The Dallas Cowboys dipped back below .500 with a deflating loss to the Vikings, falling to 6-7-1 on the season. After spending the week licking their wounds and coming to the grips with the reality their playoff hopes are likely doomed, they welcome a 10-4 Los Angeles Chargers squad to AT&T Stadium.
Dallas’ unlikely path to the playoffs now requires the Cowboys winning their final three games and the Eagles losing their final three games.
With Los Angeles being winners of six of its last seven games, will the Cowboys be able to get off the mat and go toe-to-toe with one of the AFC’s best teams? Our columnists and beat writers give their predictions below.
Tim Cowlishaw
Cowboys
The Chargers just beat the Eagles and Chiefs, which, based on the Cowboys’ recent experience, makes them ripe for defeat? The difference is Dallas has won six games all year and LA is 10-4. And they just knocked off the Chiefs in KC in an elimination game. The visitors have had a heck of season after losing two Pro Bowl-worthy offensive tackles for the year and first-round back Omarion Hampton for two months. Hard to see Dallas as a favorite in this one.
Chargers 26, Cowboys 18
Damon Marx
The Cowboys’ postseason hopes have faded, raising questions about how motivated the team will be for its remaining three games. Coaches and players said all the right things during the week. We’ll quickly find out if they meant it with the rare noon start against the playoff-bound Chargers. The Cowboys, playoffs or no playoffs, will be challenged to break out of their recent offensive doldrums against a stout LA defense. The Cowboys’ defense is the Cowboys’ defense, and Dallas will make enough mistakes on offense to prevent it from keeping pace.
Chargers 28, Cowboys 24
Joseph Hoyt
I keep having this recurring vision where the Cowboys win the next two games and the Eagles lose the next two, setting up a will-they-or-won’t-they situation for the final week of the season. Maybe I’m just hopeful the intrigue of this season isn’t eliminated just yet. Anyway, I think the Cowboys actually generate pressure against a struggling Chargers offensive line, helping them win the takeaway battle for the second straight week.
Cowboys 31, Chargers 28
Abraham Nudelstejer
On paper, Sunday’s matchup at AT&T Stadium is intriguing: The NFL’s best offense faces the league’s second-best defense. The downside is the Cowboys’ 5,557 total yards are no consolation for fans of a team heading into its second consecutive season without making the playoffs. The Chargers arrive at the game motivated to secure a postseason spot, relying on a fierce defense that will help them clinch the victory in what will be the Cowboys’ final home game of the year.
Chargers 27, Cowboys 20
Kevin Sherrington
Losing at home to a 5-8 Vikings team when the playoffs were still a possibility answered any lingering questions about this season. It’s over. The only things left to determine now are who are the keepers and where do the Cowboys go from here? Can George Pickens put together a nice run to justify a big contract? Can they afford Javonte Williams? Will Jerry Jones ever get drapes for JerryWorld?
Chargers 30, Cowboys 27
Calvin Watkins
Whether the Cowboys are alive or not for a playoff berth, the Chargers are just a better team playing for bigger aspirations. The Chargers have won six of seven games and are ascending toward the playoffs. Defensively, the Chargers have allowed the fewest passing touchdowns (12) and have the third-most interceptions (17) in the league. The Cowboys’ offense has been fantastic for the bulk of the season, but this is a major test for that group.
Chargers 28, Cowboys 17
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