The good news in Dallas: Pro Bowl left tackle Tyron Smith has a chance to play Thursday against the Chargers.
The bad news is obvious: Los Angeles rolls into Texas with the nastiest pair of edge rushers league-wide in Joey Bosa and Melvin Ingram.
It's enough to make your head spin if you're Dak Prescott, the Cowboys quarterback who's been sacked 12 times over the past two games while Smith dealt with a groin injury.
With Bosa and Ingram combining for 19 sacks and endless chaos, the hope in Dallas is that Smith will bring a sense of calm to the offensive line after returning to practice this week.
"It's a great defense," Prescott said of the Chargers, per ESPN's Eric D. Williams. "They get after it. They've won four of the last six, and I think it's been from what they've been doing on defense and the ball production they've had.
"Obviously, you watch the film from last week [and you see] great ball production [against the Bills], getting to the quarterback [and] causing havoc," Prescott said of Bosa and Ingram. "I think up front they might not be the most talented we play, but they have the hardest motor and highest motor. They go after it every play. That's a great quality to have in this league."
Thanksgiving marks a critical turning point for each team, with the Cowboys (5-5) and Chargers (4-6) both fighting for their playoff lives. The loser is essentially cooked barring a miraculous run toward Week 17.
"We've just got to be more consistent," Prescott said. "Without Zeke, the run game was there this past game, just the pass game wasn't. We've just got to be more consistent in doing that. … It's about just being ourselves but knowing what we can and can't do."
What the Cowboyscan't do is allow their season to spin down the drain with another ugly outing on offense. With or without Smith, Prescott is under pressure to play his best football of the year come Turkey Day.
