DALLAS — The Dallas Cowboys are once again in a position to overcome adversity after a bad loss in Week 5 and a long week of soul searching. To get back to their winning ways and head into the bye week with a strong opening to their season, the Cowboys will have to beat another team that also rides the roller coaster of emotions from game-to-game, the Los Angeles Chargers.
There’s time to right the ship in Dallas, and the team has a way of bouncing back from tough defeats, but their Week 6 opponent does present problems. The Chargers are coming off a bye week themselves and are getting healthier, while the Cowboys are back at it on the West Coast after a physically, and emotionally, draining loss to San Francisco.
Los Angeles has won two in a row after an 0-2 start, and are getting running back Austin Ekeler, pass rusher Joey Bosa, and safety Derwin James back from injury to face the Cowboys. The timing couldn’t be worse for Dallas in this matchup, but here are the keys to beating Los Angeles anyway in Week 6:
Make things uncomfortable for Justin Herbert
The plan every week is to pressure the opposing quarterback, but the Cowboys have extra incentive to attack the Chargers signal caller. Herbert has a fractured finger on his non-throwing hand and had limited chances to play with it when it was hurt in Week 4. There was adrenaline to carry Herbert through the initial injury, but now he’s had time to prepare to play with it.
It’s an injury that’s healing, but it’s not 100% yet and Herbert can’t be comfortable playing with a splint/glove. Having to touch the ball on every play - even though it’s on his left hand – is something that could weigh on his mind. The Chargers are already trying to limit the number of times the finger gets hit leading up to the game.
If the Cowboys can put enough pressure on Herbert to make him focus more on protecting his finger than about operating the offense, it could cause a down game from a quarterback who’s been hot to start the season. Herbert has been sacked nine times through four games, so the Cowboys should be able to put pressure on the Chargers quarterback.
Find something that works in the running game
There’s been ample discourse about the passing game for the Cowboys, but the running game wasn’t effective last week either. In Week 5, the rushing attack ran for a season low 57 yards and averaged just three yards per carry. That dismal showing won’t win many games and Dallas needs more efficiency on the ground.
Los Angeles’ defense is allowing just over 104 yards per game and held the Miami Dolphins’ potent rushing offense to just 70 yards. However, the same unit allowed 141 yards to the Tennessee Titans and 130 on the ground to the Minnesota Vikings. The difference in those games is the commitment to the run, the Dolphins only attempted 20 rushes, while the Titans and Vikings ran the ball 54 times combined.
The Cowboys need to get their running game back on track and they should be able to wear down a defense that has shown signs that they can be pounded into submission. Getting the offense back into rhythm includes an efficient rushing attack, and the Cowboys can start that process against the Chargers.
Air it out on offense
Dak Prescott and the offense had trouble throwing the ball in last week’s loss, which is understandable against a great defense. However, this could be the week that the Cowboys unlock their dormant passing game.
The Chargers have the worst passing defense in the NFL, giving up close to 300 yards per game. Sitting at the bottom of the league in passing defense despite playing against one of the worst aerial attacks in the league – the Titans – and against a backup quarterback – Aidan O’Connell of the Las Vegas Raiders – in two of their four games is quite the dubious feat.
However, the Chargers allowed 466 yards passing and three scores to Miami quarterback Tua Tagovailoa, while Kirk Cousins threw for 367 yards and three touchdowns against the Los Angeles defense in Week 3. It’s a defense that is struggling to slow down passing attacks and the Cowboys have the perfect opportunity to get the aerial offense going.
Slow down the dynamic LA duo
The Chargers have two dynamic playmakers on offense that the Cowboys will need to keep in check if they want a fighting chance at winning in Week 6.
At running back, Ekeler is set to return after an ankle sprain cost him three games. In the season-opener, the seven-year vet picked up where he has left off over the last two years, rushing for 117 yards on 7.3 yards per carry, and a score, while also catching four passes for 47 yards. Ekeler remains one of the top dual-threat running backs in the league and has led the NFL in total touchdowns over the past two seasons.
In the passing game, Keenan Allen remains one of the premier wide receivers in the game and has come out on fire to begin the year. Allen is 10th in receiving yards and ninth in receptions despite playing in just four games. The veteran wide receiver also has three scores and is averaging 108.5 yards per game, good for fourth best in the league.
There aren’t many route runners in the league better than Allen, who has burned the Cowboys every time they’ve played. Allen has averaged 120 receiving yards in three career games against Dallas, including a four-catch, 108-yard performance the last time the teams matched up.
Dallas’ defense will have their hands full trying to stop Ekeler and Allen but they’ll need to get it done to head into their bye week victorious.
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