The Kansas City Chiefs lost 31-28 to the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day. Here are three takeaways from the game:
Chiefs’ offense suffers from stop-and-start rhythm
The Chiefs came out of the gates hot on offense, scoring on the second play of the game with a 27-yard catch-and-run by wide receiver Rashee Rice. On the second possession, the running game led the way through 12 plays, 75 yards and 5 first downs to boost their score to 14 points.
On Kansas City’s third drive, the momentum suddenly stopped.
The offense moved past midfield, but a holding call on left tackle Josh Simmons killed the drive. It led to the first of four consecutive drives ending in a punt.
The Chiefs came alive in the third quarter to take a one-point lead, putting together an 11-play, 80-yard drive that felt like a turning point. But the next time the offense got the ball, Kansas City trailed by 7 points; the team mustered only three plays before punting back to Dallas.
CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens dominated Chiefs’ coverage
Going into the game, it was clear that wide receiver CeeDee Lamb would be a top-tier challenge for the Chiefs’ star cornerback Trent McDuffie. That was obvious from Dallas’ first touchdown drive. Lamb beat McDuffie to convert two third downs, the second ending in a 15-yard touchdown in the corner of the end zone.
Lamb continued to be a difference-maker for the Cowboys’ offense throughout the game, whether or not he completed catches; he drew three defensive pass interference flags from McDuffie.
Lamb chipped away at the Chiefs, totaling 112 yards over seven catches. The attention on Lamb started opening up opportunities for wide receiver George Pickens, who began to take over as Dallas’ top playmaker in the second half.
Pickens finished the game as the team leader in targets (13), accumulating 88 yards over six catches. Like Lamb, Pickens made positive plays by drawing pass interference calls in crucial situations.
Down 7 points in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs sent McDuffie on a blitz, leaving safety Chamarri Conner in single coverage against Lamb down the field. The lobbed pass was hauled in for a 51-yard gain that helped Dallas take a 10-point lead.
Lamb and Pickens helped close out the game by overwhelming the Chiefs’ defensive backs on the last drive, moving the chains until Dallas was able to kneel for the victory.
Andy Reid played conservatively in a do-or-die game
It was a crucial game for the Chiefs’ hopes of a postseason run. As the game played out, it was clear the offense would have to outscore an explosive Dallas offense.
So when the Chiefs ran into a fourth down, the coaches should have been aggressive about attempting to convert and continue the possession. That was not the case, starting with the opening drive of the second half.
Kansas City got to fourth-and-5 from the Dallas 49-yard line and elected to punt, even though analytics suggested the team should go for it. On the next possession, the Chiefs converted on fourth-and-short, but it wasn’t the only fourth down the offense encountered.
From the Dallas 44-yard line, the Chiefs faced fourth-and-4 and elected to punt again. Once more, it appeared to be a spot where the offense should have stayed on the field.
Kansas City did convert a fourth down to take a 21-20 lead in the fourth quarter. However, Dallas responded and took a 28-21 lead. The Chiefs needed to answer — but on the next drive, they failed to stay in rhythm.
Kansas City ran into fourth-and-8 with just over 9 minutes left in the game and decided to punt it back to Dallas. That decision gave the Cowboys the opportunity to take a 31-21 lead, putting the Chiefs too far behind to mount a comeback with 5 minutes remaining.
