Week 13: Chiefs vs. Cowboys – Kansas City Comeback, Dallas Passing Game & More | Six Stats to Know

Week 13: Chiefs vs. Cowboys – Kansas City Comeback, Dallas Passing Game & More | Six Stats to Know

The Chiefs got back in the win column on Sunday with a thrilling comeback against the Colts, but there’s not much time to celebrate as we head to Dallas on a short week for a match up against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving. Well, what a complete team effort late in the game on Sunday as the Chiefs outgainained the Colts by a mark of 236 to 18 in the fourth quarter. The defense specifically forced Indianapolis, which posted 13 total three-andout possessions all season prior to Sunday’s game, into four three-andouts on their final four drives. The Colts, who led the NFL in virtually every offensive metric prior to the game, recorded just 13 net yards on those four possessions. And overall, the Chiefs pretty much shut down Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for just 58 yards on 16 carries. That all left the door wide open for the Chiefs offense. And while the Chiefs have some things they need to clean up from Sunday’s game, notably a one for six mark in the red zone and two giveaways, they made plays when it mattered most. Kareem Hunt was the workhorse. He grinded out 104 rushing yards on a career-high 30 carries. Patrick Mahomes threw for a season high 352 yards. And how about Rashi Rice, who hauled in eight catches for a career best 141 yards, 132 of which took place in the second half. Just an incredible all-around effort. And now they’ll look to keep it going against a Cowboys team that’s feeling pretty good about themselves, too. Coming back from a 21-point deficit. And what made that comeback possible? It was the Cowboys defense, which yes, has struggled overall this season. They’re near the bottom of the NFL in most defensive categories, but this group looks and feels a lot different over the last few weeks. For one thing, they’ve upgraded their personnel. Linebacker Demarian Overshon made his season debut a few weeks back after dealing with an injury all season long. The Cowboys traded for linebacker Logan Wilson, who we’ve seen a lot over the years during his time with the Bengals. And rookie corner Siobhan Rebel Jr., a third- round draft pick, made his debut a few weeks ago as well. But the biggest addition in more ways than one is defensive tackle Quinn and Williams. And what an impact he’s made, recording the most total pressures of any defensive tackle in the NFL since joining the Cowboys. So, yes, the Cowboys have struggled on defense this year, but they’ve allowed an average of just 19 points over their last two games, and the Chiefs will need to be ready for this front seven. If they can protect, though, I think the Chiefs will have chances to throw the ball downfield in this game. The Cowboys have allowed 29 passing plays of at least 25 yards this year, most in the NFL, and their 252 passing yards allowed per game, are the third most in the league. So, I think those opportunities will be there, but it all starts with a commitment to the running game. And I don’t think it’s an accident that on a day where Kareem turns in his first 100yard game of the season, the offense overall piles up nearly 500 yards. Now, the scoreboard didn’t really show it because of the struggles in the red zone. But the running game made a big difference. And we’ll see if the Chiefs can put all of that together once again while hopefully finishing in the red zone this time around against Dallas. And the Chiefs will need all the points they can get in this game because the Cowboys offense is no joke. It’s actually the number one total offense in the NFL. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Chiefs just faced what was previously the number one total offense in the league in the Colts before holding them to a season low 255 yards. That allowed the Cowboys to jump the Colts in the rankings. And now the Chiefs will look to shut them down just a few days later. These guys lead the NFL in net passing yards per game. They’re second in the league in yards at the catch point, that’s passing yards strictly through the air. And their 26 completions of at least 25 yards, are tied for the second most in the NFL. Ironically, they’re tied with three other teams in that metric, one of those being the Chiefs. So hopefully we can move past him in that category on Thursday. But that means preventing Dak Prescott from throwing it all over the yard. And kind of quietly, Prescott’s having another great season. He leads the NFL in completions and first downs. And he has an outstanding wide receiver duo at his disposal in George Pickins and CD Lamb. Both players rank in the top five in terms of catches of at least 25 yards this year. Pickins has 10 while Lamb has eight. And Pickkins in particular has been on another level this season. He has at least 70 receiving yards in six straight games. And over his last two games, he’s recorded no less than 140 receiving yards in each, totaling 18 catches for 290 yards and two touchdowns. Last week, we talked about how the Chiefs couldn’t let Jonathan Taylor wreck the game. Well, it’s a similar idea this time around with Pickkins. He’s going to make some big plays, but you can’t let him go crazy like he has all too often this year, especially lately. But that doesn’t mean you can forget about stopping the run. And as good as this passing offense is for the Cowboys, I think containing this Dallas rushing attack is actually where you start. Because Javvante Williams, who you’ll remember from his time with the Broncos, is having a great year for these guys. He’s top five in the NFL in rushing right now with nearly 900 yards. And when he’s running the ball well, it just makes this Cowboys passing attack even more dangerous. Last week, for example, Prescott was at his absolute best off play action, completing nine of 11 passes for 174 yards on those drop backs. The Chiefs cannot let that happen on Thursday. And it begins with preventing Williams from having a big game. So, quick turnaround for the Chiefs. These short weeks are tough, but it’s always a little bit easier after a win. And despite all the ups and downs that we’ve faced this season, our goals are all still right there. It’s just a matter of staying the course and taking care of our business. And with the nation watching, the Chiefs have a chance to make a statement on Thanksgiving Day.

Senior Team Reporter Matt McMullen is here to provide you with six key stats as the Kansas City Chiefs head into their NFL Week 13 matchup against the Cowboys on Thursday.

TUNE IN to Week 13 👇
📺: Thanksgiving Day Chiefs vs Cowboys at 3:30 p.m. CT | CBS
📻: 96.5 The Fan (eng) & TICO Sports (esp)

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