Star Staff
Your Dallas Cowboys will host the Kansas City Chiefs this week at AT&T Stadium in Arlington for what looks to be another of those “tests” that could make or break Dallas’ season. The Chiefs currently sit at 6-2 and are tied atop the AFC with the Patriots and Steelers.
The biggest storyline going into this week was how would the Cowboys win this game without their number one rusher, Ezekiel Elliott. Then on Friday morning, the second circuit court handed down a stay that will allow Zeke to play this week. Elliott may have dominated the news cycle this week with the never-ending flip-flopping from playing to not playing to playing again, but Elliott deserves that spotlight for another reason. The Chiefs are horrible against the run.
Last week, the Chiefs gave up 157 yards on the ground to Denver’s running backs. The Broncos don’t have quite the same attack that the Cowboys do, splitting those yards among three backs with no more than 15 carries each, but the Steelers are a different story. Kansas City played the Steelers a few weeks back and allowed Le’Veon Bell to gash them to the tune of 179 yards and one touchdown.
The Chiefs have given up 131 rushing yards per game this season, with an average of 4.86 yards per attempt. That’s just good enough to rank them in the top 30 in the league.
Meanwhile, the Cowboys seem to have found their groove these last few weeks.
Ezekiel Elliott has run for more than 100 in his last three games, with two rushing touchdowns in each of his last two games. His average on the year is 4.2 yards on 164 carries, but since the bye he’s averaging 5.1 yards per carry on 59 touches for 297 yards. He’s also had two receptions for 76 yards and a touchdown since the bye week.
As the offensive line has gained stability with new additions, the Dallas Cowboys’ rushing game has begun to flourish. How long will we get to have Zeke in the backfield? Who knows. At this point, pick an answer out of hat.
But this week, against a team that is good enough to give the Cowboys fits, Zeke will play, and Zeke could ball out.
The injury report for the Cowboys this week isn’t too surprising. The only two players listed as out are–surprise, surprise–Dan Bailey and Chidobe Awuzie. Awuzie has been missing in action so that’s nothing new, and newly signed free agent kicker Mike Nugent wasn’t horrible filling in for Bailey. Nugent is no Bailey, but he was mostly reliable against the Redskins in week eight.
Before we get to the staff picks, here’s something many of our younger readers may not know. The first professional football team in Dallas, TX was the Dallas Texans. The Dallas Texans then moved to Kansas City and became the Chiefs several years before the Dallas Cowboys were added to the league. Google that history if you get a minute.
As always, I want to see your predictions for the game in the comments.
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Ezekiel Elliott’s Last Minute Availability Proves Invaluable
In no way does having Ezekiel Elliott available this week against the Kansas City Chiefs ensure a victory, but it absolutely improves their odds. The Chiefs defense is allowing 4.9 yards per carry this season, which should allow the Cowboys to control the clock and keep the Chiefs offense off the field as much as possible. I think this could end up being a shootout, but home-field advantage favors the Cowboys. Brian Martin – @BrianMartinNFL
Cowboys 27 – Chiefs 24
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Cowboys Win a Close Shootout
I think this will be a shootout in Dallas. I called the Cowboys to win this game before we knew Zeke was playing. So now, with their star running back on the field, I’m calling the Cowboys to put more than 30 points on the board. Mauricio Rodriguez – @PepoR99
Cowboys 31 – Chiefs 28
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Ezekiel Elliott Powers Team to Victory Over Chiefs
The roller coaster ride continues, but this time it falls in the Cowboys favor. After expecting Dallas to be without their star running back, we found out Friday that he will be eligible to play against the Chiefs on Sunday. This is huge news for the Cowboys seeing as the Chiefs have one of the worst run defenses in the NFL. Look for the Cowboys to pound the rock, but also look for Dak Prescott to make a couple of big time throws to lead the Dallas Cowboys to victory. Connor Livesay – @connorx147
Cowboys 35 – Chiefs 28
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Putting on the Pressure at Home
We should all be excited about having Ezekiel Elliott on the field for another week, especially against a beatable Kansas City rushing defense. While I think that having him will certainly help the Cowboys offense control the game, I am more excited to see Rod Marinelli’s defense against the stiff challenge of the Chiefs’ balanced attack. I have Taco Charlton getting his first career sack and the Cowboys picking up a crucial third straight win. Sean Martin – @SeanMartinNFL
Cowboys 28 – Chiefs 24
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Chain Moving, Clock Burning Cowboys Offense Does It Again
When Elliott looked to be out I thought KC would win a shoot-out. With Elliott back Dallas’ ability to drain the clock makes the difference. Still a relatively high scoring game, but I dropped the score. Elliott continues his recent domination and the cowboys close out a close one, lucky to survive an encounter with Kareem Hunt and Tyreek Hill. The difference? The Chiefs defense can’t stop the Cowboys on third down. Christopher Wätjen – @SingForTheDay
Cowboys 37 – Chiefs 33
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Cowboys Good Times Keep Rolling
Ezekiel Elliott and Dak Prescott have been on a roll offensively and it continues against the Chiefs as they get up early and hang on late to improve to 5-3. John Williams – @john9williams
Cowboys 31 – Chiefs 24
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Cowboys Keep Streaking
I liked Dallas to win even with Elliott out, but now that Zeke’s playing I think they fully exploit the Chiefs’ poor run defense and keep their offensive weapons off the field. KC is also giving up close to three sacks per game, which means DeMarcus Lawrence and David Irving should make an impact as well. Jess Haynie – @CowboysAddicts
Cowboys 27 – Chiefs 20
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Points on Points
The return of Ezekiel Elliott from a four-day suspension will give the Cowboys the jolt they need to defeat Kansas City this week. I expect this game to be a shootout, and while the Chiefs do have a solid secondary, they have been very shaky against the run. If you’re betting, take the over. Kevin Brady – @KevinBrady88
Cowboys 33 – Chiefs 27
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5-3, Chance for NFC East Starts With the Chiefs
Every week matters when a division opponent is sitting on 1 loss halfway through the season, and this week is no different for the Cowboys. They want to have a shot at the NFC East title and must keep building their record to do it. The Chiefs are what we all know they are, but at least with Elliott cleared to play we can attack their biggest weakness, run defense. My bold prediction for the game is that three Cowboys will get sacks (Lawrence, Irving, and Collins). Bryson Treece – @BrysonTreece
Cowboys 31 – Chiefs 27
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Don’t let the hype fool you. Betting lines may have shifted with Zeke’s latest change, and the staff here at ITS is behind Dallas 100%, but the Chiefs are a good football team. Get’cha popcorn ready!
Share your game picks below and, as always, Go Cowboys!
