ARLINGTON, TEXAS — 38 combined points between the Cowboys and Chargers in the first half, all for Dallas to not score at all in the second, losing 34-to-17.
The first quarter saw both the Cowboys and Chargers score on their opening drives: Dallas wide receiver Ryan Flournoy’s five-yard reception, and kicker Brandon Aubrey’s point after touchdown; Los Angeles’ WR Quentin Johnston and K Cameron Dicker’s PAT, too.
Flournoy began the second quarter with a touchdown as well, receiving another 5-yard pass from a scrambling quarterback Dak Prescott—but there was a flag on the play—for offensive holding—that brought it back and ultimately forced the Cowboys to kick a field goal to close out their second drive. The Chargers answered with a WR Ladd McConkey TD and a Dicker PAT on the very next drive, giving LA the lead for the first time this game. Then, WR George Pickens caught a 38-yard go ball to make it 17-14, back in favor of the home team. And just before the half, QB Justin Herbert scored a 1-yard TD run to regain the lead.
Neither team punted, or turned it over, in the first half. But Prescott was sacked before the teams headed into the locker room.
Dicker made a field goal on the first drive out of the half to increase the Chargers lead by six, and then the teams traded punts over the next two drives.
In the fourth quarter, Dicker made another FG with just under nine minutes to go. Then, running back Omarion Hampton put up another TD to make it 34-17, Chargers.
On the throwing side of things, Prescott surpassed 4,000 passing yards for the fourth time in his career.
On the catching side of things, WR CeeDee Lamb surpassed 1,000 receiving yards this season, and is the fifth player in Cowboys history with at least as many yards in five of his first six seasons, joining Michael Irvin as the only two players with 1,000 receiving yards in five consecutive seasons as a Cowboy. Plus, he is the third receiver in league history with at least 1,000 scrimmage yards in each of his first six seasons.
Not to mention, Lamb now joins Pickens in that 1,000-yards club this season—the eighth time in franchise history that Dallas has two 1,000-yard receivers in a season.
Next, the Cowboys play the Washington Commanders on Christmas day.
