A heavyweight matchup will take place at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday between two
of the most high-powered offenses in the NFL. The Chiefs, on the heels of three
consecutive victories, host the Dallas Cowboys — a team coming off a 40-point victory
over the Atlanta Falcons. Here are three keys for Kansas City to finish off the month of
November undefeated.
By Jack Johnson, Sports Radio 810
- Do not be afraid to target Trevon Diggs
It’s stupid to test the cornerback leading the league in interceptions, right? Wrong.
Though Diggs has picked off a quarterback in seven of the Cowboys’ nine games, he
ranks 106th out of 119 cornerbacks in the NFL with a PFF grade of 51.8. Whether you
believe in that data or not, it’s clear that Pro Football Focus doesn’t think too highly of
the interception totals.
Interceptions are flashy for a player in the secondary. They can change the momentum
of the game in a matter of seconds. However, how those balls are intercepted greatly
impacts a player’s grade on PFF. For example, if a ball is wildly underthrown or
miscommunication happens between a quarterback and receiver, that doesn’t mean
good coverage.
Diggs should be matched up with Tyreek Hill on Sunday. If I’m Patrick Mahomes, I’m
testing just how accurate that grade is. - Control time of possession
This may be an unpopular opinion among those invested in analytics. If you hold the
ball but end up with no points, how does that correlate to winning football games? Well,
it doesn’t. However, the strategy the Denver Broncos used two weeks ago
discombobulated the Cowboys, as they controlled time of possession 41:12 to 18:48.
When the Broncos ate clock and managed to score, Dallas abandoned its game plan
and attempted to score in a hurry. This led to unforced errors and low percentage shots
down the field.
The difference between the Chiefs and Broncos’ offense is night and day. It’s not a
stretch to believe Kansas City can move the ball as well or better than Denver did at
AT&T Stadium. If the Chiefs get Sunday night’s version of the offense, it could be a long
afternoon for Dan Quinn’s defense. - No field goals inside the red zone
When facing the top scoring offense in the NFL, you can’t wave the white flag on fourth
down in the red zone. On Sunday night in Las Vegas, Kansas City was a perfect 3-for-3
on fourth down conversions. The reality is that the team who kicks the most field goals
on Sunday will be on the losing side of the scoreboard.
Aggressiveness is a trait that every great team has. The Ravens and Chargers both
proved that to be the case when they took down the Chiefs months ago. If you aren’t
willing to put pressure on opposing defenses to make four consecutive stops, you aren’t
being aggressive enough. Look for Andy Reid to take chances early and late in the
game on Sunday.