Cowboys-Chiefs Preview

 

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• Countdown Daily Recap: Cowboys-Chiefs

SCOUTING REPORT

Cowboys-Chiefs: 10 observations After breaking down film of both teams, Scouts Inc. offers 10 things to watch in this week's Cowboys-Chiefs matchup. 1. Stick with their rushing attack: The Cowboys have transformed into a running offense. Marion Barber and Felix Jones are battling injuries, but could play. Tashard Choice is a no-nonsense runner who doesn't leave yardage on the field and consistently falls forward when he is brought to the ground. It is hard to predict who will get the bulk of the rushing load, but any combination of these runners should do just fine.

· Full Scouting Report

Matchup
	W-L	PF	PA	HOME	ROAD	DIV	CONF
DAL	7-3	231	175	4-1	3-2	2-1	6-2
KAN	3-7	169	239	1-4	2-3	1-2	2-4
· Complete Standings

Individual Leaders

Dallas Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Romo 60.0 2624 15 7

Kansas City Passing   CMP% YDS TD INT Cassel 55.0 1720 12 6 Croyle 66.7 177 2 0

Dallas Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Barber 123 572 4.7 4 Jones 54 353 6.5 1

Kansas City Rushing   CAR YDS AVG TD Johnso... 132 377 2.9 0 Charle... 64 313 4.9 1

Dallas Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Austin 35 679 19.4 7 Witten 54 481 8.9 1

Kansas City Receiving   REC YDS AVG TD Bowe 33 466 14.1 4 Chambe... 10 249 24.9 2

Full Player Stats: Dallas | Kansas City

TEAM AVERAGES & NFL RANKS
TEAM OFFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Total Yards	DAL	382.0
	KAN	268.0
Yards Passing	DAL	249.6
	KAN	171.3
Yards Rushing	DAL	132.3
	KAN	96.8
TEAM DEFENSE	TEAM	PER GAME AVERAGE
Yards Allowed	DAL	329.9
	KAN	389.5
Pass Yds Allowed	DAL	229.3
	KAN	250.9
Rush Yds Allowed	DAL	100.6
	KAN	138.6

HEAD TO HEAD MATCHUPS (SINCE 2001)
Dallas leads 2-0
Dec 11, 2005	DAL 31, @KAN 28

The Dallas Cowboys are off to an inconsistent start, looking very strong at times while playing poorly in others.

The Kansas City Chiefs have been pretty consistent all year, but not in a good way.

Tony Romo and the Cowboys look to bounce back from a tough loss Sunday when they visit a Chiefs team trying to avoid opening with five consecutive defeats for the first time in 32 years.

Dallas (2-2) began the post-Terrell Owens era in fine fashion with Romo throwing for a career-high 353 yards and three touchdowns in a season-opening 34-21 win over Tampa Bay, but the team has been unable to build on that victory.

The Cowboys have lost two of three with both defeats going down to the wire. Dallas, which suffered a last-second loss to the New York Giants in Week 2, is coming off an agonizing 17-10 defeat at Denver last Sunday.

After allowing the Broncos to score the go-ahead touchdown with 1:46 remaining, Romo marched Dallas down the field, but his pass to Sam Hurd in the end zone on fourth-and-goal from the 2 was knocked away with 1 second left.

The loss left Dallas two games back of the NFC East-leading Giants and tied with Washington for last in the division.

"You're kind of like, 'OK. Where are we? What is our identity?'" Cowboys linebacker Bradie James said. "Our identity is we're 2-2. In order for us to continue to win and not be an up-and-down team, we have to win those tough games. That's just it."

The struggling offense is a big reason for Dallas' inability to win the close games.

Dallas put up 65 points in its first two games but the offense has scored only two touchdowns in its last 22 possessions.

Romo has been limited to an average of 212.3 passing yards with one touchdown and four interceptions since the opener and has gone two games in a row without a TD pass, the first time that has happened since he became a starter in 2006.

Roy Williams, expected to take over the No. 1 receiver role following Owens' departure, has only 11 catches and his status for this game is uncertain due to cartilage damage around three ribs.

