BLUEPRINT: The Cowboys' Secret to NEUTRALIZING Patrick Mahomes and Beating the Chiefs!

Summary

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Locked On Cowboys Podcast Summary

Episode: BLUEPRINT: The Cowboys’ Secret to NEUTRALIZING Patrick Mahomes and Beating the Chiefs!

Hosts: Marcus Mosher & Landon McCool
Date: November 26, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this Thanksgiving-week special, Marcus Mosher and Landon McCool break down the Dallas Cowboys’ highly anticipated matchup against the Kansas City Chiefs. The episode dives deep into what the Cowboys defense must do to slow down Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs offense, explores the formidable Chiefs defense that Dallas will face, and closes with in-depth game predictions. The conversation is tactical, analytical, and acknowledges both teams' strengths and vulnerabilities heading into a critical late-season clash.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Stopping the Chiefs Offense

• Mahomes Under Pressure

  • The hosts emphasize the importance of getting pressure up the middle, especially with Chiefs RG Trey Smith out.
  • Landon: “They gotta attack the interior of this offensive line... That’s gonna be a big loss for them.” (02:35)
  • The Cowboys’ use of five-man fronts could counter the Chiefs' run game, but also risks exposure to heavier personnel sets (12/13).

• Blitzing Mahomes

  • Marcus: “I would love to see them do is get in these... third and long situations and then just blitz Mahomes.” (04:04)
  • Mahomes’ passer rating against the blitz has declined this year (down to 89 from a career 111), making him more vulnerable than in years past.
  • Targeting Rashee Rice, the Chiefs' only true after-catch threat, is crucial; other KC receivers are less dangerous with the ball in their hands.
  • Landon: “The Cowboys have to have a plan for [Rice]... when there's... blitz, how are they making sure the ball isn't being swung out specifically to Rice?” (06:15)

• Interior Pressure is Key

  • Quinn Williams’ ability to generate inside pressure is highlighted as a game-changer, especially against backup guards like Mike Caliendo.
  • Landon: “If you can get these guys in one-on-one situations… battles to be won and opportunities to be had.” (08:05)

• Run Defense & Short Yardage

  • Kareem Hunt’s role as a highly efficient short-yardage back is mentioned. The Cowboys have to keep KC in third-and-long.
  • Marcus: “His success rate this year is 58, which is, like, unheard of. Right. So you want to make sure that you keep the Chiefs out of these, like, third and one, third and two situations.” (09:17)
  • Ensuring Mahomes doesn't "turn into Godzilla mode" is always a lurking fear. (10:05)

• Capitalize on Chiefs' Mistakes

  • The hosts stress that KC has been more mistake-prone this year compared to previous seasons.
  • Marcus: “That’s been the difference with this Chiefs teams this year is they’re just making a lot more mistakes than in previous years.” (10:58)
  • Every opportunity, such as tipped passes, must be seized, as such moments can decide the game.

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2. Cowboys Offense vs. Chiefs Defense

• Formidable KC Defense

  • Kansas City allows just 18 points per game (fourth-best in the NFL) and excels in time of possession and run defense.
  • Landon: “Spags [Chiefs DC Steve Spagnuolo] has been in his bag this year, right? Just absolutely unbelievable stuff. They've got the talent on every level.” (14:39)
  • Their style is aggressive, physical, and features well-organized blitzes that challenge the quarterback’s quick reads.

• Red Zone Woes

  • Dallas has struggled in the red zone despite an otherwise efficient offense; the Chiefs' “bend-but-don’t-break” style makes TDs tough to come by.
  • Marcus: “They’re actually better scoring 35 yards out than they are at the two yard line.” (16:37)
  • Field goals likely won’t win the game; taking high red zone (15-20 yard line) shots downfield is suggested.
  • Landon: “As things condense, this is going to be a bigger advantage for a guy like Spags.” (17:42)

• Use of Trick Plays & Explosive Plays

  • Marcus suggests strategically introducing a few trick plays or big-swing gadget plays to generate needed momentum.
  • Marcus: “If there’s any week to use one or two of those just to try to create a spark or a big play, I think this is the week to maybe unveil them.” (19:13)
  • Getting speedster KaVontae Turpin involved—jet sweeps, screens—is floated as a way to stretch the defense.
  • Landon: “Maybe we get back into the more traditional stuff that we know he does well: jet sweep stuff, swing passes, potential screens.” (20:07)

• Targeting the Middle of the KC Defense

  • Jake Ferguson is called out as a likely X-factor, exploiting the Chiefs’ linebackers and safeties in coverage.
  • Marcus: "This has to be a big Jake Ferguson game... You need Jake Ferguson to win his matchups and too often this year he's not." (21:03)
  • CD Lamb should also attack the heart of the KC zone (21:49).

