Chiefs vs. Cowboys: Preview, score prediction for Week 9
By Randy Gurzi
Kansas City Chiefs vs. Dallas Cowboys
It won’t be the first game for the Dallas Cowboys without running back Ezekiel Elliott after all. Once again the star running back kicked his suspension can down the road and he will be in action with his teammates against the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the better teams in the NFL this season.
The Chiefs have been a surprise offense powerhouse this season thanks to their own star at running back in rookie Kareem Hunt. They also feature the dynamic receiver Tyreek Hill, who can score from anywhere on the field. Dallas will need all their guys playing at their best in this one to stand a chance against this powerful AFC team.
Kansas City Keys To Victory
Attack their weakness: The Cowboys are bad on defense. They may have the NFL sack leader in defensive end Demarcus Lawrence, but when he can’t get to the quarterback, there’s usually a lot of openings. While the Cowboys’ scheme deserves to be questioned, they also have problems covering players with their safeties and linebackers. The Chiefs need to exploit this with Hunt and tight end Travis Kelce.
Force Prescott to throw: It might sound counterintuitive to want Dallas relying on a star player like Prescott, but it’s what they need to do. Forcing the throw keeps Dallas from milking the clock with the run game, which they love to do as it limits their defense being exposed.
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Frustrate Dez: Once they get Dak throwing, they need cornerback Marcus Peters to shadow Dez Bryant and get under the receivers skin. While Bryant is a talent, he’s also proven he can be taken out of games when he gets bothered. Taking him out makes life really hard on Prescott.
Dallas Keys To Victory
Just keep running: Even if they got stuck relying on backups Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden, Dallas would have to rely on the run. Now that Zeke is back, that’s even more important for them. Controlling the clock is their best defense against a talented team like the Chiefs.
Stay disciplined on D: The Cowboys defensive scheme isn’t the best. Defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli gets all sorts of praise from NFL people, but there’s so many breakdowns and holes in the defense to exploit, and that’s on him. This week, that can’t happen. Marinelli has to dig deep to find a way to contain the Chiefs offense, and the players need to stay disciplined for a full 60 minutes. One slip-up could be all it takes in this one.
Force turnovers: The great equalizer is the turnover. Chiefs quarterback Alex Smith has no interceptions on the season, but Dallas has to find a way to create turnovers in spite of that. Smith won’t lob them out there for the taking, but a batted pass or even a strip-sack could be a huge momentum changer.
Odds
Point Spread: Dallas -1
Moneyline: Dallas -119, Kansas City +108
Over/Under: 51
Next: NFL Power Rankings: Cowboys, Falcons back on track
Prediction
Having Ezekiel Elliott will help, but the real issue though is the defensive problems Dallas has. There’s no way they can keep up with Tyreek Hill for a whole game, and without a punishing run defender, Kareem Hunt will also have his way. Oh, and Dallas is terrible at covering tight ends and the Chiefs best overall receiver happens to be a tight end in Travis Kelce.
Final Score: Kansas City Chiefs: 34, Dallas Cowboys: 24