Dak Prescott, Dallas Cowboys show resiliency in bounce back win vs. Los Angeles Chargers

That sigh of relief you heard from Southern California all the way back in North Texas on Monday night was just a Dallas Cowboys team exhaling after a tumultuous week and a hard-fought 20-17 victory against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Coach Mike McCarthy admittedly did not get much sleep last week following the blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers, which called into question everything the Cowboys had done since the end of last season.

So Tuesday, McCarthy planned to get some much-needed sleep, and the Cowboys will begin their bye week in peace after a win against the Chargers that allowed them to officially move on from the 49ers debacle.

“It was a must-win,” quarterback Dak Prescott said. “4-2 and 3-3, it’s a huge difference. Going into the bye week, we talked about, after last week, not allowing this thing to landslide. Obviously, I think a win like this allows you to really close that book [on the 49er loss]. You definitely can move on.

“Now, we’ll move forward from this one, go watch it, get better, critique it hard, see how we can get better from this game, even on a win, and then enjoy the bye week ... and then stack [wins] after that,” Prescott said.

Defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence said sometimes you have to get punched in the mouth to get refocused, and the Cowboys approached the game with the right energy and mindset. He agreed it was a must win.

“It was huge,” Lawrence said. “It was huge for us to get back on track, especially heading into the bye week. We don’t need no sour taste in our mouth. We can head into the bye week full of confidence and come back ready to play.”

There remains doubt about how far the Cowboys will go.

They have not proven to be championship material, as least not since 1995 when the franchise won the last of its five Super Bowl titles.

And this current team has shown to be a level below the 49ers, who have knocked them out of the playoffs the past two seasons and ended the Cowboys’ talk of revenge last week.

But there is no quit in the Cowboys on Monday night, and this team has been remarkably resilient under McCarthy. They are now 10-1 following a loss since 2021.

The victory against the Chargers (2-3) also showed that the Cowboys have mental fortitude, substance and resiliency to keep their season alive for a possible shot at the 49ers in the playoffs again.

“We didn’t say much in the week,” McCarthy said. “We felt like we’ve done enough talking this week. They’ve been quiet, they worked hard. I just love their resilience and fight, and we came out on top.”

It wasn’t a pretty or easy game for the Cowboys. It was back and forth with a total of 20 penalties. The Cowboys had a 11.

It was also an emotional affair with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore on the opposite side the field, looking to make McCarthy pay for firing him after last season.

The Cowboys weathered storm, which included a muffed punt that allowed the Chargers to tie the game in the fourth quarter.

Prescott led the Cowboys a 14-play, 54-yard drive that resulted in a 39-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey, giving the Cowboys a 20-17 lead with 2 minutes, 19 seconds to go. It gave Prescott his 20th game-winning drive, the second-most game-winning drives in team history behind Tony Romo (24).

And the defense made it stand when Micah Parsons got his first sack of the game, and Stephen Gilmore snagged a game-sealing interception.

“I think this is part of the definition of a complementary football team — the offense picks up the defense, and the defense picks up for your offense, and special teams all the way around.,” McCarthy said. “There were plays that needed to be made, especially down the stretch. It was a bumpy game out there. A lot of back and forth. A lot of resetting your jaw and just keep fighting. I thought our men did a really good job there.”

“That’s how we feel we’re built, our pass rush and big players make big plays and are part of these types of games, so, hopefully, we’re in that position every week, or our pass rushers are up to the forefront of the challenge,” McCarthy said.

In a quiet moment in the locker room, Lawrence echoed McCarthy’s sentiments, saying the Cowboys have the players on defense who can make big plays when it counts the most.

But he would have preferred a little more breathing room created by the final drive.

“We would have preferred a touchdown,” Lawrence said with a smile and a chuckle. “But it’s all love man. We got the type of guys on our defense. That is what we want to be remembered for, being a resilient bunch of dogs. We love when our backs are against the wall so we can show the world what we are made of.”

Prescott heard Lawrence loud and clear.

As well as he played — completing 21 of 30 passes for 272 yards with a touchdown pass and an 18-yard touchdown run — Prescott would like to have an errant throw to a wide-open Tony Pollard back. It forced the Cowboys to have to settle for the Aubrey field goal on the final drive.

But he and the Cowboys are smiling.

It was not lost on them that the 49ers (5-1) lost to the Cleveland Browns (3-2) and the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles (5-1) lost to the New York Jets (3-3), who the Cowboys beat 30-10 in Week 2.

As McCarthy said, it was a good weekend for the Cowboys.

But they are focusing on themselves.

“We’re moving forward and running our race, honestly,” Prescott said. “You’ve got to show up week in and week out in this league. If you look back at this past weekend, obviously, that shows you that.”

“Obviously, as it gets to the latter part of the year, it’ll show a playoff picture, but we have to focus on getting better, peaking at the right time. Being the best versions of ourselves every week that we show up and just continuing to make strides of getting better.”

For now, the Cowboys have some peace of mind.

“Huge to go into the bye week with momentum,” Prescott said. “Now, I can enjoy the bye week. That is what it is about — 4 and 2, we’re a little over a quarter into the season. Puts us right where we want to be.”

The Cowboys are indeed still alive.