Now for a tale of the Birds and the Bolts. Their records match at 8-4, but these “Monday Night Football” participants are far apart in stasis and spirit.

The Philadelphia Eagles descend onto Southern California with pent-up surliness, a streak unbecoming of the defending Super Bowl champions. According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator, Nick Sirianni’s squad has a 95 percent chance of winning the NFC East. But the team has winced through back-to-back losses. Fans are booing and locker room regulars are brooding. Even after February’s revelation, Philly needs a psychic reset.

Along the home sideline, the Los Angeles Chargers have won four of their last five games. Yes, that one mishap was a 35-6 humiliation ritual. But L.A. has to like its standing overall, given the devastating injuries to its two cornerstone blockers. Even if Jim Harbaugh and his Chargers get boxed into a wild-card spot, they’ll still have a shot at their first playoff W in seven years.

How to watch Eagles at Chargers

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The teamsPhiladelphia (8-4)

Good: Philadelphia started the week ranked No. 2 in fourth-down conversions allowed and No. 4 in red zone stinginess. No matter the dysfunction building from the other side, Vic Fangio’s defense keeps the Eagles within range of salvation. That group hasn’t allowed more than 24 points since Week 6. It suppressed the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions to consecutive single-digit scores last month. Nakobe Dean came on strong in November with three sacks across four starts. Fellow rising linebacker Jalyx Hunt has a playmaker’s instinct, as seen on Black Friday:

Ya love to see it@jalyx_hunt | #ProBowlVote pic.twitter.com/vpL6o1JT5Y

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) November 28, 2025

Bad: A.J. Brown arrives Monday with a touchdown catch and 100+ receiving yards in back-to-back games. That sounds like a good thing, but those numbers feel particularly hollow as the Eagles force his deep looks. While the team was stacking early fall wins, Brown was complaining about target shares and his limited route tree. The recent stat bumps coming in such deflating losses only underscores the curdling vibes. Jalen Hurts might not have a viable alternative for the game script, though. Philadelphia’s ultra-efficient ground attack was swept away with the Super Bowl confetti. One day, Saquon Barkley’s 2025 production dip will be studied through textbooks.

Space-shrinking DT Jalen Carter is on ice as he recovers from a shoulder procedure. All-world OT Lane Johnson hasn’t played since incurring a foot sprain in Week 11 and will be out again Monday night.

Los Angeles (8-4)

Good: The hosts have been a fantastic third-down team this year. After a dozen games, the Chargers were No. 2 in moving the chains and No. 4 in forcing a stop. Pocket crasher Tuli Tuipulotu is an unheralded star of 2025. He’s up to 10 sacks on the season, even though he went without one in L.A.’s first three outings. The gap discipline is impressive, and the pressure is a swarm:

tuli on third down is scary#probowlvote + tuli tuipulotu

📺 | @nfloncbs pic.twitter.com/B4alzbeXf9

— Los Angeles Chargers (@chargers) November 30, 2025

Los Angeles’ pass defense began Week 14 ranked ninth in expected points added (EPA). While its secondary shortens the field and squeezes out drives, the wideout duo of Quentin Johnston and Ladd McConkey can break impatient opponents with one jolt on the other side of the ball.

Bad: When Justin Herbert is hurting, the offense becomes extremely limited. The franchise QB suffered a fracture in his non-throwing hand last game. According to TruMedia, the team ran all of its plays in either shotgun or pistol formation once Herbert returned from the injury. The Chargers were nursing a sizable lead, but even the worst version of these Eagles is so much better than the sputtering Las Vegas Raiders. And even before Herbert’s hand became a problem, the offense ranked 23rd in red zone rate, with just 21 touchdowns in 41 trips.

Herbert underwent surgery on his left hand last Monday and was officially listed as questionable on the Chargers’ weekend injury report. However, he was optimistic that he’d be in the lineup against the Eagles. “That’s the plan, is to prepare as if I’m going to play,” Herbert said Wednesday, according to The Athletic’s Daniel Popper.

The regular broadcast and the “Monsters Funday Football” one

We’ll hear from the usual “Monday Night Football” crew. Joe Buck and Troy Aikman are on the call from Inglewood. Lisa Salters and Laura Rutledge are the sideline reporters. The standard telecast will come in over the air on ABC and via cable on ESPN. There’s no “ManningCast” this time around, perhaps because Eli Manning is averse to Eagles and Chargers in equal measure.

Or … perhaps because the “Monsters, Inc.” universe is seeping into the simulcast. Through its omnipresent parent company, ESPN is providing viewers with “Monsters Funday Football,” the third annual version of this altcast. The first crossover featured “Toy Story” in 2023, followed by “The Simpsons” in 2024.

Monday Night Football comes to Monstropolis!🏈

Catch the Eagles-Chargers in Monsters Funday Football coming to Disney+ on December 8. pic.twitter.com/CM1mqYxitY

— Pixar (@Pixar) October 28, 2025

The field, live from Monstropolis, will be animated in the Disney-Pixar style, and the characters voiced by Billy Crystal and John Goodman are coming out of retirement as their characters suit up for the Eagles and Chargers, respectively (Bob Peterson’s Roz will handle sideline duties). Is Mike Wazowski a Broad Street pole climber? Does Sulley have bashful Chargers energy? Will we hear “Henry J. Waternoose, THE Monsters University“? All guesses go.

In the booth, there will be cartoon versions of play-by-play announcer Drew Carter and analyst Dan Orlovsky calling the game. Chris Berman, also in toon form, will make a special appearance, as well. The animated MFF is on ESPN2, Disney Channel and the various ESPN-Disney streaming platforms.

Fantasy fusion team

Players to wear both jerseys, via Pro Football Reference

QB: Jim McMahon, 1989-92
RB: Ryan Mathews, 2010-16
WR: Jeff Graham, 1998-2001
TE: Richard Rodgers, 2018-22
FLEX: Darren Sproles, 2005-19

We’d have to run at least 20 Sproles bubble screens here. Is this our best combined lineup of the year? No, it’s not. But … is it our worst? Yeah, it might be! The real Eagles-Chargers pairing for Monday looks so much better. What a relief.

Eagles at Chargers odds

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