No sacks, no takeaways, no chance: Philip Rivers feasts on Cowboys’ D

The Dallas Cowboys defense isn’t going to use linebacker Sean Lee’s absence as an excuse for their play.

But something isn’t right.

This defense continues to free fall and the latest example came when Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers picked them apart in a 28-6 whipping on Thanksgiving Day.

Rivers finished with 434 yards on 27-of-33 passing with three touchdowns and no interceptions. He posted his third-best passer rating of his career (149.1), his best in seven years.

“He’s a great player, you know?” Cowboys defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli said. “We’ve got to do better on our part.”

It marked Rivers’ ninth career 400-yard passing game and the first against the Cowboys since Washington’s Kirk Cousins threw for 449 yards last Thanksgiving.

The Chargers, who entered the game with the 15th-ranked offense, finished with 515 total yards. That’s the most the Cowboys have given up since Oct. 6, 2013 when the Broncos had 517 yards.

This is a defense that prides itself in limiting the big plays and Rivers had eight passes of at least 20 yards. The Chargers had touchdowns drives of 77, 92 and 75 yards.

“I’m sure it’s guys not doing their job,” linebacker Anthony Hitchens said. “I know I had one [20-plus yard pass on me] guarding a receiver in the slot. Overall we’ve just got to play good defense.

“Even if they do catch it, we’ve just got to make the tackle. The big plays come off when they catch it and break a tackle. So we’ve just got to make tackles.”

Making significant plays would help, too.

The Cowboys’ defense hasn’t forced a takeaway in 29 straight drives and counting. They haven’t had a sack in 27 drives and counting.

“It’s frustrating. You already said it,” said defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, who is tied for second in the NFL with 11.5 sacks.

Asked how to turn it around, Lawrence said: “I don’t know, man. You watch the game just as much as me. Don’t sit here and make me say something that’s going to haunt me in my future. We’ve got to go in here and correct [expletive] and get [expletive] right. Point blank. Period.”

Thursday marked the second straight game in which a Cowboys defensive back dropped what could have been an interception.

Anthony Brown had one slip through his hands against the Eagles, and Jourdan Lewis couldn’t make a play late in the first half on a ball Rivers threw that hit his hands.

Penalties hurt the Cowboys, too.

On the same drive that Lewis dropped the possible interception, the Chargers would later go for a fourth-and-1 on the Cowboys’ 39. Brown broke up a pass from Rivers to Keenan Allen, but was called for pass interference.

The Chargers went to score a field goal on that series and stayed in the lead the rest of the way.

“We’ve got to keep playing our basic defense … we broke down on certain things that we shouldn’t,” Marinelli said. “Coaches and players, it shouldn’t happen. It did, so you’ve got to go back and correct it.”

Easier said than done with a visit from Cousins and the Redskins coming on Thursday.

This story was originally published November 23, 2017 at 8:24 PM with the headline "No sacks, no takeaways, no chance: Philip Rivers feasts on Cowboys’ D."