It's no secret that the Los Angeles Chargers have had their fair share of struggles on offense this season.
Nevertheless, they have come away with two strong wins, primarily on the shoulders of their defense, that has now left them in prime position to earn a Wild Card spot. Given the caliber of the defenses they have played recently, it is possible to forgive some of their inefficiencies on the offensive side of the ball.
Now, in Week 16, they will face off against one of the worst defenses in the league against the Dallas Cowboys. The time for excuses is over.
No matter the outcome of this game, the Chargers offense must perform. If they can't do it against one of the least imposing defenses in the league, it will be impossible to trust them as serious playoff contenders.
The Dallas Cowboys represent the Chargers' final chance to prove themselves as genuine playoff contenders
Coming down from the adrenaline of the last two weeks, it might be difficult to take an honest look at what Los Angeles has been on the offensive side of the ball.
Between the two games, Justin Herbert completed 31 of his 55 passes for just 349 yards, totaling two touchdowns and two interceptions. Their run game was similarly middling, totaling 263 yards.
Although they obviously won both of these games, these are not the numbers that a playoff team should be striving for.
Dallas, however, presents a different type of opportunity.
To this point in the season, they have allowed the fourth-most total yards to opposing offenses in the NFL. They are among the worst passing offenses in the league in both total yards and net yards per attempt. While their acquisition of Quinnen Williams has paid dividends for their run defense, they have allowed 78 points combined across their last two matchups.
The Chargers defense has played well enough that they can give the team a shot to win in virtually any game in which they surpass the 20-point threshold. Given the teams that are in the AFC playoff picture, however, the team will need more than that to survive even the first round.
With games against the Houston Texans and the Denver Broncos in store, the Chargers will need their defense to carry them the rest of the way. Their matchup against the Cowboys, therefore, represents their final chance to truly flash any form of offensive potency before the regular season comes to an end.