Below are 10 quick-hitting insights ahead of the Chargers' Week 9 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles:
1) The last time the Chargers played the Eagles in Philadelphia was Sept. 15, 2013. Philip Rivers and Michael Vick combined for 847 passing yards. The Chargers won 33-30 courtesy of a 46-yard Nick Novak field goal with seven seconds remaining.
2) More from that game in 2013: Vick threw for a career-high 428 yards and had a passer rating of 123.4; Rivers had 419 yards and a passer rating of 124.3. Wide receiver Eddie Royal caught all three of Rivers' touchdown passes that day. Tight end Antonio Gates had eight catches for 124 yards.
3) Notable connections entering the latest installment of Chargers-Eagles: Philadelphia head coach Nick Sirianni was a member of the Chargers coaching staff from 2013-17; Offensive coordinator Shane Steichen was also a member of the Bolts coaching staff (2014-20), having most recently served as OC; Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts and Chargers linebacker Kenneth Murray were teammates at Oklahoma in 2019; Chargers head coach Brandon Staley called Eagles defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon "one of my very, very best friends." The two started competing against each other in fourth grade AAU basketball, according to Staley.
4) Wide receiver Keenan Allen is 107 receiving yards away from 8,000 for his career. A 100-yard receiving game this Sunday would be his 30th as a Charger.
5) Running back Austin Ekeler has five games with over 100 total yards entering Week 9. He needs one touchdown catch to give him 20 for his career. With that, he "would become the youngest running back in the common draft era (since 1967) to reach 20 career receiving scores," per Chargers Communications.
6) Also per Chargers Communications: Justin Herbert "needs 25 completions to reach 600 for his career, and would become the only player in NFL history to do so through the first 25 starts of a career."
7) Derwin James Jr. has 63 total tackles entering Week 9, tops on the team and the most among all NFL safeties. Linebacker Kyzir White is second on the team with 45.
8) Through the first seven games of James Jr.'s All-Pro rookie season in 2018, he had 44 total tackles – 19 fewer than he has during the same number of games in 2021. James has been on the field for 98 percent of the defensive snaps this season, the most on the team.
9) This weekend's trip to Philadelphia will be the Chargers' third game on the east coast in the first nine weeks of the NFL season. Los Angeles won at Washington 20-16 in Week 1, and lost 34-6 at Baltimore in Week 6.
10) The Chargers are 7-5 all-time against the Eagles. Three of the last four matchups have been decided by three points or less.
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