Chargers could clinch playoff spot in a visit to the Cowboys, who are on the brink of elimination

By Canadian Press on December 18, 2025.

LA Chargers (10-4) at Dallas (6-7-1)

Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, Fox.

BetMGM NFL odds: Cowboys by 2 1/2.

Against the spread: Chargers 7-6-1; Cowboys 7-7.

Series record: Cowboys lead 8-5.

Last meeting: Cowboys beat Chargers 20-17 on Oct. 16, 2023, in Los Angeles.

Last week: Chargers beat Chiefs 16-13; Cowboys lost to Vikings 34-26.

Chargers offense: overall (15), rush (11), pass (19), scoring (19).

Chargers defense: overall (2), rush (11), pass (3), scoring (9).

Cowboys offense: overall (1), rush (15), pass (1), scoring (4).

Cowboys defense: overall (29), rush (18), pass (32), scoring (31).

Turnover differential: Chargers plus-2; Cowboys minus-7.

Chargers player to watch

CB Donte Jackson. He is ranked in the top 10 in the league in interceptions (four) and pass breakups (12). It will be interesting to see how he matches up against WRs CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens. Although Pickens has cooled, the Cowboys still have one of the most dynamic receiver pairings in the league, and Dallas still has one of the NFL’s best offenses.

Cowboys player to watch

QB Dak Prescott. He faces one of the league’s best pass defenses for the second week in a row. The NFL passing leader (3,931 yards) had trouble with pressure in the loss to the Vikings, perhaps best illustrated by Dallas going 2 of 12 on third down and getting touchdowns on just two of five drives inside the 20.

Key matchup

Chargers QB Justin Herbert vs. Dallas’ secondary. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones put first-year defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus on notice during his radio show this week. Eight opposing quarterbacks have had either their best game of the season or one of their best against Dallas. Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy, in his eighth career start, was the latest.

Key injuries

Chargers: Herbert should again play with a broken left hand. His non-throwing hand was heavily wrapped against the Chiefs. … WR Derius Davis (ankle) and S R.J. Mickens (shoulder) weren’t practicing to start the week. Davis didn’t play against Kansas City, but Mickens did.

Cowboys: DT Quinnen Williams is in concussion protocol, putting him at risk of missing a game for the first time since the trade that brought him from the Jets. He’s had a significant impact on the defense in his five games with Dallas. … CB DaRon Bland is back on the injury report with a foot issue, and LT Tyler Guyton still wasn’t practicing to start the week. Guyton has missed three games with a sprained ankle.

Series notes

The Chargers are 0-2 at AT&T Stadium. The first loss was in 2009, the year the venue opened. The other was in 2017. Both of the two most recent meetings were 20-17 Dallas victories at SoFi Stadium.

Stats and stuff

The Chargers clinch a playoff spot for the second time in two seasons under coach Jim Harbaugh with a win and a loss by Indianapolis or tie or a Houston loss or tie. There are also two clinching scenarios involving an LA tie. … The Cowboys are eliminated with a loss or a win by Philadelphia. The Eagles, the defending NFC East and Super Bowl champs, play at four-win Washington on Saturday. … Herbert has thrown for at least 3,000 yards in each of his six seasons. If he can average 300 yards per game the rest of the way, he can catch Pro Football Hall of Famer Peyton Manning for the most yards passing in a quarterback’s first six years. Manning is at 24,885, Herbert at 24,284. Herbert passed Patrick Mahomes for second in their meeting last week. … WR Quentin Johnston, who played about 20 miles from AT&T Stadium at TCU, needs one touchdown catch to have eight in consecutive seasons. The last Chargers player to do that was Hall of Fame TE Antonio Gates in seven straight seasons from 2004-10. … Edge rusher Tuli Tuipulotu sacked Mahomes twice last week, pushing his career-best total to 12, tops on the team. … Prescott needs 69 yards passing for his fourth 4,000-yard season. That would tie Tony Romo’s Dallas record. … Lamb needs 24 yards receiving to join Hall of Famer Michael Irvin as the only Cowboys receivers to record five consecutive 1,000-yard seasons. … Jake Ferguson has 77 catches. Dalton Schultz’s 78 catches in 2021 were the most for a tight end in Prescott’s 10 seasons. … Williams had his third career interception against the Vikings.

Fantasy tip

Lamb has three consecutive 100-yard receiving games, tied with Atlanta’s Drake London for the longest active streak. Let him ride this week.

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The Associated Press