On Thursday night, the Dallas Cowboys and San Diego Chargers break the seal on their 2014 NFL seasons. Dallas is trying to improve on its 8-8 record from each of the past three seasons while second-year head coach Mike McCoy is aiming to compete for an AFC West crown in a loaded division that features three playoff teams from 2013.
Cowboys vs. Chargers 2014: How to watch online, TV schedule, radio and more
Philip Rivers and Tony Romo will battle it out in their first preseason contests of the summer.
Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
More on the matchup: The Chargers are headlined by quarterback Philip Rivers, who leads an impressive offense spearheaded by second-year receiver Keenan Allen and stalwart tight end Antonio Gates. The front office added to the talent level on both sides of the ball through free agency, acquiring running back Donald Brown and corner Brandon Flowers. Cornerback is a position to watch for San Diego, with Flowers and rookie Jason Verrett holding down the starting spots.
In Dallas, the Cowboys are looking at Tony Romo to lead the charge despite coming off two back surgeries. Offensively, Dallas has plenty of talent including Jason Witten, DeMarco Murray and Dez Bryant. The offensive line is also strong with Tyron Smith on the left side and youngster Travis Frederick holding down center.
However, the defense is in rough shape with DeMarcus Ware off to the Broncos and rookie DeMarcus Lawrence out two to three months. The Cowboys' defense ranked dead last in the NFL in 2013 and due to serious cap issues, Dallas was not able to upgrade it. The corners, Brandon Carr and Morris Claiborne particularly, will have to step up.
Game Date/Time and Location: Thursday, Aug. 7, 10 p.m. ET at Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, Calif.
TV schedule and distribution map: NFL Network; The506.com
Live coverage and updates:
Chargers blog: Bolts From The Blue / Follow Bolts From The Blue on Twitter
Cowboys blog: Blogging The Boys / Follow Blogging The Boys on Twitter
Radio schedule: Dallas: 105.3 The Fan; San Diego: ROCK 105.3
Watch Online: Verizon subscribers can watch games live with the NFL Mobile app (subscription required). NFL Game Pass offers live online broadcasts to users outside the USA.
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