All of a sudden, the Cowboys have become the smart kid in the class who raises his hand too often and asks the teacher who got the highest grade on the test. Well, can’t blame them, so here goes after Cowboys 31, Chiefs 28:
Offense
Javonte Williams had a hard time getting going, which is no surprise since the same was true for Colts’ Jonathan Taylor, the NFL’s leading rusher, last week. But Malik Davis’ spark allowed Dallas to run for 137 yards while Dak Prescott was throwing for 320 WITHOUT A SACK. That’s a huge tribute to the Cowboys’ offensive line to handle all of Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz looks without Dak being taken down. And CeeDee Lamb returned to the elite class in a major way.
Grade: A
Defense
Cowboys
Didn’t start the game well at all — again — surrendering touchdowns on the first two KC drives. But the key to the game was the defense standing up at the end of the first half and start of the second, forcing midfield punts when it looked for certain the Chiefs would get at least field goals. The Cowboys sacked Patrick Mahomes three times and shut down Kareem Hunt (6 for 13 after halftime). Jadeveon Clowney and Shavon Revel Jr. — opposite ends of the experience spectrum — had big days.
Grade: B
Special teams
Neither team managed any kind of real edge. There was one punt return for 10 yards for KC, none for the Cowboys. The Chiefs averaged a yard better on kick returns. But Aubrey made all three field goals in a game where one slip-up would have had teams playing past 7 p.m.
Special teams: B-minus
Coaching
Brian Schottenheimer could have tried to challenge an early “almost catch” by George Pickens but it probably would have been unwise, and he stayed away. The coach has a team that looked lost last year and when this season began playing at an extremely high level against two of the league’s best in the past few days. Matt Eberflus is managing a lot of juggling in the secondary and the team is more than surviving.
Coaching: A
Overall
They beat the Chiefs in what Chiefs’ fans tried to make their home away from home, and now Kansas City’s playoff hopes are more distant than the Cowboys. Think about that, and whether you could have bought into that possibility 2-3 weeks ago. Next step is beating a winning team on the road to legitimately enter postseason discussions.
Grade: A
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