Here’s how the Kansas City Chiefs distributed playing time against Cowboys in Week 11
The Chiefs are alone atop the AFC West after Sunday’s 19-9 win over the Dallas Cowboys at Arrowhead Stadium.
And the Chiefs did it with defense.
The Cowboys entered the Week 11 game with the No. 1-ranked offense in the league but couldn’t get any momentum against a suffocating Chiefs defensive unit.
“Defensively, what a game,” Chiefs coach Andy Reid said.
Kansas City limited the Cowboys to 276 total yards of offense, down 157.9 yards from Dallas’ previous per game average of 433.9. The Cowboys were also first in league in scoring, averaging 31.6 points per game, before running into the Chiefs, who have now held opponents to less than 20 points in four straight games.
The Chiefs have arrived at their bye week on a four-game winning streak with plenty to feel good about.
Here’s how the Chiefs’ snap counts worked out against the Cowboys.
QUARTERBACKS: Patrick Mahomes (68), Chad Henne (did not play)
Mahomes completed 23 of 37 passes for 260 yards with no touchdowns and an interception for a 71.9 passer rating. He also lost a fumble.
The turnovers aside, Mahomes’ arm accounted for five of the Chiefs’ six explosive plays of 20 or more yards down the field. His biggest pass went for 37 yards to wide receiver Byron Pringle.
Mahomes now has 17,352 career yard passing to move past quarterback Bill Kenney (17,277) for the fourth-most career yards passing in team history.
RUNNING BACKS: Darrel Williams (36, 7 on special teams), Clyde Edwards-Helaire (32), Jerick McKinnon (1 on ST), fullback Michael Burton (5, 12 on ST)
Edwards-Helaire made his return to the starting lineup after missing the past five games on injured reserve, and he showed no signs of rust.
The second-year pro totaled 76 yards and a touchdown — along with a taunting penalty — on 14 touches (12 carries) to help the Chiefs secure the win.
“He rolled,” Mahomes said of his backfield teammate.
Williams totaled 26 yards (15 rushing) in a backup role, while McKinnon suffered a hamstring injury on his only snap in the first quarter.
As a team, the Chiefs totaled 126 yards and two touchdowns on 26 carries.
WIDE RECEIVERS: Tyreek Hill (55), Byron Pringle (40, 10 on ST), Josh Gordon (29), Demarcus Robinson (28, 1 on ST), Mecole Hardman (12), Daurice Fountain (2, 18 on ST)
Hill led the team in receiving with nine catches for 77 yards on 11 targets. The speedy wide receiver also had a 33-yard run, giving him 110 total yards in the game.
Pringle was targeted twice in the game, hauling in a catch for 37 yards, while Hardman caught two passes for 25 yards on three targets. Hardman saw his snaps drop to a season-low 12 compared to previous weeks and he didn’t return punts.
Gordon was targeted twice, catching one pass for 7 yards.
Robinson and Fountain did not record a target. The Chiefs elevated Fountain from the practice squad to fill the role of Marcus Kemp, who was on the reserve/COVID-19 list. Fountain recorded a special teams tackle.
TIGHT ENDS: Travis Kelce (59), Blake Bell (23, 10 on ST), Noah Gray (18, 24 on ST)
Kelce totaled five catches for 74 yards on eight targets and scored a rushing touchdown on a direct snap out of the Wildcat formation inside the Cowboys’ 5-yard line.
The All-Pro tight end now has 8,702 career yards receiving, a mark that moves Kelce past Rob Gronkowski (8,668) and Greg Olsen (8,683) for the fifth-most receiving yards by a tight end in NFL history.
Bell and Gray each recorded a catch for 8 yards.
OFFENSIVE LINE: Trey Smith (68, 6 on ST), Andrew Wylie (68, 6 on ST), Orlando Brown Jr. (68, 6 on ST), Joe Thuney (68, 6), Creed Humphrey (68, 6 on ST), Nick Allegretti (2, 18 on ST), Austin Blythe (did not play), Prince Tega Wanogho (did not play)
With Mike Remmers (knee) on injured reserve and rookie Lucas Niang (ribs) inactive, Wylie drew a second straight start at right tackle.
