How the Dallas Cowboys beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-17 on Monday Night Football
It wasn’t pretty.
But the Dallas Cowboys ain’t giving it back.
The Cowboys bounced back form a disappointing loss against the San Francisco 49ers last week with a 20-17 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers after Dak Prescott led Dallas to a go-ahead field goal late in the fourth quarter.
Defensive heroics by Micah Parsons and Stephon Gilmore on the Chargers final drive sealed the victory that pushed the Cowboys to 4-2 going into their bye week.
Brandon Aubrey’s 39-yard kick with 2 minutes, 19 seconds left was followed by the best defensive stand of the season.
A Parsons sack was followed by an interception from Gilmore, wiping away the stench from last week’s 42-10 loss to the 49ers.
The Cowboys are now 10-1 after a loss since 2021 under coach Mike McCarthy.
The Cowboys had 11 penalties for 85 yards and then allowed the Chargers to tie game in the fourth quarter on a muffed punt.
But they came through when it mattered most in what was a must-win game after last week’s showing against the 49ers.
“It was a must-win,” Prescott said. “It’s early in the season but there is a huge difference between 3-3 and 4-2. We talked about after last week, not not allowing this thing to landslide and obviously I think a win like this allows you to really close that book. Obviously, we closed that book throughout this week preparing for this game moving on not just talking about it but being about it, practicing the right way and preparing the right way to do that. When you get this one like we did, you definitely can move on. Now we’ll move forward from this one and enjoy the bye.”
The final field goal drive was the 20th game-winning drive of Prescott’s career, the second-most game-winning drives in team history behind Tony Romo (24).
After their bye week the Cowboys will play the Los Angeles Rams on Oct. 29.
What we learned in the Cowboys 20-17 victory vs. Chargers:
Dak Prescott makes plays with arm and feet
In the final minute of the game, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott was on the sidelines mad at himself.
An errant pass to a wide open Tony Pollard proved the difference between a 3-point lead and a 7-point lead as the Cowboys had to settle for a field goal.
The defense made the lead hold up.
“As I said, I was pissed. Trust me, I won’t sleep over one throw tonight, and that’s that one right there at the end of the game to Tony [Pollard] in the endzone,” Prescott said. ”But, if you have to go sit on the sideline, at least we got a field goal and we took the lead. Then, to watch a guy like [Cowboys LB] Micah [Parsons] show up, that’s what great players do — show up in big-time moments.
“First sack of the game, hadn’t had one all game, but there he goes and here he comes. It was an important time, he got the sack. Next, a former Defensive Player of the Year, veteran, a guy that’s a leader of this team, gets the game-sealing interception. Talk about guys just doing the right thing, staying at it and staying consistent.”
And Prescott can be forgiven for the bad throw because he made plays throughout the game that kept the Cowboys in it and put them in the led.
Prescott bounced back from a three-interception performance in the loss to the 49ers last week by completing 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass and an 18-yard touchdown run.
It was Prescott’s feet and scrambling in the pocket that allowed the Cowboys to make plays all night. He led the Cowboys with 40 yards on seven carries.
The touchdown run came on a zone read fake to Pollard as Prescott saw a wide open field and end zone that reminded of his days at Mississippi State.
“Not showing my legs early in the year and not running played a part in that and so just able to go get it,” Prescott said.
He had a 60-yard play on 3rd down when he avoided two sacks and found Pollard over the middle on a catch and run on a drive that put the Cowboys put the Cowboys up 17-10 in the fourth quarter.
“That’s that’s how the game unfolded,” Prescott said of his scrambles. “A little bit of maybe a conscious effort by myself. Just just coming off of last week, realizing that maybe that’s something I could use and we could use. I think it’s something that we could benefit from.”
CeeDee Lamb gets untracked, Gallup still struggling
After a week of talking and analyzing the frustrations of No. 1 receiver CeeDee Lamb, the Cowboys made a point of getting him the ball early and often against the Chargers.
