Cowboys vs. Chargers final score, results: Dak Prescott, Dallas stay 'resilient' in bounce-back 'MNF' win

Gilbert McGregor

Cowboys vs. Chargers final score, results: Dak Prescott, Dallas stay 'resilient' in bounce-back 'MNF' win image

Dak Prescott and the Cowboys were embarrassed in Week 5. They bounced back in a major way to move to 4-2 with a win in Week 6.

On a night where there were pre-game fireworks, plenty of penalties and a few head-scratching decisions, the Cowboys used a late-game drive to earn a 20-17 road win over the Chargers, who fall to 2-3 on the season.

After a turnover-heavy outing in Week 5, Prescott finished the game going 21 of 30 for 272 yards and a touchdown in the air, adding an additional 40 yards and a touchdown on the ground. In his walk-off victory, Prescott described his team's effort in one word: resilient.

Prescott's top target in the win was CeeDee Lamb, who had seven catches for 117 yards. Brandin Cooks added four clutch catches for 36 yards and a touchdown.

It was a rougher outing for Justin Herbert, who was 22 of 37 for 227 yards, two touchdowns and an interception that sealed the game. Things get no easier for the Chargers, who head to Arrowhead Stadium to meet the defending champs in Week 7 while the Cowboys ride high into their bye week.

The Sporting News tracked live updates and highlights throughout the matchup between the Cowboys and Chargers.

Cowboys vs. Chargers final score

  1 2 3 4 Final
Cowboys 7 3 0 10 20
Chargers 7 0 3 7 17

Cowboys vs. Chargers live updates, highlights from 'Monday Night Football'

(All times Eastern)

 

Team stats

  Cowboys Chargers
First downs 20 18
Third downs 5-13 5-14
Fourth downs 1-2 1-2
Total yards 342 272
Passing 21-30, 246 yards 22-37, 219 yards
Rushing att-yards 26-96 23-53
Penalties-yards 11-85 9-79
Turnovers 1 1
Time of possession 29:52 30:08

Final: Cowboys 20, Chargers 17

11:22 p.m.: INTERCEPTION! After the two-minute warning, Justin Herbert is sacked on second down before the pressure on third-and-10 forces him to throw an errant pass, which is picked off by Stephon Gilmore.

Dallas is going to come out on top with a huge win and the Cowboys fans in attendance are going wild.

11:16 p.m.: FIELD GOAL! Brandon Aubrey's now 2 of 2 on the night as his 39-yarder puts Dallas back ahead by three.

2:19 remains in regulation as the Chargers take over with no more timeouts.

Cowboys 20, Chargers 17

11:11 p.m.: Dallas is driving and it gets a HUGE 11-yard completion from Dak Prescott to Brandin Cooks on third-and-9.

Dallas is now in the red zone with under three minutes remaining.

10:58 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! It's a play-action rollout and Justin Herbert finds a wide-open Gerald Everett for six. The PAT is good! Things are all tied up once again with 7:11 remaining in regulation.

Chargers 17, Cowboys 17

10:57 p.m.: With 7:15 left in regulation, the Chargers are going to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line.

LA calls for a timeout to talk things over. A major play is on the horizon.

10:54 p.m.: FUMBLE! The call is overturned!

The Chargers are in business and will get the ball on the Cowboys' 20-yard line. Here's a look back at what transpired on the punt return.

10:47 p.m.: Penalties and missed opportunities proved to be costly for the Chargers, who are forced to punt on fourth-and-11.

There's a challenge on the field as LA appears to have recovered the punt after Dallas touched it. The official ruling was Cowboys ball but the broadcast belives it might be overturned.

10:38 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! On first-and-goal, Brandin Cooks catches a two-yard toss from Dak Prescott. The PAT is good!

Dallas is back ahead early on in the fourth quarter. How will LA respond?

Cowboys 17, Chargers 10

10:30 p.m.: On third-and-11, Dak Prescott connects with Tony Pollard, who racks up plenty of yards after the catch to make it a 60-yard gain.

Dallas' longest play of the season results in a first down from Los Angeles' 16-yard line.

Timeout on the field.

End of third quarter: Chargers 10, Cowboys 10

10:21 p.m.: FIELD GOAL!

