Struggling Cowboys Get Respite In Kansas City

NFL News - October 5th, 2009 - Written by John

Tony Romo admitted to reporters that the Cowboys were foiled last week. They faced a far superior defense and lost.

"They're no. 1 for a reason," he said. "They were all over us."

But you don't get overpowered and keep your job as Dallas' quarterback for very long. Calls for Romo's head continued to swirl this week after being held out of the end zone for the second straight game. Those calls will likely be subdued this week, however, when the Cowboys travel to Kansas City. The Chiefs rank 29th in pass defense and haven't lost by fewer than 11 points to any team other than Oakland.

Dallas will likely be able to get back on track this week and are favored by eight despite being on the road. The Cowboys have looked good at times, scoring 65 points in their first two games. But since losing to the Giants in Week Two, they have only scored 27 against Carolina and Denver and, for now, a division title is on the backburner. The duo of Marion Barber and Felix Jones hasn't been able to stay on the stage, forcing Dallas to rely on third-stringer Tashard Choice. Still, they are first in the league with six yards per carry and will likely abuse a Chiefs defense that is 24th against the run.

The Chiefs were manhandled last week against the Giants, part of their Tour de NFC East to start the season. Eli Manning coasted to 292 yards through the air and had three touchdowns before an ankle injury pulled him from the game.

"That team right there is a great example of a team that, over the last handful of years under Coach Coughlin and their coaching staff, has become a team," Chiefs head coach Todd Haley said to reporters after the game. "They work together; they're on the same page. You can see that. It's evident when you watch the tape and see them in person. That's our goal. That’s where we’re trying to go."

It's taken Kansas City a little longer to get there than expected. After leading the Arizona Cardinals to the Super Bowl as offensive coordinator, Haley's offense has sputtered, scoring the majority of their points in the final minutes of their games. In the last two weeks, Kansas City scored 30 total points, 20 of them coming in the fourth quarter with the outcome long decided.

Matt Cassel's struggles can be attributed to an aching knee, but he can only last so long until Kansas City's patience runs thin.

The Cowboys haven't faced Kansas City since 2005, losing 31-28.

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