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'MNF' takeaways: Jalen Hurts sends Eagles to third straight loss
Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Odafe Oweh (98) tackles Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) in the first half at SoFi Stadium. Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

'MNF' takeaways: Sloppy Jalen Hurts sends Eagles to third straight loss

Two playoff hopefuls met in an error-filled "Monday Night Football" showdown to cap Week 14.

Here's our rapid reaction to the Los Angeles Chargers' 22-19 overtime win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

Key takeaway: Philadelphia Eagles aren't going anywhere with this version of quarterback Jalen Hurts

The sky keeps falling in Philadelphia. In the team's third straight loss, Hurts had arguably his worst game as a pro. The Super Bowl LIX MVP finished 21-of-40 for 240 yards, four interceptions and a lost fumble on one of the wildest follies in NFL history. 

His first three picks were a result of poor throws, and he missed several more to keep Philly's offense from operating at full capacity. It's getting late in the season for Hurts to rekindle his Super Bowl magic, but he must for the Eagles to have any chance of repeating.

Game MVP: Los Angeles Chargers kicker Cameron Dicker

In a game that featured eight combined turnovers and generally sloppy play, Dicker was one of the few players ready for primetime. The most accurate kicker in NFL history finished 5-for-5, including a tying 46-yard field goal with eight seconds left in regulation and a 54-yarder in overtime.

Quote of the game: "I played with is dad... What I remember most about his dad's years with me, he had a pet monkey he used to bring to the locker room on a lot of occasions."

We love that ESPN color commentator Troy Aikman just says whatever comes to mind. On Monday, his latest gem — perhaps the crown jewel of the 2025 season — came when he shared his memories of Los Angeles Chargers tight end Oronde Gadsden II's father, a former Cowboys teammate.

"I remember ... he had a pet monkey he used to bring to the locker room on a lot of occasions," Aikman said before abruptly dropping the story.

"What I remember most about his dad is that he had a pet monkey he used to bring to the locker room on a lot of occasions" is a WILD story to just drop and leave.

rivers mccown (@riversmccown.bsky.social) 2025-12-09T03:14:27.063Z

Sorry, but that was hardly enough information. We need to know more. 

This wasn't the first time Aikman recalled Gadsden's monkey (named Malik, by the way). In 2015, then-Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant revealed he adopted a pet monkey, giving Aikman deja vu.

"As soon as I saw Dez had one, I thought, 'You have got to be kidding me,'" Aikman said. "It was probably the low point of my career.

"And then Oronde shows up with this pet monkey. What's the monkey gonna be doing while we're trying to practice, we're going to meetings? Who's watching the monkey for crying out loud? And I'm not sure anybody was."

Steelers Takeaways spoke with former Steelers safety Daryl Porter, who also played with Gadsden and became acquainted with Malik while the two were roommates.

"He had this damn monkey he owned that stayed with us in its own room," Porter said. "It had this little hat and would tip it and fans would give him money. It was like a circus monkey."

In 2022, Gadsden went on Miami radio for an appearance on "Hoch and Crowder" and spoke about his pet monkey and revealed Malik had a pet dog, Simba, sharing a photo of himself holding the two.

Aikman's digression sent us down a rabbit hole, one we don't necessarily mind inhabiting.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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