After losing their season opener to Super Bowl champ Tampa Bay, the Dallas Cowboys have been excellent. They bring a 7-2 record to Arrowhead Stadium Sunday against the Kansas City Chiefs, who are on a three-game winning streak.
Both top their respective divisions, and if the playoffs started today, the Cowboys would be the No. 3 seed in the NFC, the Chiefs the No. 4 team in the AFC.
It’s a meeting two of the NFL’s top offenses and quarterbacks in Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes and the Cowboys’ Dak Prescott. Both sides have plenty of firepower. Dallas has a higher-ranked defense, but the Chiefs have improved on that side of the ball in recent weeks.
So what makes the difference Sunday afternoon? Two things favor the Chiefs. Arrowhead’s crowd noise should make a difference. It’s one of the loudest venues in sports, and although the Chiefs haven’t played great at home — 3-2, same as their road record — the crowd should be as juiced for this game.
There’s also this: Mahomes grew up following the Cowboys in Whitehouse, Texas. He’d tell you that he prepares the same for every game, but there’s gotta be something special about facing a team you watched on TV every Sunday as a kid.
Here’s saying Mahomes’ comes out sharp and provides enough points to give the Chiefs a win in the final minutes.
Kickoff: 3:25 p.m. (Central)
TV/radio: FOX (Ch. 4)/WDAF (106.5 FM)
Line: Chiefs by 2 1/2
Blair Kerkhoff’s prediction: Chiefs 30-27