Cowboys at Chargers: 3 bold predictions for Monday’s matchup

The Dallas Cowboys (3-2) head back to California this week as they take on the Los Angeles Chargers (2-2) on Monday Night Football.

Before the Cowboys and Chargers square off, here are three bold predictions for Monday’s matchup.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

1) Dak Prescott tosses a season-high three touchdown passes

The Cowboys desperately need Dak Prescott and their offense to bounce back in a big way on Monday night. Thankfully for Dallas, the Chargers do not have a great defense. Los Angeles ranks in the bottom 10 of the league in many key defensive statistics.

24th in PRWR (37%)
25th in EPA/Play (0.054)
25th in Dropback SR (48.6%)
26th in Dropback EPA (0.144)
28th in SR (47.4%)

Los Angeles’ defense has also surrendered the most passing yards in football and given up the second-most first downs (103).

Below are three quarterbacks’ stats from their matchup against the Chargers this season.

• Tagovailoa = 28/45, 466 yards, 3TDs, 1INT
• Tannehill = 20/24, 246 yards, 1TD
• Cousins = 32/50, 367 yards, 3TDs, 1 INT

Dak Prescott will replicate these quarterbacks’ success and bounce back with his best game of the season. Dak and the offense put up 34 points as Dallas’ signal-caller tosses a season-high three touchdown passes.

Set Number: X163816 TK1

2) Justin Herbert throws four touchdown passes in a game for the fourth time

On the flip side, it’s going to be extremely difficult for the Cowboys to slow down Justin Herbert and the Chargers’ offense. Los Angeles’s offense gets a big boost this week with star running back Austin Ekeler set to return after missing the last three games with an ankle injury.

While the Chargers can beat you on the ground, this week Kellen Moore will look to the air to pick apart Dallas’ defense. In their first season with Moore as the offensive coordinator the Chargers have been a lot like Dallas’ was when he was leading the unit, extremely productive.

Los Angeles ranks fourth in the league in EPA/Play (0.100), fifth in Dropback EPA (0.194), and sixth in Success Rate (47.1%). Justin Herbert, who has thrown seven touchdown passes to just one interception, ranks sixth among all quarterbacks in the league in EPA+CPOE (0.145) and EPA/Play (0.178).

For the second straight week, Dallas’ defense will struggle in a big way. Hebert records the fourth four-touchdown day of his career as he and Prescott both light it up in a shootout.

Photo by Harry How/Getty Images

3) CeeDee Lamb records the fifth 125+ yard game of his career

If one thing has become clear about the Cowboys’ offense through the first five weeks of the season, it is that they need to get CeeDee Lamb more involved. Five games in, Lamb has been targeted just 35 times, recording 27 receptions for 358 yards and one touchdown.

Lamb’s 35 targets rank 29th in the NFL, behind some surprise names including Robert Woods, Romeo Doubs, and Tutu Atwell.

Lamb is clearly a much more talented receiver than any of the three above-named players and the Cowboys need to find a way to get him the football. This week Dallas does just that and Lamb has a big day. The 24-year-old wideout goes over 125 receiving yards for the fifth time in his career and is the catalyst to Dallas’ offensive success.