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3. Game Predictions & Philosophies

• Who Wins and Why

  • Both Marcus and Landon marginally pick the Chiefs, citing battle-tested experience, Mahomes’ late-season surges, and faith in KC’s red zone defense.
    • Landon: “I think I'm going with KC... I'm just concerned that Patrick Mahomes is going to recognize what day it is, he's gonna say, oh, it's Thanksgiving. It's time to start playing again.” (24:37)
    • Marcus: “I just think they're the more well-rounded unit… I just trust Mahomes to convert on a lot of these third downs. I trust them in the red zone. I trust the defense.” (26:15)
  • The Cowboys are seen as ascending, but still young and green in clutch, late-season moments.

• Keys for Dallas Upset

  • Start fast – scoring or forcing a punt on the first drive is vital to building and sustaining momentum.
  • Avoiding KC’s draining, methodical drive sequences is critical.
    • Marcus: “I think, Landon, I think you’re gonna know within like 10 minutes of this game if the Cowboys are going to win or not.” (27:20)
  • Landon: “The Cowboys have got to find a way to repossess the ball and... make sure that the Chiefs aren’t as efficient on first and second down, make them get into third and long and up the variance here a little bit where the Chiefs have had problems there.” (27:38)
  • KC’s opening three drives vs Colts: all double-digit plays, clock-dominating, but resulting in field goals; Cowboys must prevent such scenarios. (28:55)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Mahomes Against the Blitz
  Marcus Mosher (04:04):
  "In previous years, Landon, Patrick Mahomes has been like the best quarterback in the league against blitzes. ... This year’s passer rating is 89. It’s not very good."

• On Rashee Rice’s Impact
  Landon McCool (06:15):
  "He is their yards after catch guy... The Cowboys have to have a plan for what you know, when there's... blitz, how are they replacing, how are they making sure that the ball isn't being swung out specifically to Rice."

• On Spagnuolo’s Defense
  Landon McCool (14:39):
  "Spags has been in his bag this year, right? ... They're going to come after, you're going to be physical, they're going to be aggressive, they're going to be in your face. There's going to be blitzing, there'll be well timed blitzes..."

• On Win Conditions Marcus Mosher (10:58):
  “That’s been the difference with this Chiefs teams this year is they’re just making a lot more mistakes than in previous years. … You’re going to get those opportunities this week. It’s probably only going to happen once or twice. You’ve got to capitalize on it.”

• Prediction Philosophy
  Landon McCool (24:37):
  “I think it’s because they’ve got a lot on the line here… I’m just concerned that Patrick Mahomes is going to recognize what day it is, he’s gonna say, oh, it’s Thanksgiving. It’s time to start playing again.”

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Important Timestamps

• 02:35 – Landon on attacking KC’s interior OL and situational chess match
• 04:04 – Marcus on why blitzing Mahomes now works
• 06:15 – Rashee Rice as key YAC threat
• 09:17 – Marcus on Kareem Hunt’s short-yardage threat; importance of 3rd-and-longs
• 10:58 – KC’s mistake-proneness and Dallas need to capitalize
• 14:39 – Landon on KC’s defense and Spagnuolo’s schemes
• 16:37 – Marcus on KC's bend-but-don't-break defense and Dallas' red zone issues
• 19:13 – Marcus suggests trick plays / gadgets
• 21:03 – Marcus: key role for Jake Ferguson
• 24:37 – Score predictions and rationale

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Conclusion

This episode offers listeners a sharp, practical game plan for how the Cowboys can neutralize Patrick Mahomes and gives an equally honest assessment of the challenge Kansas City's defense poses. While both hosts lean toward a Chiefs win, the pathway for a Dallas upset is clearly mapped: win up front, blitz smartly, capitalize on KC mistakes, and get a breakout from key offensive contributors.
A must-listen for fans looking to understand the chess match behind this marquee Thanksgiving showdown, from two analysts who balance honest skepticism with passionate Cowboys optimism.

