Cowboys ready to face former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore, Chargers

Coming off of a rude awakening versus the San Francisco 49ers, the Dallas Cowboys must now bounce back for yet another West Coast matchup on Monday night. Safety Jayron Kearse and the defense are hoping to put their Week 5 performance, in which they allowed 42 points, behind them as they ready to face former Dallas offensive coordinator Kellen Moore and Chargers QB Justin Herbert.

“A good team that has a lot of good weapons,” Kearse said of the Chargers on Wednesday. “Obviously, Kellen is over there calling those plays. We have had a lot of work [against him]. It’s a good team with good receivers, quality tight ends and a good, young quarterback in Herbert that can really throw it. 

“… (Austin) Ekeler is one of the best backs in the league. … They have a quality offense.”

The Chargers are going to be fresh on Monday, coming off of their Week 5 bye. Through four games, they’ve scored at least 24 points or more in each outing. As much as Kellen Moore would like to “put it on” his former team, Kearse believes the Cowboys will want it just a bit more after what happened against San Francisco.

“I’m pretty sure he wants to go out there and put it on us,” Kearse said. “But you’ve gotta put in perspective what we just went through on Sunday, and how we’re chomping at the bit to get out there and have our next game on the road. We want to go out there and get the [bad] taste out of our mouth. I’m pretty sure he’s chomping at it, but we’re chomping at it as well. 

“We went out there [last week] and had an all-time stinker for what this defense is about. We’re ready to go out there and play somebody as well.”

Kearse confident in Cowboys defense

Prior to the Cowboys’ loss to the 49ers, the Dallas defense looked like one of the most dominant units in the league. According to Kearse, it still is.

“We’re a great defense,” Kearse said. “That’s what we are. And if you really break it down and put it into perspective, you watch great shooters in basketball go out there and have rough games, and that’s no different than us. They had our number. 

“They beat us bad — speaking on the defensive side — and that’s all it was.” 

If the Dallas defense doesn’t manage to stop the Chargers on Monday, the harsh spotlight of criticism will fall directly on head coach Mike McCarthy. After he parted ways with Kellen Moore, the former Packers skipper went viral for saying the O.C. wanted to “light the scoreboard up,” which was a philosophical difference to McCarthy wanting to run the ball and rest the defense.

On Monday night, the Cowboys will don their color rush uniforms, complete with white helmets and white facemasks. Kickoff is at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday on ABC.