as he leads the team with 40 catches and four touchdowns. Second year WR DeSean Jackson is one of the most electric players in the NFL and is averaging over 20 yards per reception.

Notoriously known for their slow starts to the season, San Diego has started its late season surge a bit early this year as they have won their last three ball games. Phillip Rivers leads the high powered Charger offense. The controversial signal caller has thrown for 2245 yards and 14 touchdowns. He has really turned up his play the last three games, which has much to do with the improved play of the team. The running game for the Chargers is also suspect as future Hall of Famer LaDainian Tomlinson has hit the wall. He has gained only 289 yards and is averaging a measly 3.2 ypc. Tomlinson is also no longer a factor catching the ball either as he has just nine catches for 40 yards. WR Vincent Jackson has finally burst onto the scene and made himself into one of the best receivers in the game. The fifth year wide out from Northern Colorado has snatched 42 balls for 722 yards and seven touchdowns. Jackson is a match-up nightmare for the opposition in the red zone. San Diego’s defense has had its issues through eight games, but their pass defense has been superb as they are allowing a little less than 180 yards per game through the air which is ranked 5th in the league. Their stingy secondary could play a huge role in stopping Philly’s pass happy offense.

While this is a key game for both teams, in my opinion it is much more important for the Chargers. They have a huge match-up at Denver next Sunday and a loss here could send them two games back once again as the Broncos play at Washington. San Diego has figured out what type of team they are going to be going forward and I don’t see them having trouble with a banged up Eagles team. Play: Chargers -2.5

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