The Chargers get into the red zone and put points on the board this time as Cameron Dicker connects on a 24-yard field goal. Things are all tied up with just over one minute remaining in the third.

Chargers 10, Cowboys 10

10:11 p.m.: The Chargers defense does its job, sacking Dak Prescott on third down to make it another three-and-out for the Cowboys.

Another solid punt return for LA means its offense will start off in Dallas territory. The Chargers will now look for a repeat of their scoring drive from the first half.

10:06 p.m.: STOPPED! This time, it's the Chargers who come up short on fourth-and-1.

From the Dallas 7-yard line, Justin Herbert attempts to connect with Joshua Palmer in the end zone but Daron Bland makes a great play to break it up.

The Cowboys take back over and still have a three-point lead.

Halftime: Cowboys 10, Chargers 7

9:42 p.m.: FIELD GOAL!

Dallas elects not to take a shot at the end zone and instead lets the clock run down to three before taking a timeout. The 32-yard field goal from Brandon Aubrey is good!

The Cowboys take a three-point lead into the break.

Cowboys 10, Chargers 7

9:39 p.m.: Dallas is at LA's 17-yard line with 14 seconds remaining and still both of its timeouts. The Cowboys' field position has come as a result of an unnecessary roughness penalty that tacked 15 yards onto a 15-yard reception.

They'll look to get six, but Dallas is almost certain to add points to the board before halftime.

9:35 p.m.: It's not a three-and-out, but another Chargers drive stalls after some promise early.

LA punts it back to Dallas, which gets the ball at its own 29-yard line with two timeouts and 59 seconds remaining in the half. The Cowboys will look to orchestrate a quick scoring drive before the half.

9:26 p.m.: STOPPED!

Dallas attempts a QB sneak on fourth-and-inches but Los Angeles stands strong at the line of scrimmage. The Chargers will take back over from their own 13-yard line.

9:16 p.m.: Yet another three-and-out.

The Chargers net eight yards over three plays and punt the ball back to the Cowboys, who will begin their drive from their own 22-yard line.

9:08 p.m.: And another three-and-out.

Dallas punts the ball back to Los Angeles, which will start off on its own 32-yard line. There's 9:31 remaining in the half and neither offense has gotten much going outside of their respective scoring drives.

9:03 p.m.: The Chargers move down the field thanks to a few Cowboys penalties but their drive ends with an incompletion on third-and-8.

LA's 30-yard punt means Dallas will begin its next drive from its own 12-yard line.

8:58 p.m.: Justin Hebert connects for a first down with … Justin Herbert.

On third-and-5, Herbert's pass is batted at the line but he catches the deflection and uses his legs to get enough yards for a first down. 

End of first quarter: Cowboys 7, Chargers 7

8:55 p.m.: One quarter is in the books and we're all tied up.

The first frame ends with a five-yard connection between Justin Herbert and Austin Ekeler. LA will open the second quarter from its own 21-yard line.

8:49 p.m.: The Cowboys' offense gets a few first downs before their drive stalls near midfield.

A generous Dallas bounce on Bryan Anger's punt means Los Angeles will begin its next drive from its own 2-yard line.

8:43 p.m.: Now it's the Cowboys' defense that's bringing the juice.

It's a three-and-out for the Chargers, who punt on fourth down. After a fair catch from KaVontae Turpin, Dallas will begin its next drive from its own 22-yard line.

8:34 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! The Cowboys respond.

On fourth-and-1, Dak Prescott fakes a handoff and scampers 18 yards for his first rushing touchdown of the season. And there's a large roar from the Cowboys contingent at SoFi Stadium.

Cowboys 7, Chargers 7

8:24 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN! Justin Herbert connects with Keenan Allen for the first score of the night, completing a quick drive that took just 2:23. That's Herbert's eighth touchdown of the season, half of which has gone to Allen.

Chargers 7, Cowboys 0.

8:23 p.m.: Austin Ekeler's back.

A 28-yard catch and run from Ekeler gets LA to Dallas' 4-yard line. He looks to be fresh in his first game back from injury.

8:20 p.m.: It's three-and-out for the Cowboys, whose drive comes to an end after Khalil Mack sacks Dak Prescott on third down.

