The Kansas City Chiefs head to Dallas this week on a quick turnaround for a matchup against the Cowboys on Thanksgiving.
Here's what to keep an eye on as the Chiefs look for their second win in a row.
1. Here's a look at the final injury report for both teams.
The Chiefs will be without right guard Trey Smith (ankle), tight end Noah Gray (concussion protocol) and cornerback Chris Roland-Wallace (back) on Thursday, but in some good news, tailback Isiah Pacheco – who hasn't played since Week 8 due to a knee injury – appears to be good to go. Pacheco returns at an ideal time considering tailback Kareem Hunt recorded a career-most 30 carries just a few days ago in Kansas City's win over Indianapolis.
Additionally, the trio of wide receiver Rashee Rice (hamstring), wide receiver Xavier Worthy (ankle) and linebacker Leo Chenal (knee) – who were each limited at some point this week in practice – all appear set to play on Thursday.
As for the Cowboys, they'll be missing starting left tackle Tyler Guyton due to an ankle injury. Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott has only been sacked 17 times this year, marking the fourth-fewest of any passer to appear in at least 11 games, so it will be interesting to see if the Chiefs can take advantage of Guyton's absence.
2. The Chiefs will face a team that features the league's No. 1 total offense for a second-straight game.
Dallas, which is averaging a league-most 387.3 yards-per-game this season, just recently jumped the previous leader – Indianapolis – after Kansas City held the Colts to a season-low 255 total yards on Sunday.
It was a stellar, all-around defensive effort by Kansas City, which forced the Colts – who had posted just 13 three-and-out possessions all season prior to the game – into four consecutive three-and-outs to close out the matchup. The Colts managed just 13 net yards across those final four possessions, and now on a short week, Kansas City will face a similarly prolific Cowboys' offense that features one of the top receiver duos in the NFL between George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb.
Both players have been big-play machines this season, as Pickens has 10 catches of at least 25 yards this year while Lamb has eight. Pickens, specifically, has been a consistent game-wrecker for Dallas, logging at least 70 receiving yards in each of his last six games, and no less than 140 receiving yards in each of his last two games.
Pickens and Lamb helped the Cowboys erase a 21-point deficit in last week's victory over Philadelphia, and while both players are going to make some big catches, Kansas City can't allow either to take over the game.
3. As good as the Cowboys' passing attack is, it all begins with their running game.
Central to the Chiefs' defensive performance against Indianapolis last week was their success against the league's leading rusher in tailback Jonathan Taylor, who rushed for just 58 yards on 16 attempts. In fact, 27 of Taylor's yards took place on one run, meaning that on his other 15 carries, he averaged only 2.1 yards-per-attempt.
Well, the Chiefs will now need to find a way to turn in a similar effort against Cowboys' tailback Javonte Williams, who ranks fifth in the NFL in rushing with 896 yards. It's easy to look at Dallas' offense and – understandably – remain fixated on its explosive passing attack, but it really begins with Williams, who is averaging exactly five yards-per-carry this season.
The former Bronco, who battled injuries during his time in Denver, has rushed for at least 70 yards in eight of his 11 games this season, and it's no coincidence that his top five performances of the season have taken place in Dallas' five victories. Specifically, when Williams rushes for more than 80 yards this season, the Cowboys are 5-1-1. When he doesn't hit that mark, Dallas is 0-4.
Additionally, when Williams is running the ball effectively, it just makes Dallas' already potent passing game even more dangerous. Just last week, for example, Dak Prescott completed 9-of-11 passes for a career-most 174 yards on play-action dropbacks.
So, as good as the Cowboys' passing game is, a major key to slowing down this high-powered Dallas offense is making sure that Williams doesn't have a productive day on the ground.
4. The Cowboys' defense is much improved over the last few weeks.
Dallas' defense ranks near the bottom of the league in most categories, including No. 31 in scoring defense (28.5) and No. 29 in total defense (377.5), but this group looks and feels significantly different over the last few weeks.
Notably, the Cowboys' personnel has changed pretty dramatically since Week 11. Dallas returned linebacker DeMarvion Overshown from injury, linebacker Logan Wilson was acquired in a trade, and third-round draft pick Shavon Revel Jr. – an athletic cornerback – made his season-debut a few weeks back.
The Cowboys' biggest addition, however, has been All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who Dallas acquired in a trade with the New York Jets prior to Week 11. Williams has the most total pressures (15) of any defensive tackle over the last two weeks, and the Chiefs will need to prevent him from turning in another strong outing on Thursday.
With all that being said, if the Chiefs can protect on Thursday, they may have some opportunities for a handful of big passing plays down the field. Dallas has allowed 29 passes of at least 25 yards – the most in the NFL – and the Cowboys' 252.3 net passing yards allowed-per-game rank 30th in the league.
As up-and-down as the Chiefs' offense has been this season, they've still accounted for 26 passes of at least 25 yards this year, which is actually tied with Dallas for the second-most in the league. If Kansas City has those chances on Thursday, it needs to take advantage of them.
5. Finishing in the red zone is paramount on Thursday.
An interesting aspect of Sunday's win over the Colts is that Kansas City actually dominated Indianapolis statistically. Kansas City racked up 494 yards of offense and 33 first downs while possessing the ball for 42 minutes and 35 seconds, setting season-bests in all three categories.
So, why did the Chiefs only score 23 points and need to fight back to force overtime? Well, a 1-for-6 mark in the red zone was the primary culprit. Excluding the final drive in overtime, which obviously took place under different circumstances, the Chiefs drove inside the Colts' 30-yard line six times on Sunday, but only came away with one touchdown on those six possessions. Three of those possessions, specifically, took place inside the Colts' 10-yard line.
Just one or two more conversions, which ultimately was the difference of only a handful of yards, would have made Sunday's matchup a wildly different experience. So, while it's easier said than done, Kansas City's ability to finish in the red zone will be critical on Thursday.
The Chiefs were 22-for-29 (76%) in terms of red zone touchdown efficiency from Week 4 through Week 9, and if they can recapture that kind of success on Thursday, it would certainly go a long way toward a crucial victory in Dallas.
