Los Angeles Chargers @ <Dallas Cowboys
Final Score: LAC 26 – DAL 19
Writer: Cesar Escajeda (@cescajeda13 on Twitter)
Both teams elected to play this one safe to close out the preseason, as starters across the board kept the bench warm. It was the roster hopefuls that hoped to show out, and while it wasn’t the most entertaining game, there were a few performances to take note of.
Three Up
- Simi Fehoko, WR (LAC)– Fehoko was cast aside on cutdown day in Dallas last year, so there was probably some redemption on his mind against his former team in this one. He didn’t get a ton of volume, but still did great, making an excellent move down the sideline to beat Cowboys CB Andrew Booth for his 78-yard TD. With the depth in LA being ridiculously thin at wideout, Fehoko needed a showing like this.
- Derius Davis, WR (LAC) – He took LA’s first play from scrimmage 70 yards to the house. That’s a hell of a way to start your day and he looked explosive doing so, running the end-around handoff for what was – at that point – the first Chargers TD in the ENTIRE PRESEASON. Wild.
- Tony Jefferson, S (LAC) – The man came out of retirement to join Jim Harbaugh in LA and proceeded to absolutely terrorize Dallas QB Trey Lance all afternoon. 14 total tackles (11 solo), 1 sack, and 2 interceptions. That’s pretty good work.
Two Down
- Trey Lance, QB (DAL) – Lance is athletic and he used it to keep the Cowboys alive to the end on this one – but boy did he make some heinous mistakes. Five interceptions on the day are just not helping his case for future opportunities. If this is the Cowboys’ supposed plan in a post-Dak Prescott world, they’re in trouble.
- Andrew Booth Jr., CB (DAL) – With news of ballhawk corner DaRon Bland out 6-8 weeks with a stress fracture, there is a level of panic for the Cowboys secondary as we inch closer to Week 1. Trevon Diggs is coming off of his own injury from last season, and the depth behind him, while promising, is worryingly thin. Booth had a chance to quell those fears in this game, and while he made a few plays, he also got burnt for the long 78-yard score. What was once a strength for the Cowboys’ defense is starting to look a bit precarious.
Los Angeles Chargers
Quarterback
Easton Stick: 12/29, 187 Yards, 1 TD, 1 INT, 60.6 Passer Rating/ 4 Carries, 17 Yards, 0 TDs
Stick had a mild outing in Dallas but hit a handful of impressive throws on the afternoon.
Notes
- Stick played the entire game for the Chargers in this one, and did decently with the opportunity. He hit Simi Fehoko with a nicely placed bomb of a throw that the wideout took to the house but didn’t really do much else outside of that. He really didn’t need to be anything more than that, however, as he game-managed LA out of the preseason with a victory.
Missed Opportunities
- The interception that Stick threw was one that popped up perfectly for Cowboys safety Julius Wood. The Chargers were putting together a solid drive before it, and had it lead to points, probably would have iced this game a lot sooner.
Running Back
Jaret Patterson: 6 Carries, 27 Yards (4.5 Average), 0 TDs / 1 Reception, 2 Targets, 12 Yards, 0 TDs
Patterson got the most carries out of LA’s backfield in this one.
Notes
- Patterson did moderately well on the ground, averaging a healthy 4.5 yards per touch. He also saw a few targets from Stick, and as he’s currently listed as RB4, it’s the passing game that will give him his best shot to see the field for meaningful games.
Elijah Dotson: 4 Carries, 23 Yards (5.8 Average), 0 TDs
Isaiah Spiller: 3 Carries, 1 Yard (0.3 Average), 0 TDs, 1 Fumble
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Simi Fehoko: 2 Receptions, 2 Targets, 85 Yards (42.5 Average), 1 TD
Revenge was probably pretty sweet for the former Cowboy.
Notes
- The 6’4″ receiver is a large-bodied receiver that just never panned out in Dallas, but may have found a second life with Harbaugh’s crew. He was physical on his monster catch-and-run score and showed the promise he was drafted out of Stanford to begin with. Considering the talent ahead of him on the depth chart, you have to wonder how much of an opportunity Fehoko will get with Justin Herbert and the starting offense. Keep an eye on this one.
