Eagles move to 8-0 for first time in franchise history after 29-17 win over Texans

The Philadelphia Eagles are undefeated and 8-0 for the first time in history after a 29-17 win over the Houston Texans in Jalen Hurts homecoming

The Eagles are 8-0 for the first time in franchise history after a hard-fought 29-17 win over the Texans in Jalen Hurts’ Houston homecoming.

Hurts was 21-27, passing for 243 yards and two touchdowns in the air. As a rusher, Hurts carried the ball nine times for 23 yards.

Star running back Miles Sanders had 17 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown as Philadelphia overcame a 7-0 deficit while holding Houston to 10 points over the next three quarters.

Texans rookie running back Dameon Pierce kept things close with 27 carries for 139 yards as Philadelphia was gashed in the middle without Jordan Davis, who was placed on injured reserve.

The Eagles will rest up before heading home to face the Commanders in Week 10.

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7 key takeaways from first half as Eagles and Texans are tied 14-14

Here are seven takeaways from the first half at NRG Stadium, as the Philadelphia Eagles are tied 14-14 with the Houston Texans in Jalen Hurts’ homecoming

Jalen Hurts’ homecoming was met with some obstacles from the Texans’ offense that amassed 182 yards in the first half, including 88 yards from rookie running back Dameon Pierce.

The NFL’s only undefeated team is currently in a dogfight after the Texans jumped out to a 7-0 lead and tied things up with a late touchdown to enter the first half tied, 14-14.

Houston quarterback Davis Mills was 8-9, passing for 90-yards and two touchdowns against the talented Eagles defense.

Here are seven takeaways from the first half in Houston.

Eagles vs. Texans: How to watch, listen and stream online in Week 9

Here’s how you can watch, listen or stream the Philadelphia Eagles Week 9 matchup with the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium

After taking care of business last Sunday, the Eagles now face a quick turnaround. Traveling to Houston for Thursday Night Football against the Texans – a team that has never beaten the Eagles.

Philadelphia also has a chance to extend its record to 8-0 for the first time in franchise history.

The Texans enter the matchup with Davis Mills at quarterback and star rookie Dameon Pierce as the running back who could give the Eagles all sorts of problems.

Philadelphia will counter with quarterback Jalen Hurts, one of the leaders in the MVP race and the biggest reason for the undefeated start.

Here’s how you can watch, stream, or listen to the action as the Eagles look to claim their second win in one week:

NFL Week 9 picks: Who the ‘experts’ are taking in Eagles vs. Texans

The experts have made their picks, and the consensus is with the Philadelphia Eagles in Thursday night’s matchup with the Houston Texans

The Eagles moved to 7-0 for the first time since 2004 with a dominant 35-13 win over the Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field.

Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes to A.J Brown in the first half and finished with 285 yards passing, and four touchdowns as Philadelphia overcame a slow first-quarter start.

The Birds are now in Houston for a prime-time matchup against the Texans, and the expert picks are in.

How the Eagles and Texans stack up for Week 9

With the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans set for a Thursday night matchup, here’s a statistical breakdown for both teams ahead of Week 9

The Eagles moved to 7-0 for the first time since 2004 with a dominant 35-13 win over the Steelers at Lincoln Financial Field.

Jalen Hurts threw three touchdown passes to A.J Brown in the first half and finished with 285 yards passing, and four touchdowns as Philadelphia overcame a slow first-quarter start.

A.J. Brown had six receptions for a career-high 156 yards and three scores, as Pittsburgh (2-6) could not contain the physical wide receiver.

With Philadelphia headed to Houston to open up Week 9, here’s a statistical breakdown of both teams.

Texans sign OL Scott Quessenberry to 1-year contract

The Houston Texans signed former Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Scott Quessenberry to a one-year contract.

The Houston Texans can’t get enough of the Quessenberry boys.

According to Aaron Wilson from the Pro Football Network, the Texans reached a one-year deal with former Los Angeles Chargers offensive lineman Scott Quessenberry.

Quessenberry was a 2018 fifth-round pick for the Chargers and was active for 63 games for Los Angeles, starting in 10 of them. Quessenberry’s most productive season was in 2019 when he started nine of 16 games for the Chargers at center.

The former UCLA product’s contract is for $1.187 million with $652,500 guaranteed and a $152,500 signing bonus. Quessenberry’s base salary is $1.035 million and is also fully guaranteed.

Houston previously had David Quessenberry on their roster in the mid-2010s. The Texans have another Quessenberry brother signed with tight end Paul Quessenberry.

6 Chargers who could be key reserves in 2020

Chargers Wire’s Gavino Borquez lists six players who could be key reserves in the upcoming season.

