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_{Posted at 10:30 AM EST}

4:30 PM EST. It’s Thanksgiving. It’s late November and things start to become clearer this time of year, as the cream rises to the top and the imposters fall out of the picture. We start to get a real sense of who is who and what it what.

There is a swagger and arrogance to the Dallas Cowboys that starts at the top and works its way down from Jerry Jones. The Cowboys went 13-3 last year and were just about everyone’s choice to repeat as NFC East champs. After a 27-7 thrashing by the Falcons to run its record to 5-4, Dallas had to make a stand last Sunday night at home to the Eagles. They led 9-7 at halftime and looked to be making an inspired run at the high-flying Eagles without Ezekiel Elliott, Tryon Smith and Sean Lee (who, to the surprise of nobody, is hurt again). Then came the second half. Dallas got humiliated and outscored 30-0. In the two games without Elliott and Smith, the Cowboys have been outscored 64-16, including 47-0 in the second half of those games. With Elliott still out among others, the ‘Boys depth has been tested and they have received about the worst grade possible. Four days later and feeling helpless, Dallas is not a team we want to get behind right now.

The Chargers feasted on five interceptions from rookie Nathan Peterman last week and only lost to the Jaguars by an overtime field goal the previous week. They have a chance at a Wildcard in that "if we win out and..." sort of way but the good news is that they believe it. The Chargers defense has been underrated all year but the losses have masked just how good they are. No opponent has scored more than 26 points on them all year. The problem is that the Chargers haven't scored more than 27 points in any game until last week but one dominant week can do wonders to a teams’ psyche. That momentum could easily carry over here. The Chargers discovered the secret to their offensive woes was finding ways to get the ball into the hands of their best players. Keenan Allen, their best receiver, got season highs in targets, catches, yards and touchdowns against the Bills. To get Allen loose, the Chargers moved him to different positions on the field, even getting him a rushing attempt early in the first quarter. The team made it a point to send the ball in the direction of Hunter Henry and rookie Mike Williams too. It helped open things up for Melvin Gordon, and the Chargers were able to have their best, most balanced game of the season. They’ll face a Dallas defense missing linebacker Sean Lee, the heart of the Cowboys.

This is essentially a playoff elimination game for the loser, with both teams on the fringes of their postseason races. The Chargers have plenty of momentum, recovering from disaster in Jacksonville to thump the Bills. They get a bit of a head start because Dallas played the Sunday night game. That matters because every edge does in this sport. It seems as if the Chargers are catching the Cowboys at the right time, as timing matters also. The Chargers will have the better players on the field, they are in the better state of mind, they have momentum and they have the true belief that something good is happening. Lastly, Pinnacle Sports was the first outfit to have the Chargers -2½ yesterday when everyone else was at -2. That matters also because when that outfit takes a position, it is more noteworthy than any statistic.

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