The Dallas Cowboys are well aware of the task they are facing with three regular-season games remaining.
The Cowboys must win all three and have the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles lose all three of theirs or Dallas will miss the playoffs for the second straight season.
First up is not being eliminated this week as the Cowboys battle the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday in Arlington, Texas.
The Cowboys (6-7-1) have allowed 78 total points while losing back-to-back games to the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. If they are still alive after this weekend, Dallas closes with road games against the Washington Commanders and New York Giants.
“I’m going to stay in the moment,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday. “I’m going to be all about the Chargers, and after we go and play the Chargers and hopefully win, I’m going to be all about the Commanders, and then the Giants, and then see what happens. And then we’ll take a broader, bigger picture at that point.”
The Chargers (10-4) have their own playoff scenarios to worry about.
Los Angeles, which has won six of its past seven games, would clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Cowboys along with some help from either the Las Vegas Raiders (against the Houston Texans) or San Francisco 49ers (vs. the Indianapolis Colts).
A loss to the Cowboys would leave the Chargers waiting at least one more week to secure a spot.
Los Angeles finished a season sweep of the Kansas City Chiefs with a 16-13 road victory last weekend.
It marked the third straight game and sixth in the past seven that the Chargers gave up 20 or fewer points.
Also, Los Angeles held Kansas City to 239 yards, the Chiefs’ season low, as Daiyan Henley picked off Patrick Mahomes and Derwin James Jr. intercepted Gardner Minshew with 14 seconds left, not long after Mahomes departed with his serious knee injury.
“These past few weeks we’ve been trying to prove to ourselves more than anybody else outside the building who we are, what our identity is,” Henley said. “And that identity that we’re chasing is a playoff defense. … What you see out there is a team that’s preparing for the playoffs and playing like it’s the playoffs.”
Los Angeles quarterback Justin Herbert, who will play for the third straight week after undergoing left hand surgery, appreciates the defense’s dominance.
“This year, they’ve took it to a whole other level,” Herbert said.
This season, Herbert has the second-highest interception total of his career (12) to go with 3,191 yards and 23 touchdown passes.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott leads the NFL with 3,931 passing yards while closing in on his fourth career 4,000-yard campaign. Tony Romo is the only Cowboys quarterback currently with four such seasons.
Prescott ranks third with 26 touchdown passes, and he has been intercepted 10 times.
Wideout CeeDee Lamb is 24 yards shy of his fifth straight 1,000-yard season despite missing three games due to injuries.
Offseason acquisition George Pickens has career bests of 81 receptions, 1,212 yards and eight TDs but also experiences occasional concentration lapses.
Over the past two games, Pickens had just eight catches for 70 yards. He said he doesn’t care about outside criticism.
“Some people’s job is to do that, tear down character, see how much clicks they can get, but I’m just here to play football and help the team, honestly,” Pickens said.
Lamb (illness) was one of five Cowboys to miss practice on Wednesday. Left tackle Tyler Guyton (ankle) sat out and is in jeopardy of missing his fourth straight game. Also out were cornerback DaRon Bland (foot), defensive tackle Quinnen Williams (concussion) and running back Hunter Luepke (concussion).
Los Angeles receiver Derius Davis (ankle) and safety R.J. Mickens (shoulder) sat out with injuries on Wednesday.
The Chargers have won their past three road games in the series. Their last road loss against Dallas came in 1990 when the Cowboys played in Irving.
