The Cowboys have nothing to play for in Week 16, so how can the team rally and get its seventh win?
The Dallas Cowboys take on the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 16 at AT&T Stadium today, with coach Brian Schottenheimer's 6-7-1 team officially out of playoff contention.
That is a tough place to live, especially for three weeks.
But that is the bed Dallas has made for itself.
So, how can the Cowboys, who have nothing but pride to play for, slay the 10-4 Chargers and win their final home game of the year?
Schotty's mantra is "Compete Every Day.'' So do that.
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And win. ... By doing these five things.
1 - Protect Dak Prescott
Dak has been under siege in the last two weeks, getting sacked seven times. The offensive line has struggled mightily with pressure, and the Chargers, like Minnesota, are good at getting after the quarterback.
Los Angeles is seventh in sacks (40.0) and will fancy their chances to get after Prescott, especially with the issues Schottenheimer's unit has in protecting No. 4.
We saw how inept the offense can be when Dak doesn't have time in the pocket. If Dallas has any chance, Prescott has to have time to get the ball to his weapons.
2 - Get to the magic number
We know how potent the Cowboys' offense can be, and against the Chargers, there is a threshold they have to get past.
And that is 28 points. When the Chargers keep teams under that, they are 10-2.
But when they allow more than that, they are 0-2. So, scoring 28 points at AT&T Stadium, in theory, means you beat the Chargers.
All of Dak's weapons have to come to the party. No anonymous George, please.
3 - Win the turnover battle
The Chargers have the third-most interceptions (17), and Dak has four in the last four games.
L.A. has forced 12 turnovers in the last five games, which includes seven in their last two.
Having a ball-hawking secondary, Prescott has to be careful when letting it rip because this defense will come down with it.
Conversely, Justin Herbert has 12 interceptions on the year, which is ninth in the NFL, and the offense has committed a turnover in 12 of their last 13 games, with five of them being multiple-turnover games.
4 - Convert red-zone chances
This has been Dallas' biggest bugaboo of late.
Ranking 19th (57 percent) in converting red zone trips into touchdowns, while the Chargers are 27th (50 percent), both offenses have their struggles in putting up seven points.
Conversely, on defense, L.A. is sixth-best at keeping teams out of the end zone, while Matt Eberflus' unit is 30th, allowing a touchdown 72 percent of the time.
In the last two games, Dallas is 3/8 on red zone trips. And against a top-10 unit in that area, it has to improve.
And defensively, just one stop would be nice, Mr. Eberflus.
5 - Trevon Diggs to pass 2026 audition?
With DaRon Bland out, the Cowboys have turned, maybe reluctantly, to their All-Pro, who has finally been cleared to play.
The Chargers only average 214 passing yards per game (19th), while Dallas' defense allows a league-worst 254 passing yards per game.
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Can Diggs help stem that tide?
Bland took Justin Jefferson out of the game in Week 15. Can Diggs limit the impact of Ladd McConkey or Keenan Allen? L.A.'s two best passing weapons?
This feels like an audition for Trevon. Let's see if he passes it.