The Chargers are back in primetime Monday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Kickoff is at 5:15 p.m. (PT) from SoFi Stadium.

The Chargers-Eagles betting line shows the Bolts are slight underdogs on Monday.

Here are five final thoughts ahead of Week 14.

1. The home stretch begins

'Tis the season.

And it's Chargers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh's favorite time of year.

The Bolts begin a daunting five-game stretch Monday night against the Eagles that will determine whether or not the Chargers make the playoffs.

In fact, data from the NFL shows that the Chargers have the third-toughest remaining strength of schedule.

Bring it on, Harbaugh said.

"Enjoy the competitive season. I call it the competitive season," Harbaugh said this week. "There's the holiday season, this is the competitive season."

The Chargers kick off the final month of the season against the defending Super Bowl champions.

While both teams currently sit at 8-4, the Eagles currently lead the NFC East while the Chargers are in a Wild Card spot in the AFC playoff picture.

In other words, this is a litmus test for Harbaugh's squad.

"They're [8-4], the division leader and the reigning world champions," Harbaugh said. "It is nothing but respect."

He later added: "It is comprehensively a great football team. Big task for our team that we are very excited about."

Chargers Defensive Coordinator Jesse Minter added: "They defending world champs … excited that they're coming into our place."

The biggest storyline for Monday night is the status of Justin Herbert, who is questionable to play with a fractured bone in his left hand.

Either way, this is a big game for the Bolts as they try to climb to nine wins.

According to The Athletic, the Chargers enter the weekend with a 62 percent chance to make the playoffs.

Not including any of Sunday's results, a Chargers win would boost those odds at 74 percent while a loss drops them to 50 percent.

They key to success this time of year?

Ignoring all of that, Tony Jefferson said.

"Don't listen to anything outside of the building and don't read percentages of making anything with the playoffs," Jefferson said. "It's a day-by-day, game-by-game league once you hit December.

"Nothing else really matters besides going out there and winning," Jefferson added.

Let the fun begin.

2. Slowing down Saquon

If anyone knows what kind of player Saquon Barkey is, it's Jefferson.

The two were teammates in 2022 with the Giants, meaning the safety saw the all-world running back up close in both practices and in games.

"I know what he can do. Dynamic back, elite in the open field," Jefferson said. "Just an all-around great player. He was a real focal point of them winning the championship last year."

Barkley ran for 2,005 yards last season, the eighth-most in a season in NFL history but hasn't put up the same stellar numbers in 2025.

Through 12 games, he has 740 rushing yards and four scores. Still, the Bolts know how dangerous No. 26 is in the backfield.

"Elite. You just see it," Harbaugh said. "I think the guys that played running back at the highest level, I think they crawled out of the crib being really good at that and having the instincts.

"I didn't play running back, but admire the position, the athletic ability, the instincts, the balance, some of the best athletes in the world," Harbaugh added. "That's Saquon."

Teair Tart said: "He's a great back, one of the best in the league. You definitely have to swarm to him and never assume he's down."

The Chargers run defense has a bounce-back effort in Week 13 as they limited the Raiders to 31 rushing yards, a season-best effort from the Bolts.

If the Chargers are going to make a playoff push, they will likely need more consistency from their run defense in the final five games.

That focus continues Monday night against one of the league's best backs.

"It's an elite running game and an elite running back," Minter said, adding that Barkley is a "different animal" than most players at his position.

3. McConkey vs. DeJean

Way back when the Chargers schedule came out in May, we circled the matchup between Ladd McConkey and Cooper DeJean as one to watch.

Nearly seven months later, it's still one people should be excited about.

McConkey and DeJean were both 2024 second-round picks, with McConkey going six spots higher at No. 34 overall.

Both players made immediate impacts right away as both made ESPN's All-Rookie Team, and both have continued their ascensions in their sophomore seasons.

McConkey said this week that he's looking forward to the 1-on-1 battles with DeJean.

"He's got it all," McConkey said. "Plays with smarts, confidence and he's super athletic.

"I don't know what his 40 time was but I've seen his basketball highlights and other stuff," McConkey added. "Just super athletic. He's always around the ball so I'm excited about that matchup."

Keep an eye on these two players, especially in the slot.

According to Pro Football Focus, McConkey has the third-most slot snaps (283) of any wide receiver so far this year.

And among players with at least 45 targets from the slot, McConkey ranks sixth with a PFF grade of 65.7.

DeJean, ironically enough, has the third-most slot snaps (348) of any defensive back so far this year.

And among players with at least 200 coverage snaps in the slot, he ranks seventh with a PFF grade of 71.0.

In other words, this could be one of the most fun 1-on-1 matchups we get all season long.

"It will be interesting," Chargers Offensive Coordinator Greg Roman said this week.

"As far as the matchup, I like Ladd against anybody, I'll be honest with you," Roman added. "The one thing that I tell you that DeJean really has is a real physical presence, instinctive player. Much respect to him."

4. The Tush Push

Derwin James, Jr. was asked this week what the best method was to stop the Tush Push.

The Chargers safety offered an insightful answer.

"Don't let them get in those situations," James said with a smile. "That's a good way to defend it, right? That's the best way I see."

Jalen Hurts and the Eagles have revolutionized the quarterback sneak in recent years with the play, which has a success rate of 90-plus percent since 2022, including the playoffs.

Minter said the play is incredibly tough to defend, mostly because Hurts can use his lower half to pick up an extra half yard or so on his own.

"It's a really smart, creative play, particularly for them," Minter said. "Other teams have tried to do similar things but what makes it go for them — on top of their really big and physical and massive offensive line — is the quarterback and how strong he is and how strong of a runner and a lower body he has."

Tart added: "I'm not going to get into scheme but we're going to evaluate it, look at it and proceed accordingly."

The key, as James alluded to above, is to try and get Philadelphia's offense to third-and-medium and third-and-long situations, which eliminates the Eagles ability to get to the play there or on fourth down.

Third downs in general will be key in this game as the Chargers rank in the top five on offense and defense while the Eagles are in the bottom quarter of the league on both sides of the ball.

5. Jefferson keeps making plays

Jefferson was itching to play last weekend against the Raiders.

"Couldn't wait. Just wanted to make a play," Jefferson said.

The veteran safety did that, hauling in an acrobatic second-quarter interception near the sideline when he managed to catch a tipped ball and get both knees down.

The 33-year-old, who is now tied for the team lead with three interceptions, hadn't played since suffering a hamstring injury in Week 8.

But both Minter and James said the Bolts defense has a different feel when Jefferson is in the lineup.

"Unc, we love him so much," James said. "He brings energy, passion, a veteran presence. He makes a lot of plays."

Minter added: "All he does is make plays. He's an older player but he brings a calm, confident approach to the game. The guys have confidence when he's out there, just his demeanor, how he plays, the physicality."

With the Chargers defense looking to finish the season strong amidst a playoff race, look for Jefferson to be a catalyst on that side of the ball.