We could be watching a Super Bowl 52 preview Sunday afternoon when the Kansas City Chiefs (6-2) travel to AT&T Stadium to take on the Dallas Cowboys (4-3).
The game will be sent via satellite, cable and airwave antennas into your home via the CBS network and its affiliates at 4:25 p.m. I’ll be live blogging this one here at GetMoreSports.com the whole way, so point your phone, tablet or PC this way and hang out with me.
The Game: Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys (-2.5)
O/U: 53.5
The History
The Cowboys and Chiefs have played just 10 times since 1970 with Dallas holding a 6-4 lead in the all time series.
The last time the two teams met was on September 15, 2013. The Chiefs won 17-16 with Alex Smith passing for 223 yards and two touchdowns. Tony Romo was 30 for 42 for 298 yards and one touchdown.
KANSAS CITY CHIEFS (6-2)
The Chiefs bounced back from two consecutive losses with a humiliating 29-19 win over the Denver Broncos. Kansas City forced five turnovers and ended Trevor Siemian’s starting quarterback career, sacking him three times and getting seven stops in the backfield.
Lost in a pretty dominating victory was Kareem Hunt breaking his 100-plus yards from scrimmage streak. He rushed 22 times for 46 yards and caught three passes for 22 yards. Considering that the Chiefs didn’t need more than that, it’s difficult to hold that against him. He was also facing a solid Broncos defense. He won’t see that kind of front with the Cowboys.
What quarterback Alex Smith will see is a significantly improved Dallas pass rush. There are plenty of holes in the Cowboys’ defense, but they’ve done a much better job getting after the quarterback. He’ll need to put together a better night than he had last week. He was 14 of 31 for 202 yards and a touchdown.
Smith will also need better playcalling. Andy Reed got a little too cute against the Broncos and let them hang around. Kansas City should have won that game 45-10 and it’s all because Reed broke out the crayons near the paint.
The defense will add Tamba Hali back to the mix off the PUP list. They’ll need him since Dee Ford is out with a shoulder injury. The underrated Albert Wilson will miss the game too with an a hamstring.
DALLAS COWBOYS (4-3)
I honestly didn’t think Ezekiel Elliott and the NFLPA had any legal maneuvers left to get him on the field this week, but that’s why I’m not a scumbag lawyer. Regardless of the court based tomfoolery, Elliott’s ridiculous and unwarranted suspension is off the table for another Sunday. He’ll suit up and play.
Last week against the Washington Redskins in a 33-19 victory, Elliott carried the ball 33 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns. He could see that kind of workload again here, but perhaps get a little more involved in the passing game. Dallas can’t afford to waste any scoring opportunities in this one as their defense doesn’t match up well with the Chiefs offense. This would be a great time for Dak Prescott and Dez Bryant to connect early and often.
Regardless of any defensive issues and holes Dallas has, they can get after the quarterback. They sacked Kirk Cousins four times last week and got seven stops in the backfield. More impressive, they limited Washington to just 49 total yards rushing. If they can do half was well against Kareem Hunt, it’ll make Dak and Zeke’s jobs a whole lot easier.
Dallas will yet again be without kicker Dan Bailey and cornerback Chidobe Awuzie. Everyone else practiced this week and should play, regardless of status.
The Pick
This one has the potential to be a barn burner. With Elliott on the field, the Dallas offense should have its full compliment of playmakers to go against a Kansas City defense that can struggle against the run. The Chiefs are a scoring machine, but I think Prescott makes the difference in this one. Cowboys 38, Chiefs 35
This week
Straight up: 0-1
Against the spread: 0-1
Last week
Straight up: 9-4
Against the spread: 8-5
Season
Straight up: 69-50
Against the spread: 58-61
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