Cowboys Bring Chargers Passing Game Back to Life

By Matt Schauf | Updated on Mon, Dec 22 2025 2:27 AM UTC

Chargers QB Justin Herbert delivered a big game against Dallas' generous defense on Sunday. Herbert went 23-of-29 passing for 300 yards and 2 TDs. He added 42 yards on eight carries. That included a 1-yard TD plunge late in the second quarter and a 34-yard scramble early in the fourth. Herbert found WR Quentin Johnston from 23 yards out in the first quarter and WR Ladd McConkey from 25 in the second for his TD tosses.

2025 Fantasy Football Impact

Herbert's passing yards were his most since Week 7 against the Colts, and 50 more than any other game since then. His 10.3 yards per pass attempt marked a season high. And Sunday provided just the second time among his past six games that Herbert threw for multiple scores.

Credit the Dallas matchup that has vaulted QB scoring more than any other in the league this year.

Unfortunately, the Chargers next get a Houston matchup that's been the league's worst for QB scoring.

Expect to find Herbert well outside our top 12 for that one.

If your league plays through Week 18, Herbert also won't look good for that spot at Denver -- the fifth-toughest QB matchup entering Week 16.

Other Winners & Losers

All of the Chargers' top four receivers "won" to some degree against Dallas. Here were the numbers:

Player	Tgts	Rec	Yds	TDs
Keenan Allen	5	5	44	0
Quentin Johnston	5	4	104	1
Ladd McConkey	6	4	43	1
Tre Harris	5	4	54	0

Despite Johnston returning from the injury that cost him Week 15, Tre Harris got involved early. He ranked second on the team with four first-half targets and led the team with 48 yards on his 3 receptions.

The spread plus negative matchups with the Texans and Broncos the next two weeks keep Harris from being interesting for fantasy. But his 2026 upside looks intriguing.

Those aforementioned matchups keep the rest of the Chargers wideouts from being attractive for fantasy use as well, especially in light of Sunday's continued even target distribution.

Matt Schauf, Editor

Matt has earned two Fantasy Pros accuracy awards for IDP rankings and won thousands of dollars as a player across best ball, dynasty, and high-stakes fantasy formats. He has been creating fantasy football content for more than 20 years, with work featured by Sporting News, Rotoworld, Athlon, Sirius XM, and others. He's been with Draft Sharks since 2011.