Derius Davis: 1 Carry, 70 Yards (70.0 Average), 1 TD
How wildly efficient.
Notes
- All Davis needed was one touch to close his night out, doing so in a flashy way. He raced past multiple Cowboys defenders on his highlight-reel run, which happened to be LA’s first TD all preseason. As a wideout, it would have been nice to see him get a few targets, but with the lack of proven talent in the Chargers WR corps, he probably did enough with this to solidify his standing.
Cornelius Johnson: 3 Receptions, 7 Targets, 34 Yards (11.3 Average), 0 TDs
Brenden Rice: 1 Reception, 7 Targets, 11 Yards (11.0 Average), 0 TDs
Jaelen Gill: 1 Reception, 3 Targets, 18 Yards (18.0 Average), 0 TDs
Dallas Cowboys
Quarterback
Trey Lance: 33/49, 323 Yards, 1 TD, 5 INTs, 52.9 Passer Rating / 11 Carries, 90 Yards, 1 TD
Disappointment is the name of the game, unfortunately.
Notes
- Lance was such a mixed bag for most of the afternoon. He would utilize his athleticism to scramble for excellent gains, only to then streamline his pass to the nearest Charger. He’d come back on the next drive and make some great reads and even better throws, only to then turn the ball over in the most questionable way. There were plays where I couldn’t even tell if he ever saw the defender in the first place. It was a good learning experience for the QB who has had next to no reps throughout his short career, but there were red flags all around in his performance in this one.
Missed Opportunities
- As bad as he had played, he STILL had the Cowboys in position to close the game out with a win on the final drive. Instead, on his final throw he simply couldn’t put the ball in the right place to get it to his wide receiver streaking into the endzone, and LA got him for his fifth pick.
Running Back
Deuce Vaughn: 9 Carries, 53 Yards (5.9 Average), 0 TDs / 0 Receptions, 2 Targets, 0 Yards, 0 TDs
Vaughn knifed his way through the Chargers and had himself a nice afternoon.
Notes
- It’s funny watching Vaughn run through defenses, but despite his size, he’s very good at it. He even looked for contact on a few of his carries, a genuinely bold move that shows some growth for the second-year man out of Kansas State. He’ll stick around in Dallas for another season, though he’ll need some ineffectiveness out of the running backs ahead of him to really earn some playing time.
Royce Freeman: 8 Carries, 35 Yards (4.4 Average), 0 TDs / 1 Reception, 1 Target, 7 Yards, 0 TDs
Malik Davis: 5 Carries, 28 Yards (5.6 Average), 0 TDs / 1 Reception, 1 Target, -2 Yards, 0 TDs
Snoop Conner: 4 Carries, 22 Yards (5.5 Average), 0 TDs / 2 Receptions, 2 Targets, 23 Yards, 0 TDs
Notes
- The three running backs above are all battling for a likely final roster spot in Dallas, and it was hard to really take note of who exactly came out on top. Davis and Freeman are probably ahead in the pecking order, and both averaged healthy numbers with their opportunities on the ground. Snoop Conner is an interesting player but likely won’t make the cut come Tuesday.
Wide Receiver/Tight End
Ryan Flournoy: 3 Receptions, 3 Targets, 30 Yards (10.0 Average), 1 TD
The rookie wideout continued his TD streak to close out the preseason.
Notes
- Flournoy came down with the fade throw from Lance for his second TD in two games. It was a solid performance for the likely depth piece, but with CeeDee Lamb‘s contract issues still unresolved, Dallas can use all of the help for Prescott entering Week 1.
John Stephens Jr.: 3 Receptions, 3 Targets, 40 Yards (13.3 Average), 0 TDs
Stephens Jr. earns the TE3 job in Dallas.
Notes
- Stephens Jr. was physical at the point of attack and found good space for his three receptions on the night. The Cowboys staff have been high on him since last season and he looks to have done enough to stick around in Big D for the season opener in Cleveland.
Deontay Burnett: 3 Receptions, 6 Targets, 40 Yards (13.3 Average), 0 TDs
Tyron Billy-Johnson: 2 Receptions, 3 Targets, 33 Yards (16.5 Average), 0 TDs
Brevyn Spann-Ford: 3 Receptions, 4 Targets, 28 Yards (9.3 Average), 0 TDs