San Diego Chargers Inside Slant

The Chargers are facing one of their stiffest tests of the season Sunday in Dallas. The question is: How many key players won't be healthy enough to participate?

Outside linebacker Shaun Phillips, who has arguably become the team's best player on that side of the ball the past two months, missed his second straight practice on Thursday.

Phillips leads the team with seven sacks and is tied for the NFL lead with six forced fumbles, is trying to nurse an ankle injury.

Last week he was able to practice on Thursday leading up to the game in Cleveland. For this week's Thursday session, he was on the sideline.

But coach Norv Turner said he's not sure that the work Phillips got a week ago in practice did more good than harm.

"I think this will help him and believe he will be a full go tomorrow and hopefully be ready for the game," Turner said of Phillips.

Shawne Merriman starts opposite Phillips and went through a full practice. Merriman, who has a foot injury, didn't play in the win over Cleveland and was in on just a handful of plays the previous week against the Chiefs.

"I was pleased with what I saw," Turner said. "He was a lot better than he has been. I'm anxious to see how he feels tomorrow morning."

The news was upbeat on defensive end Luis Castillo and his ailing calf, too. He practiced and will play Sunday.

Good thing, because it appears backup Alfonso Boone -- who went about 45 plays last week in Castillo's absence -- is out this week. Boone (knee) didn't practice Thursday.

In facing the massive Dallas offensive line and the Cowboys' impressive running game, the Chargers can't afford to be too short-handed.

"They are so big and physical and they run the ball extremely well," Turner said. "That is going to be a big test for our defensive line and linebackers."



--Riding yet another winning streak, it's time for the Chargers to Cowboy Up.

The Cowboys are up next for the first-place Chargers, as they tie up their seven-game winning streak to the hitching post outside splashy new Cowboys Stadium.

The Chargers have been living large lately, extending their winning run thanks to playing two of the NFL's dregs: the Chiefs and Browns.

But that soft stretch of the season is history, with the Cowboys, Bengals and Titan looming in the not-so-distant future.

For the Chargers, they may or may not be playing the right team to notch win No. 8 in a row. But they are playing in the right month, as they have won 15 straight in Santa's favorite month.

That 2-3 start is oh-so-history with the team leaning toward the tape at 9-3, and a game ahead of the Broncos in the AFC West.

"We seem to finish strong," running back LaDainian Tomlinson said. "We've talked about it and really made it one of our mottos. I think that has a lot to do with our mind-sets in December. We want to play our best football in December going into January. This team is a real focused team and we have a knack for really taking it one game at a time and taking that idea to heart. We've done that."

Now, can they do it against Dallas, a team, like the Chargers, that isn't shy about reaching the end zone or getting after quarterbacks with its aggressive defense.

Tomlinson said it's more than offensive and defensive weapons which have the Chargers in the driver's seat for their fourth straight AFC West title. That mojo, which was harder to find than a snowball in San Diego earlier this season, is tagging along for the ride to the Lone Star State.

"It comes with our confidence," Tomlinson said. "We believe that when the clock shows all zeros, that we will have had made enough plays to win the game.

"At the same time, going into the game, we identify who can beat us, how can we lose this game, and then we focus on that and the game plan and execute. The past seven weeks, we've been able to do that."

Thanks, in part, to the fine play of quarterback Philip Rivers.

Rivers doesn't quite get the headlines that Sunday's counterpart, Tony Romo, does, but he is every bit as good -- and many think better.

Especially in December, a month in which Rivers has never lost an NFL game.

"I think it says a lot about our team for one," Rivers said. "We've had the focus and the attitude that you need down the stretch that it takes to make a run at it.

"The last few years we've been hot in November and December and this year we have a tough one. Now we are going to Dallas, another tough team in that NFC East division, so hopefully we can keep it going."

Like Tomlinson, Rivers said the Chargers' winning ways is like an avalanche picking up speed when thundering downhill. The more the Chargers are successful, the more their belief in each other grows.

"There's no doubt that it's contagious," Rivers said. "Just like when you lose and you keep losing, it keeps getting harder and harder to win. When you win, it doesn't get easier to win, but your confidence and your level of play seems to rise each week.

"I don't really think there is a danger in it other than when people get caught up in it and start talking about the postseason and where we stand. As long as we don't let that talk get in our way, I think we'll be fine.

"There's no denying that the talk is out there but if we can keep the boring one game at a time approach that we've had, we can keep this streak going."

Boring, maybe. But there is nothing dull about watching the Chargers steamroll one defense after another. And there's nothing ho-hum about building momentum for what they hope is a deep run in the playoffs.

But the Chargers also know the Cowboys have their own quarterback to get excited about. And with the Cowboys smarting from Sunday's loss to the Giants, they are in desperation mode.

"He obviously can make all the throws; he's having an outstanding year," Turner said of Romo. "The thing that jumps out to you is that he's such a good athlete, he creates plays with this athletic ability. You have to do a great job of containing him. He's going to break contain because he does every game. Once he does, you have to do a great job of picking up the receivers and covering because he makes big plays with his athletic ability."

The Chargers have been picking up their game since falling to the Broncos way back on Oct. 19. But they've got their horse headed in the right direction, with plenty of hay (nine wins) already in the barn.

But the Chargers are looking for No. 10, and they will have to master a sour Cowboys team to do it.

SERIES HISTORY: 9th regular-season meeting. Cowboys lead series 6-2. The last time the Chargers were in Dallas, it was the first game back after the 9/11 attacks. The Chargers won, 32-21. The Cowboys came to San Diego last in 2005, when the Cowboys pulled out a 28-24 victory on opening day.