The Chargers will host the Cowboys on Monday, Oct. 16, at 5:15 p.m. PT.
To get you prepped for the Week 6 bout, here are five key things to know about Los Angeles’ opponent ahead of the matchup.
From one offense to another
Kellen Moore faces his former team that let him go following the 2022 season. With Moore gone, head coach Mike McCarthy has been in charge of the play-calling duties with his West Coast style of offense. Dallas’ offense has been uneven through five games, to say the least. They boast the third-best third-down offense, eighth-best scoring offense, averaging 26.8 points per game and the tenth-best rushing offense with an average of 124.4 yards per game. But their passing offense ranks in the bottom half of the league and they have one of the worst red zone offenses.
Dak coming off a dud of a performance
With McCarthy calling the shots, one of his priorities was to help quarterback Dak Prescott cut down on his interceptions after leading the league last season with 15. Prescott did a decent job of taking care of the football in the first four weeks, but he tossed three picks this past weekend in their 42-10 loss to the 49ers. Prescott’s now up to 29 INTs in his last 33 starts. On the season, he has 1,064 passing yards, five touchdowns and a completion percentage of 69.4.
Not getting him the ball
A major reason why the Cowboys’ passing offense has faltered is because of wide receiver CeeDee Lamb’s lack of usage. Lamb has been held under 55 yards in the last three games. He has just not been thrown the ball. Through five games, he’s tallied 27 receptions on 35 targets for 358 yards and one touchdown. Nonetheless, Lamb is still an explosive playmaker. He is tied for eighth in the NFL in receiving plays (eight) of 20 yards or more.
Strength of the team
While the Cowboys’ offense has struggled to get in a groove, their defense has picked up the slack. Dallas ranks top-10 in various categories: Fifth-best total defense, allowing an average of 292.0 yards per game. Second-best passing defense, allowing an average of 168.6 YPG. Seventh-best scoring defense, allowing 16.6 points per game. The heartbeat of the defense is the pass rush duo of Micah Parson and Demarcus Lawrence. Parsons has four sacks and 29 quarterback pressures through five games. Lawrence, the veteran pass rusher, has totaled 17 pressures and a pair of sacks.
Gimme wins
The Cowboys are 3-2, and of those three wins that came against the Giants, Patriots and Jets, those teams have combined for just four wins this season. Their two losses were to the Cardinals in Week 3 and the 49ers this past Sunday.
Look out for…
Daron Bland. Bland, the second-year player, has filled in for the injured Trevon Diggs as the top boundary corner and has excelled in the role. He is tied for the most interceptions (3), two of which came against the Patriots in Week 4. Bland is also currently allowing the lowest passer rating in the NFL (30.7).