Lamb had five catches 84 yards in the first half en route to 117 for the game.
Lamb had back-to-back receptions for 11 and 23 yards on a nine play, 75-yard touchdown drive.
And when the Cowboys needed a key third down completion the fourth quarter, it was Lamb who came up big to continue a drive that ended with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Prescott to Brandin Cooks, which gave the Cowboys a 17-10 lead.
And when the Cowboys needed a key third down after the Chargers tied the game, Prescott hit Lamb for 18 with 4:17 left in the game.
An 11-yard pass to Cooks on third down continued the drive that ended with a 39-yard field goal by Aubrey, giving the Cowboys a 20-17 lead with 2:19 left.
Cooks had his best game of the season with four catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.
Prescott said the Cowboys came in the game looking to get Lamb and Cooks involved.
“That’s was part of the plan going into this game, knowing that we’d get some matchups with those guys,” Prescott said. “Understanding how they’re going to play CeeDee and Cooks some one on ones. We took advantage of it and he did a great job.”
The Cowboys didn’t have more to show for themselves on offense early because of the continued struggles for receiver Michael Gallup, who led the team with seven targets but only had 2 receptions for 19 yards. He had two drops, including a ball that went through his hands in the end zone.
How the defense handled Kellen Moore, Chargers offense
Much was made about Chargers offensive coordinator Kellen Moore bid for revenge against the Cowboys after getting fired by McCarthy last January.
Former Cowboys receiver Simi Fehoko said Moore wanted to score 100 against the Cowboys if he could.
The Chargers had a perfect opening drive, using a great punt return by former TCU star Derius Davis and a short field to go 42 yards on five plays to take a 7-0 lead.
But it was tough sledding for Chargers and quarterback Justin Herbert for much of the game
A Chargers offense that came into the game ranked seventh in scoring and fifth overall had problems getting in the end zone.
The defense turned them back on fourth down at the goal line.
And Deron Bland dropped would would have been a game-sealing pick six in the fourth quarter.
But on the ensuing punt, the Chargers were given a gift when the ball bounced over KaVontae Turpin’s head. Jalen Tolbert thought Turpin touched the ball and jumped on it, but it was recovered by the Chargers.
After a pass interference penalty on Gilmore, Herbert hit tight end Gerald Everette for a 1-yard touchdown pass to tie the game.
But when the Cowboys took the lead late in the fourth quarter, the defense came through with sack from Parsons and interception by Gilmore.
“That’s what we want to be remembered for, being a resilient bunch of dogs that’s ready to go out to you know, take over anytime we step on the field,” defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said. “We would have preferred the offense score a touchdown. But it’s all love man. We got the type of guys that we have on our defense. We love when our backs are against the wall to show the world what we are made of.”
Cowboys still hurting themselves with undisciplined penalties
The Cowboys continue to be their own worst enemy with penalties, especially pre-snap penalties. The Cowboys had 11 penalties for 85 yards on Monday.
Defensive end Dante Fowler lined up in the neutral zone to negate a third-down incomplete pass.
Jayron Kearse had a personal foul for the second straight week to give the Chargers a first down. This time it was a helmet hit on the Herbert.
Defensive end Sam Williams gave the Chargers a first down with illegal hands to the face.
And linebacker Tyrus Wheat was in on motion on a punt, negating an opportunity to pin the Chargers deep.
They Cowboys were also flagged for having 12 men on the field on defense.
That was all in the first half.
Holding penalties on Lamb and Tyler Smith, his second of the game, nearly thwarted a fourth-quarter scoring drive.
The Cowboys ended the game with 11 penalties for 85 yards.
It is something they must clean up.
“Not to be a negative Nelly after a win but the pre snap penalties is a recurring issue,” McCarthy said. “They’ve been a problem so we have to have to get better there. We have to resolve that. Because this is holding us back, the repetitive penalties.”
