After two consecutive crushing defeats, the Dallas Cowboys look to rebound on Sunday as they welcome the Los Angeles Chargers to AT&T Stadium. Earlier than the 2 groups sq. off, listed below are three daring predictions for the matchup.
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1) Cowboys’ defensive position takes benefit of the Chargers’ makeshift offensive line, recording 5 sacks
Coming into the season, the Los Angeles Chargers had to be ok with their outlook on the offensive line. After choosing stud left deal with Rashawn Slater again within the first spherical of the 2021 NFL Draft, the Chargers as soon as once more chosen a high-profile deal with with a premium choice, this time taking Joe Alt out of Notre Dame with the fifth choose.
With Slater and Alt at each deal with spots, Los Angeles had top-of-the-line younger offensive deal with duos in all of soccer. Sadly for the Chargers, premature accidents ruined this season for the proficient younger tackles. Slater suffered a season-ending harm in coaching camp, an enormous blow for Los Angeles’ offense. Issues bought even worse because the season went on, because the 22-year-old Alt additionally suffered a season-ending harm, simply six video games into his NFL profession.
The lack of each Alt and Slater induced a whole overhaul of the Chargers’ offensive line. Thus far within the season, taking part in with out each of their tackles has induced Los Angeles to have one of many worst offensive traces within the NFL. The Chargers have allowed Justin Herbert to be sacked 49 occasions, tied for essentially the most of any quarterback within the league.
It’s virtually laborious to consider how poor the safety has been for Herbert this season. The 27-year-old quarterback has been pressured 15 or extra occasions in eight of the Chargers’ 14 video games this season, together with being sacked four-plus occasions in 4 separate matchups.
This week, Dallas’ defensive position will get a really favorable matchup towards this struggling Chargers’ offensive line. For the primary time since Thanksgiving, we see the Cowboys’ defensive position make a real impression as they generate some constant stress and report a formidable 5 sacks.
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2) Chargers’ protection forces Dak Prescott into his fourth multi-interception recreation of the season
The Chargers’ protection has been, for sure, one of many extra spectacular defensive items in all of soccer this season. Los Angeles has allowed the second-fewest yards (3,907) of any protection within the NFL, permitting simply 20 factors per recreation.
Since Week 8, the Chargers have allowed greater than 20 factors in a recreation only one time. Over this seven-game span, Los Angeles leads the league in Defensive EPA/Play (-0.192), Dropback EPA (-0.185), and is second in Defensive Rush EPA (-0.204). Los Angeles has additionally been the perfect within the NFL at recording takeaways in these seven video games, recording a league-high 13 takeaways over this span.
On the season, the Chargers have recorded the third-most interceptions (17) of any protection within the league, and that quantity will improve on Sunday. With latest poor play from the Cowboys’ offensive line, we’ve seen Dak Prescott must make some fast selections over the previous few weeks. On the season, Prescott has been pressured on 10.2% of his throws (most within the league), and whereas he has completed an excellent job escaping unfavourable performs, he has had some turnover luck on his facet.
Prescott has simply 10 interceptions in 14 video games this season, however that quantity may simply be a lot larger. The 32-year-old quarterback is top-10 within the league in interceptable passes (15) and hazard performs (20), displaying he has had some luck to solely have 10 interceptions on the yr.
This week, Prescott received’t be so fortunate because the spectacular Chargers’ protection will make the most of errors. Los Angeles picks off Prescott twice, forcing the quarterback into his fourth multi-interception recreation of the yr.
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3) Groups mix to attain fewer than 40 factors, going effectively beneath the pregame O/U whole of 49.5
Whereas the Cowboys’ protection has been atrocious this season, they need to have a reasonably favorable matchup this week towards a Chargers’ offense and not using a true primary broad receiver and a struggling offensive line. On the Chargers’ facet of issues, their protection has been taking part in like the perfect defensive unit in soccer of late, and that probably will proceed on Sunday.
For actually the primary time this season, Dallas is locked in a defensive battle on Sunday as the 2 groups mix to attain fewer than 40 factors.
