The Kansas City Chiefs are 6-5 after Sunday’s 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts that kept their playoff hopes alive. Now the team has a short week as they prepare to play the (5-5-1) Dallas
Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day.
Here’s what I’ll be wondering as the Week 13 matchup gets underway.
The Kansas City Chiefs are 6-5 after Sunday’s 23-20 overtime victory over the Indianapolis Colts that kept their playoff hopes alive. Now the team has a short week as they prepare to play the 5-5-1 Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on Thanksgiving Day.
Here’s what I’ll be wondering as the Week 13 matchup gets underway.
1. Who does Trent McDuffie guard in this game?
This season, the Cowboys’ offense has been as good as it has been in years. Quarterback Dak Prescott is healthy — and playing great football. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb remains one of the league’s best receivers, dominating from the slot. Their young offensive line has surpassed expectations, while their running game with Javonte Williams has been surprisingly good.
But wide receiver George Pickens has made the biggest difference in the Dallas offense. The unit was at its best when Michael Gallup was the X receiver alongside Lamb and Amari Cooper. Gallup could run vertical routes, stretch the field and win one-on-one matchups — but when his career fell apart, the Cowboys never replaced him.
Pickens is basically an improved version of Gallup. Now one of the NFL’s best receivers, he’s on pace for over 90 catches, 1,600 yards and a dozen touchdowns this season. He’s great on contested catches, turning most 50-50 passes into receptions.
That makes Pickens a great fit for Prescott, who dares to throw into tight windows. He’s great running vertically, but has also improved his ability to beat man coverage and be effective in intermediate routes. And he’s a great fit with Lamb, who operates best while running choice routes from the slot.
This creates an interesting dilemma for the Chiefs. Cornerback Trent McDuffie can only cover one guy. Do you put him on Lamb — the Cowboys’ No. 1 target — in the slot? Or do you put Kansas City’s top corner on Pickens, finding different ways to double Lamb?
If it were up to me, I would put McDuffie on Lamb. Even if I gave them help, I wouldn’t trust Chamarri Conner or Chris Rolland-Wallace to cover him. But McDuffie can get the job done. While I’d be scared of Pickens against the other cornerbacks, I’d still trust Jaylen Watson to keep him in check. Besides… Pickens might be way too big for McDuffie to cover anyway.
2. Can this be a big game for Rashee Rice?
A week after struggling to do anything against the Denver Broncos, the Chiefs’ wide receiver bounced against the Colts, turning in a good game. While he was slow to get started, he dominated in the fourth quarter and overtime, recording four catches for 90 yards in that stretch.
Kansas City used him for the stuff he does best: horizontal crossing routes. On one of them, he popped open against zone coverage. Another has him running a short drag route and getting north. But the most encouraging one was on a second-and-13 from inside the Chiefs’ 3-yard line, when he beat man coverage on a deep over route, flipping the field with a 47-yard gain.
It was great to see him show his talents in the biggest moment of the Chiefs season — and he should be able to continue his positive momentum in Thursday’s matchup.
Matt Eberflus — the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator — primarily runs zone coverages. His base coverage shell is Cover 2 — an alignment that Rice and quarterback Patrick Mahomes can usually beat very easily. Mahomes can find all the holes in zone coverages, while Rice knows where (and how) to find space he can use. He should have an easy time against the Dallas back seven, which doesn’t have very many good coverage defenders.
3. Can the team build from Sunday’s late-game momentum?
The Chiefs deserve a great deal of credit for fighting their way back on Sunday. When running back Kareem Hunt fumbled in the red zone at the beginning of the fourth quarter, I thought the game (and likely the season) was over. But the defense immediately got a huge three-and-out — and the offense was able to string together just enough plays to win.
Sunday’s comeback was great — but to keep winning, the Chiefs are going to need to play even better. I would argue that while they didn’t really play great against the Colts, they got enough chances — and capitalized on the game’s biggest moments — to win. To make it to the playoffs (and succeed there), they’ll need to build from that.
While Thursday’s game provides a good opportunity for Kansas City, winning the game won’t be easy. After Sunday’s game, the Chiefs must be exhausted. But that’s probably true of the Cowboys, too, since they clawed their way back from 21-0 to beat the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21. And both teams really need this win, so both of them should be dialed in.
If the Chiefs can win Thursday — and get to their mini bye — they will be set up well for the rest of the season. But to do it, they’re going to have to dig deep. I am excited to see how it plays out.
Have a great Thanksgiving!