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Transcript

[Marcus Mosher]

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[Marcus Mosher]

The Dallas Cowboys will beat the Kansas City Chiefs if they do this one thing. We'll tell you what it is next.

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You are Locked On Cowboys, your daily.

[Marcus Mosher]

Dallas Cowboys podcast, part of the Locked On Podcast network. Your team every day. Welcome back to the Locked on Cowboys Podcast, part of the Lockedon Podcast network. Your team every day. We we'd like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network and today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel. Right now, new customers can bet just $5 and if your bet wins, you'll get $300 in bonus bets to use across the app. Welcome back. I am your host Marcus Mosher. He is Landon McCool and on today's show we're going to talk about these Chiefs Cowboy game On Thanksgiving. We'll talk about the offense and what they need to do to win. Give some score predictions at the end of the show, but I want to start with the Chiefs offense because this has been a very Jekyll and Hyde unit all year long. How do you expect the Cowboys to try to slow down Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes on Thursday?

[Landon McCool]

Well, I mean, I think they gotta attack the interior of this offensive line. It's going to be missing Trey Smith. I, I, I think that, you know, that's going to be a big loss for them. They're, you know, they're going to want to try to grind this game down, to slow down this game. And that's going to mean trying to run the football, trying to get the ball out quick, out of Mahomes hands quickly on screens, on short passes. And I think the way that you can try to affect that is you got tackle cleanly on, on some of the screen stuff, on some of the, the slant stuff. And then you gotta try to find a way to slow down this run game. They're gonna get Pacheco back this week. That means more physical running and the best way to slow down, act like that. It's just to never let it get started. Get started. You see, we've already seen the Cowboys, you know, employ these five man fronts famously as, as has been mentioned by Eagles lineman that missed it in film prep. But I, I think that it's going to really be put to the test this week because playing like that usually means that the opposing offense will counter with 12 or 13 personnel, more heavy personnel and, and those are some of the more dangerous personnel groups that the Chiefs actually throw out of. So it, you know, the Hertz wasn't quite able to take advantage of that aspect of, of the way that the Cowboys were playing the Eagles. I wonder if the, the Chiefs might be better equipped to kind of expose that. So it's gonna be an interesting cat and mouse game there.

[Marcus Mosher]

I think for me the one thing that I would love to see them do is to get in these like third long situations and then just blitz Mahomes. Now in previous years, Landon Patrick Mahomes has been like the best quarterback in the league against blitzes. He's got a career passer rating of 111 against the blitz from 2017 to 2014. This year's passer rating is 89. It's not very good. And one of the things that he's done extremely well is in these games where teams are like just rushing four guys, he does a great job of moving around in the pocket, using his legs as a runner or just extending the play till somebody gets open. He might be the best quarterback I've ever seen at doing that, of just buying time and then making plays down the field. But if you can blitz them and force him to get rid of the ball quickly and then just rally and tackle, I, I do think that's the way to beat the Chiefs because Travis Kelsey is not going to beat you after the catch anymore. Xavier Worthy is dealing with multiple injuries including a torn labrum and, and an ankle injury. And that's not really been his game anyways. Juju Smith Schuster is not going to scare anybody and neither is Hollywood Brown. They've got one guy that can make plays after the catch and that's Rashi Rice. I would love to see Matty send some of the blitzes like we saw last week against Jalen Hurts. Whether it's like ready Stewart coming off the slot or demarvi and Overshone just coming in the middle and then just, you know, trying to get rid of the ball quickly, I think that's how they can slow down this Chief's offense.

[Landon McCool]

Well, the Cowboys are better positioned than they were in previous weeks before the Quin Williams trade, before the over shown return to do that. Right. Like I think if you could send a blitz right up the, right up the middle, you've got Quinn and Williams who's dominating whatever guy he's going against. You send a, a guy like Overshone right behind him. You know, again, Mahomes is a good athlete. He's good at buying time, he's good at getting out of the pocket and creating. But he's, he's. He's not faster than Overshone. So I think.

[Marcus Mosher]

And maybe you see these delayed blitzes where he's like starting as a spy and then he's coming into blitz, you know, to kind of take away that second part of the play which is that extension of the, you know, extension of the play.

