Given last Sunday's embarrassing loss, this game against the Chargers suddenly feels like it has much more riding on it. Lose and things could really start snowballing. Do you agree? Also, who do you give the advantage to in Monday's game: Kellen Moore's familiarity with Dan Quinn's defense or Quinn's familiarity with Moore's offense? – Cole Jennings/Fort Worth, TX
Nick Eatman: I think Kellen Moore has the advantage here. Not only does he have two full weeks to watch the Cowboys again since they're on a bye week, but he's faced Dan Quinn and this personnel a lot in practice over the last two years. He's seen what they're doing with Micah and the rest of the guys up front. As for Quinn, sure he might know what Kellen wants to do, but the personnel is completely different. I don't think it's unbeatable for the Cowboys to face Kellen Moore because he's familiar with them. He still has to figure out how to block those guys up front because they want to throw it down the field. To do that, it has to be blocked long enough for Herbert to stay in the pocket. But I think Kellen would have a slight advantage over the Cowboys from that standpoint.
Patrik: I agree that they, under no circumstances, should believe they can leave LA with anything other than a win. They are about to head into a bye week as well, and entering that on a two-game losing streak (which would be the first since mid-2021) and in a fashion that includes being handled by both the 49ers and a Chargers' offense led by Kellen Moore would be nightmare fuel. It would also put them at .500 in a division that, at the moment, sees the Eagles continuing to win and trying to pull away from the Cowboys. If you're asking me would things start snowballing next week, should they lose in LA? In a way, no, because they'll all walk into the bye week treating it as Week 8 against the Rams will be Week 1 and looking to use the Rams as a trampoline for the second half of the season. That said, in a way, it will at least start a snowball in my opinion, one that would basically be a lot of tough conversations during the bye week re: what this offense is supposed to look like and why it doesn't. Just go win, and I'm going to give the edge to Quinn's defense one week after they got embarrassed. They're out for blood, figuratively speaking.
