The Kansas City Chiefs won’t have much time to celebrate their comeback win over the Indianapolis Colts. On Thursday, they will be in Dallas, aiming to displace the Cowboys as America’s team, which, with a win, will send shivers through the AFC.
It’s been an unusual season for the Kansas City Chiefs. They started the year with two straight losses, then bounced back to win their next two, lost another game, won three in a row, and had back-to-back AFC defeats before finally rebounding last Sunday with a win against the Colts.
The math shows the Chiefs are 6-5 on the season, and although they sit outside the playoff bubble, they still have the second-best odds to win the AFC. Someday, someone will need to explain that math to me.
On Thursday, they’ll face a Dallas Cowboys team that had a similar comeback win last weekend. By erasing a 21-point deficit, the 5-5-1 NFC East team has a chance to save its season. Like the Chiefs last weekend against the Colts, a Cowboys loss on Thursday would almost eliminate them from postseason contention.
The Chiefs can probably absorb a loss against Dallas and still make the playoffs. However, should they come out firing on all cylinders and win against the Cowboys, the AFC could be in big trouble.
In Kansas City, we all know that when Mahomes is scoring points and the defense can make third-down stops, this team is unbeatable. Furthermore, we can’t underestimate how big a win they had against the Colts; that could be the catalyst for another Super Bowl run.
Of all the contenders at the conference, the Chiefs haven’t had the long winning streaks like the Baltimore Ravens, New England Patriots, Indianapolis Colts, and the Denver Broncos. A win on Thanksgiving in the city where Mahomes was born might start a new streak.
This won’t be an easy game for the Chiefs. They were beaten up pretty badly against the Colts and will be without All-Pro Guard Trey Smith. That creates a significant gap against a Cowboys defensive line that has improved since acquiring Quennin Williams from the Jets.
The Cowboys’ defense shut down the Eagles’ offense in the second half, and although we all know Philadelphia might have a shiny record, they are struggling on offense when they can’t run the ball.
On the other hand, when the Chiefs rush for over 150 yards, they are a perfect 6-0. With the short week, Kansas City might need to rely on its ground game. However, after carrying the ball 30 times on Sunday against the Colts, Kareem Hunt will have to be Superman to replicate that performance against the Dallas defense.
The team added former Houston Texans running back Damien Pierce to the practice squad, but he’s not expected to make his Chiefs debut until a week from Sunday when the team hosts his former team at Arrowhead.
This might be the game we see SMU product Brashard Smith get more reps. It’s a homecoming for him, too, and like Mahomes, who is expected to host over 50 family members for the game, this could be an excellent opportunity for the rookie to have a breakout game.
Isiah Pacheco will return from his knee injury, but we don’t know how effective he’ll be after the long layoff. Still, he should be well rested, and if he can improve his vision on the field and find a few cutback lanes, Kansas City could dominate time of possession with their ground attack.
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys’ offense has playmakers at every position. Led by wide receivers CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, quarterback Dak Prescott might have the best one-two punch in the NFC.
As for the Cowboys’ starting quarterback, he’s looked brilliant at home, and he made every play on Sunday to put his team in position to win against the Eagles. He is surprisingly effective when he runs the ball, so Chris Jones and his teammates need to contain him in the pocket, where he is prone to turning the ball over.
The main story of this game, though, is on the sidelines. Brian Schottenheimer has done a great job revitalizing the Cowboys. Of course, his late father, Marty Schottenheimer, was a mainstay in Kansas City for 10 seasons.
Brian has an incredible offensive mind, and his hiring as head coach was somewhat of a surprise in league circles. Nonetheless, his pedigree gives him a considerable advantage over other young head coaches.
Still, it will take time to turn the Cowboys into a team that competes for NFC East titles, and much of that journey will be to fix the defense. Though they’ve been playing better lately, outside of their front line, they struggle against consistent offenses.
Mahomes will need to be at his best to lead the Chiefs to victory, and despite the short week, he usually plays his best football with little rest between games.
Score Prediction:
Chiefs 33 – Cowboys 21