[Landon McCool]

And I want to point out another thing that you brought up that I think is really, really important is the importance of the Rasheed Rice aspect in this offense. Right. He is their yards after catch guy and I think that's why you saw when during the time that he was suspended, in the time that he wasn't with the team that the offense really struggled. Right. Because they didn't have that guy on this offense to kind of help propel them in those moments that they needed. They had a guy who can catch the ball on third and three if you need him to turn around and be in a spot. They had a guy who could run the ball on first down and they had a guy who could create out of nothing. But they needed a guy when teams would blitz Mahomes who you could get in a quick route of the fire situation, get the ball in his hands and then make defenses pay as he cut them through running through the secondary. And that's what they have with Rice. So they, the Cowboys have to have a plan for what you know, when there's. If they are going to send blitz, how are they replacing, how are they making sure that the ball isn't being swung out Specifically to Rice.

[Marcus Mosher]

And we should mention Trey Smith. They're all pro right guard. He is out of this game with a high ankle injury. The Cowboys will also be without Tyler Guyton, their left tackle. But their guards are Kingsley SUO Matiah, who's actually playing pretty well this year. You might remember him from the draft talk a couple years ago. What's a tackle from BYU who's kicked into guard and then the expectation is that Mike Caliendo, who's kind of a journeyman guard, is going to be in that spot. Now, just talking to some Chiefs people, he's kind of like their version of TJ Bass, where they feel good about him being in the game, but Trey Smith is the guy that adds value to your run game and you feel really good about him. Blocking guys like Quinn and Williams one on one without him. This is a game where the Cowboys defensive tackles need to dominate.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, and again, look, Creed Humphrey is one of the best centers in all of football, so. But I think, you know, if you can get these guys in one on one situations with your interior trio, which is what the Cowboys were able to accomplish with those five man fronts. There's, there's, there's, you know, battles to be won and opportunities to be had. And again, it's, it's different than, than that kind of situation on the edge, right. When you win inside, you get pressure immediately, you affect the play immediately, and a lot of times you're affecting the play on the back end of the snap, as when you're coming from the edge. When you can get quick penetration, you can blow up a play just by your presence there, even if you don't get your hand on the ball carrier and blow up the rhythm of the play. So that kind of consistent pressure, I mean, I think we saw that Quinn and Williams was, was still over 20 win rate as a pass rusher. Absolutely ridiculous for a defensive tackle. And I think if you can kind of find a way to past the defense, the offensive line at that same kind of rate, they're going to be causing a lot of problems. Even for the kind of quick hitting, you know, screen hitting, slant passes, stuff that they want to do early on when they're just trying to establish a rhythm in the game.

[Marcus Mosher]

One more thing. So they are getting Isaiah Pacheco back and he's, he's fine, He's a fine NFL running back. But the, the key for me is Kareem Hunt in this game. He actually got 30 carries last week against the Colts, which is crazy. He's not Somebody, Lena, that's going to bust off a bunch of big runs. But where he's really good is in short yardage. His success rate this year is 58, which is, like, unheard of. Right. So you want to make sure that you keep the Chiefs out of these, like, third and one third and two situations where they can't hand the ball off. And in a lot of ways, it's. You're almost using the same exact game plan that you used last week against Philadelphia, where you've got to try to get this team into, you know, third and long @ all costs.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah. And. And then just hope that, you know, previous iteration of Patrick Mahomes doesn't suddenly show up and turn into Godzilla mode against you. Well, that's. But that's how he's played this year. No, absolutely. I have agreed with you. I think there is, but there is. This is absolutely the way to attack him. But you have to be aware. It has to be in the back of your mind that what happens, oh, my God, we're at Thanksgiving and he turns right back into Patrick Mahomes. Because it's late season. It's Patrick Mahomes again. That's always going to be in the back of my mind. But I agree you that this is the way you have to win against this iteration of the Chiefs. You got to get them into third or long and then mess with Mahomes. Sin blitzes up the middle, rush his clock a little bit, make him get rid of the ball quickly. Because even if he gets rid of the ball to his receivers, unless it's Rashid Rice, there's not a huge threat for breaking tackles. You can get them down short of.

