How the Chargers defense stymied Jalen Hurts and

It was a play that encapsulated every part that went proper — and flawed — for the Chargers on defense against the Philadelphia Eagles at SoFi Stadium on Monday night time.

On a third down in the second quarter, Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts threw a go meant for A.J. Brown that was picked off by De’Shawn Hand. Will Shipley then punched the ball unfastened and Hurts recovered. Moments after that, Jamaree Caldwell compelled another fumble before Troy Dye pounced on it to end a wild, three-turnover sequence.

“We made a little call, I had to drop back the coverage and I was just shocked the ball was coming my way,” Hand said after the first interception of his eight-year profession. “So I had to go and secure the bag, but then I fumbled.”

“All the ball carriers, I understand them. That stuff is hard.”

Moments of jubilation in the end outweighed durations of frustration for the Chargers’ defense, which picked off Hurts 4 instances and compelled 5 turnovers in a 22-19 additional time win. Hurts handed for 240 yards and the Eagles had 365 whole yards, but turnovers proved too pricey for the defending Super Bowl champions to overcome.

“What a team we have, they refuse to lose, just a great feeling of winning,” Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh said. “The defense was incredible.”

The Chargers defense held the Eagles in examine for most of the sport, but issues took a bleak flip when Saquon Barkley broke free on a 52-yard landing run off a faux tush-push to open the fourth quarter, placing Philadelphia forward 16-13 for its first lead.

After the Chargers went three and out on their next possession, cornerback Cam Hart picked off Hurts, serving to set up a drive that led to Dicker’s third area objective of the sport. The Chargers defense then held the Eagles to a three and out and a area objective to make it a three-point sport before Dicker kicked a 46-yard area objective in the remaining seconds of regulation to pressure additional time.

Following a 54-yard area objective by Dicker to put the Chargers forward in additional time, the Eagles shortly marched to midfield. Facing fourth down and 4, the Chargers have been one more stop away from profitable when a neutral-zone infraction on Odafe Oweh gave the Eagles a new set of downs.

With the Eagles in the pink zone and threatening to rating, the Chargers’ secondary got here to the rescue a remaining time. Hart deflected a go meant for Eagles broad receiver Jahan Dotson just exterior the end zone, and security Tony Jefferson caught the ball to end the sport.

“Shout out [defensive coordinator Jesse] Minter, just calling the right call, that’s where it starts first,” Jefferson said. “Execution is after that.”

On a night time when quarterback Justin Herbert was nursing a surgically repaired damaged left (non-throwing) hand that restricted his effectiveness in the passing sport, the defense proved to be a decisive issue in serving to the Chargers win for the fifth time in six video games.

“It’s playoff football,” Hart said. “Any small mistake, any small error can affect the game in totality. We just stay together, until you get better and be outcome driven, process driven and keep going.”