The Chiefs’ offensive line helped open running lanes for Edwards-Helaire and drew praise for their efforts.
“I thought the offensive line did a great job getting him those windows,” Mahomes said.
DEFENSIVE LINE: Frank Clark (57), Chris Jones (50), Jarran Reed (48), Melvin Ingram (44), Tershawn Wharton (21, 3 on ST), Derrick Nnadi (18, 3 on ST), Mike Danna (17, 3 on ST), Alex Okafor (13, 3 on ST)
The Chiefs’ defensive front had itself a game in the trenches, controlling the line of scrimmage and stonewalling the Cowboys’ vaunted running back duo of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard.
Elliot, a three-time Pro Bowler, managed just 32 yards rushing on nine carries, but the largest impact from the Chiefs’ defensive line came against the pass.
Clark got it started in the first half with a strip-sack on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, and Jones recovered the fumble. Clark finished the game with a tackle and three quarterback hits.
Jones produced a career-high 3.5 sacks in a single game, adding five tackles, three quarterback hits, a forced fumble and a pass defensed. Reed split a sack with Jones, adding four tackles and a quarterback hit, but Jones joked after the game that he shouldn’t have shared the quarterback takedown with Reed.
“We’ve got to talk to the guys upstairs,” Jones said with a chuckle. “Listen, I love Jarran but I think I had four. I’m just throwing it out there, just a friendly reminder. Let’s doublecheck; let’s watch the film again.”
Of the Chiefs’ eight quarterback hits, the defensive line accounted for seven.
LINEBACKERS: Willie Gay Jr. (38), Ben Niemann (28, 21 on ST), Anthony Hitchens (26, 3 on ST), Nick Bolton (19, 3 on ST), Dorian O’Daniel (21 on ST)
The Chiefs opened the game in a nickel package (two linebackers, five defensive backs) against the Cowboys’ multiple receiver sets, so Hitchens and Gay drew the start.
Gay paced the linebacker group with five tackles, while Bolton added four tackles and a quarterback hit.
Hitchens totaled three tackles and Niemann, who rotated in with the nickel and dime sub-packages, chipped in with two stops.
DEFENSIVE BACKS: L’Jarius Sneed (67, 6 on ST), Tyrann Mathieu (67), Charvarius Ward (67), Juan Thornhill (63), Rashad Fenton (51, 10 on ST), Daniel Sorensen (33, 17 on ST), Mike Hughes (10, 14 on ST), Armani Watts (21 on ST), Chris Lammons (21 on ST)
Ward paced the defensive backs with seven tackles, an interception and three passes defensed, while Sneed continued his monster season with six tackles, including one for a loss, three passes defensed and the game-sealing interception.
Fenton chipped in with three tackles before suffering a knee injury.
Mathieu overcame the swelling in his knee the night before Sunday’s game and played all defensive snaps, totaling three tackles. Thornhill tallied five tackles and a pass defensed.
Sorensen played in sub-packages and totaled two tackles, including one for a loss. Hughes tallied a tackle and a pass defensed, and assumed the role of primary punt returner with one return for 9 yards. He fair-caught two other punts.
Lammons recorded a tackle on special teams.
SPECIALISTS: Harrison Butker (11), Tommy Townsend (9), James Winchester (9)
Butker missed an extra-point attempt, but contributed two field goals, including one from 53 yards. He also executed a pooch punt late in the game, which Townsend and Winchester downed at the Cowboys’ 3-yard line.
Townsend punted three times for 166 yards, downing one inside the Cowboys’ 20-yard line.
INACTIVES: Tackle Lucas Niang (ribs), defensive tackle Khalen Saunders, quarterback Shane Buechele, cornerback Deandre Baker, running back Derrick Gore
This story was originally published November 23, 2021 at 10:47 AM.
