Chargers defeat Cowboys, moving to edge of playoff

ARLINGTON, Texas — The Chargers are under the radar and over the moon.

They are methodically compiling victories — the latest, Sunday’s 34-17 thumping of the Dallas Cowboys — and completely content on the fringes of the national highlight.

Lots of people wrote them off when those offensive linemen began falling like tall timber, yet the Chargers have discovered methods to win in spite of that. Seven occasions in eight video games they’ve walked away victorious, holding them in the working for the top seed in the AFC.

“We’re not worried about the outside noise,” said edge rusher Khalil Mack, half of a protection that has pitched second-half shutouts two weeks in a row. “Not getting too high, not getting too low. Staying even-keeled and trying to stack wins.”

Despite all that success, the Chargers (11-4) had yet to cement a spot in the postseason by the time they boarded the bus from AT&T Stadium to the airport. They needed a loss or tie by Houston, enjoying Las Vegas that afternoon, or by Indianapolis, enjoying host to San Francisco on Monday night time.

As for the Cowboys (6-8), they have been eradicated from playoff rivalry the week before. They have been enjoying for pleasure and had the NFL’s No. 1 offense, which confirmed up with Dak Prescott landing passes in the first two quarters.

But the quarterback of notice in this sport was Justin Herbert, who threw for 300 yards and two touchdowns, and plunged across the aim line for another rating. He also had a 34-yard scramble up the center, the longest of the sport, which ended with a violent collision that had him susceptible and wincing for a second.

It seemed as if he may need re-injured his surgically repaired left hand on that play, although he later clarified he had banged his elbow on the turf.

“He’s doing things game after game that are reserved for only the best who have ever played the game,” said coach Jim Harbaugh of Herbert.

Those two have a ritual before every sport. It occurs after Herbert throws warm-up routes to his receivers and retreats to the locker room. But when your entire group re-emerges as one, Herbert throws a sequence of passes to his head coach, himself once an NFL quarterback.

Harbaugh doesn’t run the routes, per se, but he positions himself where the receiver can be catching the ball on a given sample, then latches onto a laser from Herbert.

“I think there’s something cool about, you know, being able to throw to him pregame, where you have the head guy and he’s out catching passes from you, and it gives you a bit of a routine,” Herbert said.

“And I can hear him talking and hyping everyone up.”

It’s that type of inspirational power that the Chargers have been trying for when they employed Harbaugh, who has an established report of turning around franchises. The Chargers made the playoffs in his debut season but have been taken aside at Houston. Now, in Harbaugh’s second season, they’re trying to break through in the postseason.

“Coach Harbaugh said we’re in a position to be in a position,” said Herbert, who has yet to win a playoff sport, “and I think that’s all you can ask for — where we’re playing meaningful football in December.”

Unlike most of their other wins, when either the offense or protection owns the day, the Chargers received Sunday with strong performances on both sides of the ball. They rolled up 152 yards on the ground, 300 in the air, and the protection restricted the Cowboys to 129 yards in the second half.

Twice in the second half, they pressured turnovers on downs.

“We came in here at halftime and we made a decision that we’re all just going to lock in,” Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman said. “We just played together, actually communicated and played our style of football. The defense came together in the second half.”

Chargers security Derwin James Jr. celebrates after a win over the Cowboys on Sunday.

(Julio Cortez / Associated Press)

The Chargers received landing receptions by both of their beginning receivers, Ladd McConkey and Quentin Johnston, who made an easy one-handed grab, but also 4 catches by rookie receiver Tre’ Harris. And rookie Omarion Hampton led all rushers with 85 yards and a landing.

Hampton had been rotating with Kimani Vidal, but took over full-time duties in the second half after Vidal walked off the sphere slowly yet unassisted with an obvious neck injury.

The Chargers close the common season with a home sport against Houston and a finale against Denver, rigorous assessments against two of the best defenses in the league.

They don’t thoughts the shortage of fanfare. They desire to operate in the relative quiet, as quiet as the cavernous home of the Cowboys at sport’s end.