NFC Game Of The Week
Dallas Cowboys at Kansas City Chiefs
Cowboys: The week prior, they looked awful against the Denver Broncos. When you make them a one-dimensional football team, they fold and when they attempt to get themselves back into the game, they press and that makes them look worse. In week ten, they got back to the basics! You saw that balanced attack on the offensive side that had kept them afloat during their winning streak before it was snapped. The Cowboys dominated the Atlanta Falcons and it wasn’t even close. I can’t say it enough, they are a tough out for anybody when they are leaning upon their balance offensively. This team is built to run the football. Pound the rock in between the tackles and all will go smoothly for them. Dallas ran the football 37 times on Sunday and Dak Prescott threw it only 31 times. That is their formula right there! You talk about having a game to get right, this was perfect for them. This is one of the three best teams in the NFC when everything is clicking for them. As improved as their defense is this year, they are only good when they’re forcing takeaways. If they don’t get the interception nor get off the field, it becomes a long day for them. On Sunday, they travel to Arrowhead for a late afternoon showdown.
Chiefs: Now, I know I’ve been extremely hard and critical of them this year, and do you blame me? They’ve been consistently inconsistent and haven’t looked anything close to the football team that we have become accustomed to seeing. The last time they lost, it was to the Tennessee Titans and they looked awful. They were held to a single field goal in that game. Since then, they’ve won three in a row and are beginning to click. If you watched that game against the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday night, those were the Kansas City Chiefs. Patrick Mahomes looked like the electrifying player we know he is, the offensive weapons were locked in, the offensive line did a strong job of keeping the quarterback protected and on the other side of the football, the defense stepped it up. That was the most complete win of the year and in recent memory, if I think about it. Now, I’ll say this about their defense. They’re far from a “shut it down” type of unit. However, in the last three games, they have vastly improved. They have allowed a total of 38 combined points in three games against the Giants, Packers (without Rodgers), and Raiders. Andy Reid-coached teams have always been stronger in the second half of the season for some odd reason. The Chiefs return home for a showdown with America’s team in week 11.
Cowboys X-Factor: Tony Pollard– He’s the other part of the two-headed monster next to Ezekiel Elliott. Tony might be the Cowboys’ most versatile offensive weapon. He can return kickoffs, take handoffs out of the backfield, and catches the ball in space as well. Between him and Zeke, he’s the speedster of the two without question. Tony has deceptive power to go along with the ability to break tackles. He can give the Chiefs defense fits in so many ways.
Chiefs X-Factor: Darrel Williams– They’re doing all they can to get him the ball and make him more of a piece in this offense. Darrel has no issues with absolutely running a defender over. Also, when teams play the Chiefs, they don’t load the box. Have you ever realized that? They are always worried about Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce, rightfully so. I look for Darrel and the Chiefs to throw the Cowboys’ defense off a bit.
Final Thoughts: Two division leaders are featured in this one. There’s also a lot of money in this game. Both Dak and Mahomes are two of the three highest-paid quarterbacks in the league. I want to see if the Cowboys can continue their offensive dominance from a week ago on the road in a hostile environment. I also want to tell Dak not to get into a shootout with Mahomes because it won’t work in your favor. Dallas must slow the game down with the ground attack and use the play-action in the passing game. Can the Chiefs keep rolling? Offensively, taking care of the ball is important, but against this defense, the Cowboys will make you pay if you give them the ball. Trevon Diggs defending Tyreek Hill will be the battle to watch in this one! This could be an entertaining football game.
Prediction: Chiefs 31, Cowboys 30
