The Chargers return to the field on Monday night with a primetime matchup against the Cowboys, who are fresh off an embarrassing loss to the 49ers.
Here are four reasons to be optimistic that Los Angeles continues Dallas’ slide.
Kellen Moore revenge game
The Chargers are fifth in the league in total offense, sixth in passing offense, and fifth in offensive DVOA with Moore as offensive coordinator this season. Dallas, where Moore had been employed since 2015 as a player or coach, has fallen to seventeenth in total offense, twentieth in passing offense, and nineteenth in offensive DVOA this year, with Mike McCarthy taking over playcalling duties this year.
Moore is largely the more dynamic of the two coordinators, as Dallas’ offense has crystallized this season with McCarthy in charge. With plenty of knowledge of what Dan Quinn and the Cowboys defense wants to do on defense, Moore will likely dial up a few boutique plays explicitly designed to stick it to his old employers. As long as a few of those hit, the Chargers should be set up well to come away victorious.
Offensive woes
McCarthy’s criticisms of Moore in March, after the Cowboys parted ways with the coordinator, have been very public. The Cowboys head coach bemoaned Moore’s desire to “light the scoreboard up” rather than controlling time of possession and said, “I don’t desire to be the No. 1 offense in the league. I want to be the No. 1 team in the league with several wins and a championship.”
Well, through five games, Dallas has neither. They are 3-2, but their lackluster offense has been the biggest talking point this season, with several poor performances after a solid start to the season against the Giants. Dak Prescott has thrown four interceptions, three against the 49ers last week. CeeDee Lamb and Brandin Cooks’ usages have been frustrating, both for fans of the team and the players themselves.
LA is far from a great defense, clocking in at 22nd in defensive DVOA, but they have forced seven turnovers in their first four games. If they can bait the Cowboys offense into even one or two mistakes or jump out to an early lead, Dallas may not have the schematic firepower to catch up.
Injuries galore
Do you think the Chargers are dealing with a ton of injuries? Dallas put seventeen players on the injury report on Thursday, with seven more on injured reserve. A few of those are rest-related – veterans Stephon Gilmore, Johnathan Hankins, Demarcus Lawrence, Zack Martin, and Tyron Smith were all DNPs with rest designations – but it’s still a lengthy list of players Dallas may be without on Monday night.
The most notable players are cornerback Trevon Diggs, returner KaVontae Turpin, linebacker Leighton Vander Esch, and running back Tony Pollard. Diggs is on injured reserve with a knee injury. Turpin, who returned a punt and a kickoff for a touchdown in the preseason against the Chargers last season, did not practice Thursday with an ankle injury. Vander Esch did not practice due to concussion protocol and has a neck injury. A shoulder issue limited Pollard.
Those are big names for the Cowboys, whose replacements for those players are not nearly the threats as their established starters. Meanwhile, the Chargers are expected to get Austin Ekeler and Derwin James back.
Monday Night Herbert
Justin Herbert is 3-1 on Monday Night Football, with his only loss coming as a rookie in 2020 against the Drew Brees-led Saints in a 30-27 overtime duel. In four career outings, Herbert has completed 66.3% of his passes for 959 yards and seven touchdowns on ESPN’s primetime programming.
Since Trevon Diggs tore his ACL, the Cowboys have been 21st in defensive EPA/play. It’s only a three-game sample size, to be fair, but with the other injuries piling up, Dallas looks to be weakened just in time for Herbert to hit the field. LA’s quarterback is dealing with a broken finger on his non-throwing hand, but he practiced in full on Thursday and early reports suggest that it shouldn’t affect him much.
While Micah Parsons and DeMarcus Lawrence are both top-tier pass rushers, Parsons may play a bit more off the ball on Monday because of injuries at linebacker. That could open an opportunity for the Chargers to slide protections to Lawrence’s side and give Herbert more time than usual to throw in a few situations.
