Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
The Dallas Cowboys are going to Southern California looking to keep a nearly 30-year-old winning streak alive.
As I said in one of my previous articles the Cowboys haven’t lost in San Diego since 1983; the San Diego Chargers won that game 24-23. Since then, the Cowboys and Chargers have faced off six times with Dallas winning four of the six games.
One thing I noticed about those games is how close they have been; many decided by one touchdown or less. Fast forward to 2013, and the game on Sunday has the makings of another very close game.
In 2013, The Cowboys have enjoyed some success against teams that have had less than stellar quarterback play, but when they face the Chargers on Sunday, they are facing a quarterback who is quietly off to, what seems to be, the best start of his career.
Through three games, Philip Rivers has completed 70 of his 100 pass attempts, has eight touchdowns to only one interception, and has been sacked, only five times. Rivers comes into this game as Pro Football Focus’ second highest graded quarterback behind only Peyton Manning, and it’s rightfully deserved when you look at his stats.
Rivers will pose a big challenge for the Cowboys because he gets rid of the football quickly, and now that he’s not getting sacked, accurately too. According to PFF, the Chargers have the second most efficient passing game in the league, which should be a good matchup for the Cowboys’ third highest graded defense.
Obviously, the key will be getting to Rivers early and often in hopes that he reverts to the quarterback that forces the ball and makes mistakes. However, if they don’t get pressure on Rivers, it could be a long day for the Cowboys secondary.
Jesus Flores is a Dallas Cowboys writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @SSgtFlo1 or add him to your network on Google
