The Dallas Cowboys return to the Bay Area for a Week 6 matchup versus Justin Herbert and the Los Angeles Chargers.
Dallas sits with a 3-2 record after five games that have shown us the highest of highs and the lowest of lows from our beloved Cowboys.
In three wins over the Giants, Jets, and Patriots, the Cowboys have won by a total margin of 108-13.
On the opposite side of that coin, Dallas has been outscored 70-26 in losses to the Cardinals and 49ers.
Which Cowboys team will show up in Los Angeles on Monday night?
Your guess is as good as mine, and I just so happen to have a few bold guesses as to how the game will play out.
Readers, I want you to remember that these are BOLD predictions.
I got dragged through the mud this week for my bold predictions versus the 49ers not coming true.
My bold predictions are not guarantees, and some of them aren’t even likely to happen.
I’m just using stats and team trends to create some scenarios that however unlikely they may be, there is still a possibility that they can happen.
Let’s dive in, and get to some bold predictions for when the Cowboys visit the Chargers this Monday night.
The Dallas Defense Will Force Herbert Into 2 Turnovers
Chargers QB Justin Herbert has played very well this season in his first year under OC Kellen Moore.
Moore, as any Cowboys fan knows, was in charge of the Dallas offense up until this past season.
He and the Cowboys decided to mutually part ways after the second consecutive playoff loss to the 49ers, and Moore landed a job in the same capacity with Los Angeles.
Herbert has excelled early under Moore, averaging 276.5 yards passing per game with 10 total touchdowns versus just one turnover.
Through four games this season, Herbert has thrown just one interception, but the weakness that I see is he has been sacked a total of nine times.
He has been sacked at least once in each game, and has been pressured on 17.6% of his drop backs.
Enter the Cowboys’ pass rush, which has registered 15 sacks in 133 opportunities, an 11.2% rate.
This pass rush will also be licking it’s chops after not getting anywhere near Brock Purdy for nearly the entire game last week.
Pressure will get to Herbert, and force him into at least two turnovers, doubling his mark so far this season.
Dak Prescott Will Eclipse 300 Yards Passing
One week after facing one of the top passing defenses in the NFL, Cowboys’ QB Dak Prescott gets an opportunity to bounce back versus the worst passing defense in the league.
The Los Angeles Chargers, despite having studs in the secondary like Derwin James and Asante Samuel Jr., have given up a league worst 299.8 passing yards per game.
Prescott was held to 153 yards last week in San Francisco, but this matchup should lend itself to more offense.
Dak has not surpassed 261 yards passing in a game this year, but this favorable matchup in Los Angeles will get him over 300 for the first time this season.
Dallas Will Win By Double Digits
The Chargers are 2-2 on the season, and are coming off of an early bye week.
Their four games have all been decided by seven points or less, with the losses combined to equal just five points.
However, their margin of victory/defeat in their previous games will not be an issue against Dallas.
I have the Cowboys winning by at least 10 points.
The basis for this prediction is how the team has responded under Mike McCarthy with Prescott as the starter after losses in the past two seasons.
Dallas has not lost consecutive games since November of 2021 when they lost to the Chiefs and Raiders on the short Thanksgiving week.
Here is how the Cowboys have responded after losses since then:
- After a 30-16 loss versus Denver, 43-3 win over Atlanta
- After a 25-22 loss versus Arizona, 51-26 win over Philadelphia
- After a 31-28 loss versus Green Bay, 40-3 win over Minnesota
- After a 40-34 loss versus Jacksonville, 40-34 win over Philadelphia
- After a 26-6 loss versus Washington, 31-14 win over Tampa Bay
- After a 28-16 loss versus Arizona, 38-3 win over New England
See the pattern? I believe it continues this week in Los Angeles, and the Cowboys will win by the score of 34-24.