After a 26-yard punt return, the Chargers will begin their drive from Dallas' 47-yard line.

8:15 p.m.: The Chargers win the coin toss and elect to defer.

Dallas begins from its own 22-yard line after the opening return from KaVontae Turpin.

Pregame

7:40 p.m.: And we've got some pregame fireworks in SoFi.

Members of the Cowboys and Chargers got involved in a slight skirmish near midfield during pregame warmups.

6:50 p.m.: Inactives for the Chargers: S Alohi Gilman, CB Deane Leonard, RB Elijah Dotson, T Zack Bailey, WR Simi Fehoko and DT Christopher Hinton.

Inactives for the Cowboys: QB Trey Lance, CB Noah Igbinoghene, S Juanyeh Thomas, CB Eric Scott, RB Deuce Vaughn, OL Asim Richards and DL Viliami Fehoko. Lance is Dallas' emergency third QB.

5:30 p.m.: Dallas has announced its captains for Week 6: Zack Martin on offense, Micah Parsons on defense and Malik Jefferson on special teams.

10 a.m.: The bye week has done wonders for the health of the Chargers, who will see Austin Ekeler return to the field after getting injured in Week 1.

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, S Derwin James, DE Joey Bosa and WR Joshua Palmer, each of whom were dealing with injuries, are all expected to play against Dallas.

What channel is Cowboys vs. Chargers on tonight?

  • Game: Dallas Cowboys vs. Los Angeles Chargers
  • Date: Monday, Oct. 16
  • TV channel: ABC/ESPN

Monday night's game between the Cowboys and Chargers will be simulcast on ABC and ESPN. Joe Buck will handle play-by-play duties alongside analyst Troy Aikman. Lisa Salters will report from the sidelines.

What time is Chargers vs. Cowboys tonight?

  • Date: Monday, Oct. 16
  • Time: 8:15 p.m. ET

Chargers vs. Cowboys from SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif. is set to kick off at 8:15 p.m. ET (5:15 p.m. local time).

NFL live stream for Chargers vs. Cowboys

  • Live stream (U.S.): ESPN app, NFL+, Fubo
  • Live stream (Canada): DAZN

American viewers have a few different options to livestream Monday's game. ESPN will broadcast the game on Watch ESPN (subscription required). NFL+ will also carry the game, but a subscription is needed, as well.

Cord-cutters in the U.S. can turn to Fubo for their streaming needs. Fubo carries the ESPN family of networks, ABC, NBC, CBS and NFL Network, meaning fans can catch a bevy of football action throughout the 2023 season. Fubo also offers a free trial.

Viewers in Canada can sign up for DAZN, which carries NFL Game Pass.

Monday Night Football schedule 2023

Week Date Matchup/Results
1 Sept. 11 Jets 22, Bills 16 (OT)
2 Sept. 18 (7:15 p.m., ESPN) Saints 20, Panthers 16
2 Sept. 18 (8:15 p.m., ABC) Steelers 26, Browns 22
3 Sept. 25 (7:15 p.m., ABC) Eagles 25, Buccaneers 11
3 Sept. 25 (8:15 p.m., ESPN) Bengals 19, Rams 16
4 Oct. 2 Seahawks 24, Giants 3
5 Oct. 9 Raiders 17, Packers 13
6 Oct. 16 Cowboys 20, Chargers 17
7 Oct. 23 49ers at Vikings
8 Oct. 30 Raiders at Lions
9 Nov. 6 Chargers at Jets
10 Nov. 13 Broncos at Bills
11 Nov. 20 Eagles at Chiefs 
12 Nov. 27 Bears at Vikings
13 Dec. 4 Bengals at Jaguars
14 Dec. 11 (8:15 p.m., ABC) Packers at Giants
14 Dec. 11 (8:15 p.m., ESPN) Titans at Dolphins
15 Dec. 18 Chiefs at Patriots
16 Dec. 25 Ravens at 49ers
17 Dec. 30 Lions at Cowboys
18 Jan. 6 (4:30 p.m., ESPN/ABC) TBD
18 Jan. 6 (8:15 p.m., ESPN/ABC) TBD

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.