The Chargers have one of the most talented rosters from top to bottom, which will make it quite difficult for some players to see the field as frequently.

With that being said, here are six Chargers players who could be key reserves this upcoming season:

LB Uchenna Nwosu

Since entering the league in 2018, Nwosu has primarily backed up Melvin Ingram at LEO, getting snaps when Ingram would come off the field, which has not been very often. However, the former USC product has made his presence known on a consistent basis in the limited capacity. In two seasons, Nwosu has totaled 59 tackles, 17 quarterback hits, eight tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Even though the 23-year old has only played a role as a rotational pass-rusher, his impact has gone a long way towards the team’s defensive success. Heading into the new year, Nwosu isn’t expected to have an expanded role due to the presence of Ingram and Joey Bosa, but if one were to go down, he could be counted on as the next man up.

DE Isaac Rochell

Another key piece to the Chargers’ dominant defensive line that may go unnoticed is Rochell, the team’s seventh-round selection from the 2017 NFL Draft. Rochell has served as Joey Bosa’s backup, which is why he rarely gets playing time. But he has made the most of his limited opportunities, posting 45 tackles, nine tackles for loss, nine quarterback hits and seven sacks within the past three seasons, with the majority of those coming in 2018, which is when he saw an uptick in snaps after Bosa missed some time due to an injury. Rochell has proven himself as a viable pass-rusher and run defender. In 2020, he will have the same role, but will see the field more should either Bosa or Ingram go down with an injury.

DT Damion Square

Square was re-signed last week, and for a very good reason. The 31-year old nose tackle has been a valuable rotational piece in the middle of the defensive line. In 2019, Square recorded 27 tackles (15 solo), a tackle for loss and two passes defended. Whether it’s rushing the passer or stopping the run, Square has almost aways been a part of the action. In six seasons with the Chargers, Square has posted 96 tackles, 15 quarterback hits, nine tackles for loss and eight passes defensed. The former Alabama product will backup newly acquired Linval Joseph, but his playing time will increase if an injury occurred.

FS Nasir Adderley

Had Adderley not been injured during his rookie season, there’s a good chance that he could’ve been the starting free safety. But the coaching staff’s trust in Rayshawn Jenkins in that role likely indicates that it’ll be difficult for him to win the job this season. However, with the defense expected to show more two-deep safety looks and there being a hole at the dimebacker position, Adderley could see the field in Year 2. Should Adderley stay healthy and carve out a spot, the former Delaware product supplies the backend of the defense with another talented player, one of whom has the range, speed, tackling ability and ball skills to consistently make plays.

OL Scott Quessenberry

The offensive line wasn’t particularly a bright spot for due to injuries that occurred throughout the 2019 season. But when one man (Mike Pouncey) went down, another stepped up. Quessenberry made an impact early on that many may have not been expecting from him when handing him the starting duties. But you could tell that he benefited from learning from a four-time Pro Bowler. The former UCLA product was consistent in pass protection and in the run blocking department. If Pouncey experiences another injury or if one of the guards goes down this upcoming season, Quessenberry supplies the unit with a solid player that can be counted on at any of the interior slots.

WR K.J. Hill

The Chargers had no desire to pick a wide receiver in the seventh-round of the draft, according to general manager Tom Telesco. But when they saw Ohio State’s reception leader still on the board, they couldn’t pass up on him. Hill joins a talented wide receiver room, which features Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. He will be in contention for the No. 3 job with Andre Patton, Jason Moore, Darius Jennings and Joe Reed. I believe Hill could win the spot, but the coaching staff may bank on the experience with Patton at first. However, the route-running savvy and great hands of Hill should eventually enable him to carve up a role. If Allen was to go down with an injury, Hill would be the front runner to fill his shoes as the starting slot wideout.

3 burning questions for Chargers in 2020

The Los Angeles Chargers look to bounce back after a disappointing 2019 season.

After finishing 5-11 in a very disappointing 2019 season, the Chargers are hoping to turn it around as they enter the new season in their new stadium in Inglewood, CA.

After some changes to the roster on both sides of the ball this offseason, there are some questions surrounding Los Angeles heading into training camp that need to be answered in order for them to be contender.

Let’s look at those three questions:

What will the offense look like without Philip Rivers?

The 16-year marriage between the Chargers and QB Philip Rivers came to an end this offseason. Taking over under center are Tyrod Taylor and rookie QB Justin Herbert, the No. 6 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The main difference between the two and Rivers is from an athleticism standpoint. However, that’s going to be the difference between how the offense was run with Rivers and now with Taylor and Herbert. Rivers was dropping back into the pocket with five to seven steps to buy him time to throw, with very little opportunities to scramble.

