Overreaction Monday: Cowboys and Chargers Update

Overreaction Monday: Are The Cowboys Really Back? Are The Chargers Finished?
Published Sep. 21, 2026 12:58 a.m. ET
By Eric Williams, NFL Writer
If Week 1 was deceiving, Week 2 provided some truth serum for NFL teams, and some probably did not like the results. The Green Bay Packers ended a six-game losing streak but needed overtime to defeat the New York Jets. The defending champion Seattle Seahawks cruised with starting quarterback Sam Darnold, extending their franchise-best and league-leading winning streak to 12 games by defeating the Arizona Cardinals. However, the major storylines involved injuries to the top two picks from the 2024 draft class. Caleb Williams (hamstring) and Jayden Daniels (elbow) suffered injuries severe enough to be carted off the field during their teams' losses. How the Washington Commanders and Chicago Bears adapt without their franchise quarterbacks for an extended period may define the rest of the 2026 NFL season.

Now, let's overreact to Sunday’s Week 2 action.
The Cowboys Are Back
Following a disappointing road loss to the New York Giants in Week 1, Dallas bounced back at home with a convincing victory over Washington. Dak Prescott and the Cowboys' offense finally performed as expected, with Prescott throwing for 279 yards and four touchdowns. His favorite target was CeeDee Lamb, who recorded 153 receiving yards and two touchdowns. After a disjointed performance against the Giants, the Dallas defense, led by new defensive coordinator Christian Parker, held Washington's offense to 207 passing yards and two touchdowns. So, are the Cowboys back?
Conclusion: Overreaction
Washington lost standout quarterback Jayden Daniels and had to finish the game with Marcus Mariota, making their offense less threatening. Still, the Commanders managed 182 rushing yards, following a 165-yard rushing performance by the Giants in Week 1. While Dallas improved to 1-1, more defensive performance is necessary against Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in Week 3 to truly consider Dallas a playoff contender.

The Chargers Will Miss The Playoffs
Once viewed as Super Bowl contenders, the Chargers again appeared out of sync in a humbling 26-14 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders. Second-year running back Omarion Hampton ran for 94 yards but fumbled twice, with one lost. The Chargers committed six fumbles in the game. The combination of Justin Herbert and offensive coordinator Mike McDaniel has not yielded the expected results; Herbert finished the game with 192 passing yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions, while being sacked three times. Defensively, the team appears to miss former defensive coordinator Jesse Minter. Head coach Jim Harbaugh acknowledged, "We’re going to have to fight our way out of this."
Conclusion: Not an overreaction
The Chargers face a challenging schedule over the next six games, including five playoff teams from last season and the Kansas City Chiefs. That stretch includes road games at Buffalo and Seattle, testing Harbaugh’s coaching skills further after two consecutive 11-6 seasons.