Chargers display “Big D” in win over Cowboys

Three times the Dallas Cowboys gave the ball to Marion Barber from the Chargers’ 1-yard line and three times he was stopped from reaching the end zone.

That late second-quarter sequence in which the Cowboys came up empty was the prime reason why the San Diego Chargers won their eighth consecutive game, outlasting the Dallas Cowboys 20-17 on Sunday at Jerry Jones’ big ol’ playground.

Dallas ran off 24 first-half plays from the Chargers’ side of the field and ventured inside the 25-yard line on three different drives yet had just three points at the half. That was because the Chargers displayed “Big D” while playing just outside the “Big D” in Arlington.

Linebackers Brandon Siler and Tim Dobbins both made stellar stops on the powerful Barber during the goal-line stand. It’s a different ballgame if the Cowboys tie the score there instead of trailing 10-3 at the half.

The Chargers would later score 10 fourth-quarter points to pull away from Dallas and record their 16th straight December victory, an NFL record. They improve to 10-3 and now have a two-game AFC West lead over the Denver Broncos (8-5), who lost to the Indianapolis Colts despite receiver Brandon Marshall setting an NFL record with 21 receptions in a single game.

Dallas drops to 8-5 as the folks around the Metroplex fear another late-season Cowboys’ collapse.

What the natives ought to fear most is Wade Phillips’ late-game decision-making. With the Cowboys needing two scores, Phillips didn’t call for a field goal once Dallas reached the Chargers’ 18-yard line with 26 seconds left. Instead, the Cowboys ran three more offensive plays, finally scoring on Tony Romo’s 9-yard touchdown pass to Patrick Crayton with two seconds left.

Way to give your guys a chance to win, Wade. You can bet Chargers coach Norv Turner was ecstatic to see Phillips fail simple game management class.

The Chargers’ offense didn’t fly as high as usual but did its best work early in the fourth quarter after Dallas defensive standout DeMarcus Ware went down with a serious neck injury. After play resumed, Philip Rivers connected with Vincent Jackson for 39 yards on third-and-12 to the Cowboys’ 14. Rivers than hit Antonio Gates for a touchdown on the following play to give the Chargers a 17-10 lead.

The next time the Chargers had the ball, they killed seven minutes, 17 seconds of time en route to setting up Nate Kaeding for a 34-yard field goal. That made it a 10-point game with 1:56 remaining.

Earlier in the contest, LaDainian Tomlinson scored on a 1-yard run for his 10th rushing touchdown of the season. Tomlinson has 10 or more rushing scores for an NFL-record nine straight seasons.

The Chargers face a crucial contest against the Cincinnati Bengals (9-4) next Sunday. The Chargers already have a one-game lead over the Bengals for the AFC’s No. 2 seed (and the all-important first-week playoff bye) so it rates as a must-win game for Cincinnati.