With the new system in place for Taylor and Herbert, there will be more pistol formation, more play-action and more run-pass option. The Chargers offense is going to look a lot more like the Ravens offense last season. Head coach Anthony Lynn and Baltimore Ravens offensive coordinator Greg Roman coached together in Buffalo in 2015 and 2016.

Taylor and Herbert have the skill sets to run some of the concepts the Ravens do, like zone read and other quarterback option runs, which was hardly ever the case when Rivers was under center for Los Angeles.

Despite the change in offense, Keenan Allen, Mike Williams, Hunter Henry and Austin Ekeler will help guide the offense, along with newly added draft selections – Joshua Kelley, Joe Reed and K.J. Hill

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Shining Sophomore or Sophomore Slump? Grading Chargers’ 2018 draft class’ second season

Chargers Wire grades the Los Angeles Chargers’ 2018 draft class’ second season to determine if the sophomores slumped or shined.

When evaluating the previous season as a whole, it’s easy to make quick judgements on the rookie class. Yet, we forget about the group that was brought in the year prior.

In 2018, general manager Tom Telesco made the point to load up on the defensive side of the ball, as well as bring in some offensive players later on that were thought to make some contributions.

With that, let’s take a look at whether the second-year players shined or slumped:

Round 1, Safety Derwin James

Coming off an outstanding rookie season, the expectations were at an all-time high for James. Unfortunately, his campaign was put to a halt as he sustained a foot injury which required surgery that kept him out for the majority of the year. Though the defense were relatively solid, his absence was evident. Upon returning in Week 13, his impact was felt immediately. James, the chess piece on the defensive side of the ball, made plays in coverage, against the run and as an additional blitzer. In five games, he posted 34 tackles, three tackles for loss and one pass deflected.

Grade: A, but incomplete

Round 2, LB Uchenna Nwosu

Entering this season, it was expected that Nwosu was going to take over as the full-time SAM after the team elected to move on from Kyle Emanuel. But that’s not how it turned out after all. Nwosu primarily backed up defensive end Melvin Ingram at LEO, getting snaps when Ingram would come off the field, which was not very often. He received almost 100 more snaps than he did last year, but his production took a bit of a dip in the pass-rushing department. Nwosu only posted two sacks after finishing with 3.5 in 2018, and he only had seven quarterback hits this season compared to last season where he had 10. Nwosu did make more of an impact as a run defender, finishing with five tackles for loss. The jury is still out whether or not Nwosu will take on more of an expanded role next season.

Grade: B-

Round 3, DT Justin Jones

It wasn’t until near the end of the 2018 season when Jones really started to come into his own. Jones used the offseason to shed some weight to get quicker and more agile. From how his sophomore season went, the tactic that he used paid dividends. Even though he missed four games due to an injury, Jones was arguably one of the team’s best interior defenders, making an impact as a pass-rusher and run defender. The former North Carolina State product finished 30 tackles, six quarterback pressures, two tackles for loss, one pass deflected and a forced fumble.

Grade: B+

Round 4, LB Kyzir White

After flashing very early on in his rookie season, White’s year was cut short after sustaining a knee injury. White used the time off to get healthier, stronger and bigger as he was up 13 pounds entering the offseason. He started the season as the starting middle linebacker while Denzel Perryman was nursing an ankle injury for the first two games. White struggled in that role, so Perryman took over. With Thomas Davis serving as the starting WILL, that only left White with one option: SAM. With the Chargers playing a lot of nickel packages, that means the SAM doesn’t see the field as much. Because of that, White didn’t play as much as many were expecting. When White did see the field, he was making plays. The former West Virginia product finished with 40 tackles, two passes defensed and one tackle for loss. The expectation is that when Davis is no longer with the team, then White will likely take over that role full-time.

Grade: B

Round 5, C Scott Quessenberry

The offensive line wasn’t particularly a bright spot for the Chargers due to injuries that occurred throughout the season. But when one man (Pouncey) went down, another stepped up. Quessenberry made an impact early on that many may have not been expecting from him when handing him the starting duties. But you could tell that he benefited from learning from a four-time Pro Bowler. The former UCLA product was consistent in pass protection and in the run blocking department. Depending on what happens with Pouncey, Quessenberry could be in line to start as early as next season.

Grade: A-

Round 6, WR Dylan Cantrell

After dealing with a shoulder injury in his rookie season, Cantrell, the summer standout, was expected to take a big leap in Year 2. Unfortunately, the injury reoccured and was he ultimately waived by the team in July. He cleared waivers and reverted to the injured reserve. He never made an appearance this past season and his future with Los Angeles remains to be seen.