"Our team is going to keep fighting, keep working harder, keep trying to do the things it takes to get better, and we're going to do that getting ready for this next ball game," coach Wade Phillips said. "This team has worked a long time and very hard to stop believing in what we're doing, stop trusting each other. We're going to work at it and get better and do something about it."

A game against Kansas City (0-4) might be just what Dallas needs to get back on track.

The Chiefs, losers of 27 of 29 dating back to 2007, are off to their worst start since 1980 and haven't opened a season with five straight losses since 1977.

Romo and the Cowboys should be able to take advantage of a Kansas City team that is 28th in the league in pass defense (250.5 ypg).

That ranking could be much worse considering the unproductive JaMarcus Russell passed for 109 yards in Oakland's 13-10 win over Kansas City in Week 2. The Chiefs have yielded an average of 308.7 passing yards in the other three games.

Kansas City isn't much better with the ball, ranking 30th in total offense (266.8). Larry Johnson's average of 2.6 yards per rush is the worst of any player with at least 60 carries.

The Chiefs were held to 193 yards in last Sunday's 27-16 loss to the Giants, and Matt Cassel's two touchdown passes late in the game made the score appear much closer than the game actually was.

"We've got to be better in all areas," coach Todd Haley said.

One of the team's biggest problems is the failure to convert on third down.

The Chiefs are 2 for 26 on third-down conversions in the last two games and rank last in the league in such situations at 17.6 percent. It might not get any easier this week as the Cowboys defense is fifth in the league in third-down efficiency at 30.4 percent.

"We've got to stick together as a team, which I think our guys are doing very well," Haley said. "We've got to pull together."

These teams' only meeting in the past decade was Dallas' 31-28 home win in 2005.

Sources: Newman avoids punishment for tiff

Sources: Newman won't be punished for altercation with Campo

Questions about Williams continue to swirl

Redskins' LaRon Landry calls out Boys WR Roy Williams: 'He was scared.'

Cowboys brushing off Campo-Newman incident

Cowboys coach, player won't discuss sideline exchange

Cowboys' Phillips says Romo feeling a lot better

Quarterback spent most of Monday's media access period getting treatment

Greg Ellis officially an ex-Cowboy

As expected, the Cowboys weren't able to find a team willing to trade for Greg Ellis, so they released him today.

Already interest in Greg Ellis

When news broke of the Cowboys' release of Greg Ellis earlier today, the phone of Ellis' agent, James D. Williams, started to ring from interested parties.

Money is no longer flowing for Dallas Cowboys

I don't mean GM broke. Or Michael Vick broke. Or even Tom Hicks broke. But it certainly appears as though Jerry is paying more attention to the bottom line when it comes to the Cowboys than he's ever done in the past.

Kitna knows his job with Dallas Cowboys is be ready if Romo isn't

By MAC ENGEL CARROLLTON - Jerry Jones was just kidding, but the sad part of what he said a few days before the 2009 NFL Draft was true.'Last year we had one quarterback who was hurt and another quarterback who was playing like he was hurt,' Jones said.The comment drew uncomfortable laughter, and Jones immediately recognized what he had just ...

Dallas Cowboys have plenty to prove in 2009

Jean-Jacques Taylor has been at the DMN for 16 years. He covered the Rangers and Cowboys before becoming a columnist.

'He runs a tight ship'

When Todd Haley was introduced as the Chiefs' new head coach in early February, he joked that he was trying to loosen up, if only for the day.

Safety alert: Mike Brown making free-agent visit to Kansas City

One safety with Chicago ties is expected to announce his retirement today. Another will look for a new place to continue his career.

Still no Waters or Vrabel at Chiefs practice, but LJ returns

The Chiefs began another week of optional team practices without two important pieces, and how Kansas City ends this week could foretell whether key players on offense and defense have a future with the team.

Chiefs adjust to new roles in new defense

Turk McBride still feels himself inching toward the defensive line, home for so long, and the comfort his old position would bring.

Clock ticking on Chiefs contract

The game of chicken between the Kansas City Chiefs and state government has yet to scare away potential builders of a summer training camp facility in St.