Kansas City @ Dallas preview
AT&T Stadium
Last Meeting ( Sep 15, 2013 ) Dallas 16, Kansas City 17
The Dallas Cowboys will have their star running back on the field Sunday against the visiting Kansas City Chiefs after all. Elliott was deemed eligible for the contest when a federal appeals court granted the NFL Players Association a brief administrative stay, but he will begin serving his six-game suspension related to a domestic assault claim in Week 10 unless the court extends it.
The Chiefs don’t necessarily need any help – they’re tied for the best record in the AFC and own the league’s No. 3 offense. However, Elliott’s absence would have been a welcome break for a defense that ranks 28th against the run. The Cowboys have won two straight on the back of Elliott, who has rushed for 297 yards and four touchdowns over the last two contests. Cowboys coach Jason Garrett is prepared to fill the gap when and if his star running back begins serving his ban, telling reporters, "We have great confidence in the guys that are going to play in his place. Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden and Rod Smith will all get opportunities to carry the football for us in different situations."
TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Cowboys -1.5. O/U: 52
ABOUT THE CHIEFS (6-2): Kansas City’s offense has clicked thanks to the flawless play of quarterback Alex Smith and the emergence of rookie Kareem Hunt, who leads the NFL in rushing yards (763) and scrimmage yards (1,070). The Chiefs have failed to crack 300 total yards in the two of their last three games, however, and they haven’t topped 100 rushing yards in any of their last three contests. The defense has masked its issues by forcing 13 turnovers, including five in last week’s 29-19 win over Denver.
ABOUT THE COWBOYS (4-3): Dallas is fortunate not to have to alter its offensive game plan, as the team's play-calling has been quite run-heavy. The presence of Elliott on Sunday means the Cowboys will not yet need to employ a committee in the backfield - which includes Morris, who has only 13 carries this season but is averaging 8.1 yards. The Cowboys’ success can be traced to their ability to stop the run – they’ve allowed an average of 59 yards on the ground in their four wins compared to 168.7 in their three losses.
EXTRA POINTS
1. Smith’s 16 touchdown passes are tied for the third-most without an interception to start a season in NFL history.
2. Cowboys DE DeMarcus Lawrence leads the NFL with 10.5 sacks and has at least one in every game this season.
3. Dallas QB Dak Prescott has averaged 251.1 passing yards with 14 touchdowns and two interceptions in his last seven home contests.
PREDICTION: Chiefs 30, Cowboys 24