Grade: N/A

Round 7, RB Justin Jackson

While RB Melvin Gordon dealt with an injury in 2018, it didn’t take long for Jackson to raise some eyebrows with his play. Fast forward to 2019 when Gordon held out for a quarter of the season, Jackson still maintained the model of consistency, flashing as a runner. In the first three games of the season while serving as the complimentary back to Austin Ekeler, Jackson rushed for 142 yards, averaging 7.9 yards per carry. From that point on, he was banged up by a hamstring injury, and he didn’t benefit from Gordon’s return. Should the Chargers choose to move on from Gordon, Jackson is likely going to be due for a huge uptick in snaps moving forward.

Grade: B+

Chargers 2019 end of season awards

Taking a look at the Los Angeles Chargers’ most valuable player, biggest disappointment, most underrated, etc.

The Los Angeles Chargers came up short this season, failing to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

While many fans are ready to put 2019 to bed, it’s still only right to reflect and hand out the season awards.

Most Valuable Player: DE Joey Bosa

There wasn’t another player that was as consistent and made an impact on a weekly basis like Bosa. Bosa finished with 67 tackles, 11.5 sacks and a forced fumble this season, along with 51 quarterback pressures. Bosa earned his second trip to the Pro Bowl, finishing tied for second in the AFC in sacks while also racking up the fifth-most tackles of any defensive end in the NFL. Expect Bosa to be one of the highest-paid players at his position this offseason since the former Ohio State product has proven his worth since being drafted in 2016.

Honorable Mention: RB Austin Ekeler

Offensive Player of the Year: RB Austin Ekeler

Ekeler had one job heading into the season. That was to man the starting role while Melvin Gordon held out at the beginning of the season. Ekeler shined as the team’s No. 1 back. When Gordon came back, he was still productive, accumulating a handful of rushing and receiving yards. Ekeler lined up all over the formation, creating mismatches and making it impossible for defenders to predict what’s coming. When the ball was in his hands, he nearly always made something big happen. Ekeler, a Pro Bowl snub, ranked ninth in the NFL with 1,550 total yards from scrimmage and led the team and finished tied for eighth in the league with 11 total touchdowns.

Honorable Mention: WR Keenan Allen

Defensive Player of the Year: CB Casey Hayward

Had safety Derwin James been healthy all season, then there’s a strong chance that he would have been given this award. But in a larger sample size, Hayward made his mark week in and week out. After failing to record an interception in 2018, he managed to amass two this season. On top of that, he had eight passes defensed. Even though he finished with a career-low 32 tackles, it just goes to show how little opposing wide receivers that he covered were targeted. Hayward had a solid grade of 84.2, per Pro Football Focus.

Honorable Mention: DE Joey Bosa

Rookie of the Year: LB Drue Tranquill

General manager Tom Telesco has been notorious for finding gems on Day 3 of the draft, and he managed to hit a home-run with his fourth-round selection. Tranquill made his mark as a force in the middle of the defense, finishing with 75 tackles, four tackles for loss and a pass deflected. He was also a special teams ace, tied for fourth in the league in tackles (11). Tranquill’s future is bright and fans should be looking forward to him being the starting middle linebacker for years to come.

Honorable Mention: P Ty Long

Breakout Player of the Year: OC Scott Quessenberry

The offensive line wasn’t particularly a bright spot for the Chargers due to injuries that occurred throughout the season. But when one man (Pouncey) went down, another stepped up. Quessenberry, the 2018 fifth-round selection, made an impact early on that many may have not been expecting from him when handing him the starting duties. The former UCLA product was consistent in pass protection and in the run blocking department. Depending on what happens with Pouncey, Quessenberry could be in line to start as soon as next season.

Honorable Mention: FB Derek Watt

Biggest Disappointment: QB Philip Rivers

Coming off one of his best campaigns yet, it was expected that Rivers was going to match that during his contract year. But the veteran quarterback didn’t, finishing with 23 touchdowns to 20 interceptions and leaving many in question in regards to the future of the 38-year old. Rivers surely didn’t benefit from the injuries that occurred the offensive line, but it wouldn’t be fair to say it was all on the group. Poor decision-making and belittled arm talent was a result in a handful of the close games that the Chargers lost. Set to become a free agent, whether or not Rivers will play in the blue and gold for another season remains to be seen.

Honorable Mention: CB Desmond King

Most Underrated: WR Mike Williams

After losing Tyrell Williams to the Raiders, it benefited Williams immensely. Williams finished with 49 receptions for 1,001 yards and two touchdowns. Even though his production was down in the scoring department, we got to see his emergence as a deep threat. He finished second in the NFL with 20 yards per reception. This was all accomplished while dealing with a knee injury. The best is yet to come for the former Clemson product.

Honorable Mention: G Michael Schofield