Kansas City Chiefs: 3 Keys to a Victory over the Dallas Cowboys

The Kansas City Chiefs have found their mojo and are on a three-game win streak against some tough opponents. In Week 10, KC defeated the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday Night Football 41-14.  The Chiefs’ schedule gets tougher as the back half of the season approaches.  According to tankathon.com, the Chiefs have the third toughest, remaining schedule. One of those opponents is the Dallas Cowboys. What three keys will aid in the Chiefs securing a victory against the Cowboys?

Chiefs Have to Bring Their Juggernaut Offense

The Dallas Cowboys defense has improved drastically from 2020, and a big reason is the hiring of new defensive coordinator Dan Quinn. The Cowboys are allowing an average of 354 yards per game. They have also allowed 21.7 points per game. Dallas will be a true test for the Chiefs offense in Week 11. KC will need to bring the offensive juggernaut.

Patrick Mahomes has been utilizing the check down and the run game to free up the wide receivers. The Cowboy’s secondary is aggressive and attempts to jump routes. Trevon Diggs currently has eight interceptions, but in the last three games only has one.   According to nfl.com, Next Gen Stats show that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback has posted a higher career passer rating (116.5) when facing 5+ pass rushers than he has against 4 or fewer pass rushers (109.0). If Mahomes gets blitzed, or can catch them slipping in coverage, he will take advantage of those mistakes and the score could get out of reach for Dallas.

According to pro-football-reference.com, the Kansas City Chiefs signed wide receiver Josh Gordon on October 5th, 2021.  Since signing he has only been targeted four times, catching one pass for 11 yards.  His percentage of snaps continues to grow each week, which is a good sign for Chiefs fans.  In Week 10 against the Las Vegas Raiders, Gordon saw 43% offensive snaps.  This compares to only 29% the week prior against Green Bay.

Josh Gordon is a very talented wide receiver and that explains why KC signed him.  He is a part of this lethal offense that I refer to as a juggernaut.  According to Andy Reid, “I just keep telling him (Gordon) to be patient, it’s going to happen, just keep doing what you’re doing, this thing will pop for you. So, his time will come.”  This would be a perfect week to let Josh Gordon reintroduce himself to the NFL, specifically the Dallas Cowboys.

The Chiefs Must Continue to Play Good Defense

The Chiefs’ defense has been performing well. In the past three weeks, they have only surrendered 38 points. The secondary has continued to show improvement. Rashad Fenton and L’Jarius Sneed are rising to the occasion. Sneed is second on the team with 52 total tackles. Only behind rookie linebacker Nick Bolton who has 75. Tackling is going to be a key in the matchup against the Cowboys. The wide receivers for Dallas are physical and run crisp routes. The secondary is going to have to be lockdown and tackle. They will also be featuring Ezekiel Elliot and Tony Pollard in the backfield. Tackling is an important key to the success of the defense, and if the Chiefs want to win this game, they will have to wrap up.

The Chiefs Must Win the Turnover Battle

The final key to a victory for the Chiefs is winning the turnover battle. As stated above, the Cowboys’ defense forces turnovers. According to ESPN, Dallas’ defense is currently 4th in the NFL with 17 forced turnovers. The KC offense is still leading the NFL in turnovers, although the rate has slowed down significantly. Kansas City will have zero wiggle room to turn the football over.

This will be a marquee matchup between not only two phenomenal quarterbacks but also two great football teams. A game that would be a bold statement from whoever wins. Arrowhead Stadium will be pumping 142.2 decibels as the home crowd will be ready for the Dallas Cowboys.