Arrowhead Pride
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.
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.
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...
