The Chargers will be on the road for another week as they travel to Dallas this weekend to take on the 6-7-1 Cowboys in Jerry World.
The Cowboys are coming off a loss to the Vikings in which their defense could not put a lid on the inconsistent J.J. McCarthy and the up-and-down Minnesota offense. Dallas did managed 26 points, but letting up 34 to an inferior team while barely hanging around in the playoff race is a bad sign for the team’s current mental state. Now, they sit with a less than one percent chance to make the playoffs and even with a win over LA, their chance would only rise to two percent.
With that in mind, I think it’s safe to say the Cowboys are no longer playing for anything other than respect and the chance to ruin someone else’s season.
If I’m the Chargers, I need to acknowledge this and do everything in our power not to let a sub-.500 team potentially throw a wrench into their playoff seeding. It’s time to keep that “best” coming because everyone knows they need their best from here on out.
Alright, let’s go ahead and jump in. These are the three things I’ll be watching closely when these teams take the field on Sunday.
1.) Can the Bolts offense break out of their offensive slump?
The Chargers offense has had a rough go of things over the past two weeks while facing each of last year’s Super Bowl participants. Granted, both of Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes would have preferred to have the stat line of Justin Herbert (the winning quarterback) over their own, but what the Chargers quarterback has been able to put out there on the field is nowhere near where it needs to be to make sure the Bolts have a chance at getting past the first round of the playoffs.
Enter this week’s opponent in the Dallas Cowboys who currently own the league’s worst passing offense. Per ESPN Stats, the Cowboys allowed 254.8 passing yards per game while also giving up 120.1 on the ground. On top of that, top cornerback DaRon Bland has been ruled out with a foot injury.
This is as good as any of an opportunity to get the offense back on track before the Chargers face two of the top defenses in back-to-back weeks to finish the regular season.
2.) How will the defense continue their elite stretch?
Los Angeles’ defense has been incredible over their three-game stretch since the bye week and they’ll need that momentum to continue into their matchup with a Dallas offense that’s tops in the NFL (396.6) entering Week 16.
Quarterback Dak Prescott is playing great football as of late and wideout George Pickens (1,212 receiving yards) alongside teammate CeeDee Lamb (976) are arguably the top receiver duo in the NFL this year. At the same time, the Chargers pass rush has been playing on a different level lately and they just got done terrorizing two very mobile quarterbacks in Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes. If the Cowboys pass protection is not buttoned up and ready, it may be a long day for Prescott and their air attack.
Specifically, the Chargers need to exploit their biggest weakness up front in offensive tackle Nathan Thomas. Thomas has been forced into the starting lineup due to injuries and he’s been a bit of a turnstile over the past two weeks. Against the Lions and Vikings, Thomas has allowed a combined 12 pressures and two sacks while being called for a pair of penalties. Against Detroit in Week 14, he posted a pass block grade of 16.3 which is one of the lowest single-game grades I’ve seen this year for a player not on the Chargers. He’s allowed 23 pressures in seven appearances, good for over three per game despite not actually starting and playing the entirety of those seven games.
It’s time to let Mack, Tuli, and Oweh off the leash in this one.
3.) Can Ladd McConkey exploit a good matchup against Dallas’ backup slot CB?
It’s been a rough last month for the Chargers offense and it’s been especially tough for wideout Ladd McConkey who went from a record-breaking rookie campaign to a ho-hum sophomore season thanks to a very inconsistent passing game.
Over the Chargers’ last four games, McConkey has a combined 10 catches for 84 yards. In his past two against the Chiefs and Eagles, he has three combined receptions for 32 yards. That’s a really, really lackluster stretch for a guy who was supposed to be the team’s bonafide WR1 in 2025. It obviously has not been entirely his fault, but things need to change nonetheless.
Cowboys top cornerback DaRon Bland is out this week. Bland has also played the second-most snaps in the slot this year to safety Reddy Stewart. With Bland out, Stewart will likely see even more snaps in the slot or the Cowboys could turn to an inexperienced backup. Either way, the matchup in the slot bodes well for McConkey or whomever lines up there for the Chargers.
In coverage this year, Stewart has allowed 32 receptions on 37 targets thrown his way for 287 yards, per Pro Football Focus. If those 287 yards allowed, 239 have come after the catch, meaning Stewart has had a tough time bringing down his guy immediately after the catch. If that’s the case, I like Ladd’s chances of gaining extra yards and authoring a splash play or two on Sunday.