[Marcus Mosher]

The sticks and capitalize on the mistakes. And I think that's been the difference with this Chiefs teams this. This year is they're just making a lot more mistakes than in previous years. And I think, like, the perfect example of this is week two when they played Philly. I mean, that game was tied going into, you know, later part of the fourth quarter. Travis Kelce drops the ball that gets tipped up in the air. Philadelphia returns it for a touchdown. And that's the difference. Rather than the Chiefs going up 2114, the Eagles go up 2114. And that's how the game is decided. You're going to get those opportunities this week. It's probably only going to happen once or twice. You've got to capitalize on it. And, you know, that's how. That's how games like this are swung.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Marcus Mosher]

All right, let's talk about the Cowboys offense against this Chiefs defense. This might be their most difficult task of the season. We'll tell you why next.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Laton Cowboys podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. We'd also like to thank you for making us the number one sports podcast network. Lane. Let's talk about the Cowboys offense in this game because I really think, I really think the offense is going to have to play one of their best games of the year. Kansas City is giving up just 18 points per game on defense this year. That's fourth best in the NFL. They're one of the best in terms of time of possession. They're really good at stopping the run. How does this Dallas offense without Tyler Guyton, how did they try to get to 24, 27 points per game or points in this?

[Landon McCool]

Isn't it funny? Like, I mean if you go back and look at the Patriots, right, and how that Patriots dynasty kind of unfolded, it started out as like this defensive juggernaut, right, that had this young quarterback who was just doing what he could to win those games, won the super bowl very young. And then as time went on, he turned into Tom Brady and it was about offense and about a bunch of other things always still in the background. There was good defense though, right? It feels like the Chiefs kind of felt have are going the opposite direction, right? Where it's Andy Reid and Patrick Mahomes in this high flying offense. And then as the years have kind of gone on, it feels like the defense has become the, not the centerpiece but the more reliable of the two sides of the ball for this team. Team Spags has been his bag this year, right? Like just absolutely unbelievable stuff. They've got the talent on every level to kind of shut you down, to make your life hell. They're going to come after, you're going to be physical, they're going to be aggressive, they're going to be in your face. There's going to be blitzing, there'll be well timed blitzes and Spags. Blitzes are so well organized that they'll fill in the area so they think that they know, they'll know your hots and then they'll, they'll drop a linebacker into your hot to disrupt your opportunity which will either make your quarterback hold on to the ball because he's double pumping it or throw an interception. So Spags is one of the more best organized defensive coordinators in football. They've got A group that is just playing still a very high level, a veteran group. And I think it's just going to be extremely difficult sledding. And again, we compared this to the Eagles. I don't think it's unlike the Eagles, except maybe the Eagles have a little bit better overall linebacker play. But I think that the way that the Kansas City Chiefs use these linebackers in an attacking force, if they can, if they can play their brand of football, if they can stay in their brand of football, on the defensive side of things, they're every bit as difficult as the Eagles. Yeah.

[Marcus Mosher]

And if you look at their games that like they've won and lost this year, they gave up 28 to Buffalo. They lost, they gave, they gave up 31 to Jacksonville and lost. A lot of these games end up being, you know, they gave up, I think it was 28 to the Chargers. If you can kind of get to that 24, 28 range more often than not, you're going to win. Because the Chiefs, just outside of a couple games against like some bad teams like the Raiders and the Commanders, they have a really hard time getting to that number just because they're not, not as explosive on offense anymore. And I think for the Cowboys, one of the things that the Chiefs do extremely well is that they'll, they play this bend, but don't break style of defense and generally they, they tighten up in the red zone. Unfortunately for Dallas, they've just not been a very good red zone team this year. They're one of the league's best offenses. They're actually better scoring 35 yards out than they are at the two yard line. It's when you get to that like it's first and goal from the nine, that's where I get really concerned about this Cowboys offense because you cannot, you cannot kick field goals and think you're going to win this game.

[Landon McCool]

Well, you also can't. I don't know that you're going to be able to solve that problem this week against the Chiefs on four days, Right. So to me, the solution to that problem, and we've talked about it a little bit, I think you need to take your shots from the high red zone, right? Like when you get close enough, you should make sure that you're dedicating at least one of your downs to taking a shot in the end zone. You've got the guys to do it, right. Clearly you should be taking the shot, taking your shots before you get into the red zone because you're right. As things condense, this is Going to be a bigger advantage for a guy like Spags. It's going to make things tougher. They've got a very strong, physical defensive line that is not going to just give ground consistently. So you need to take advantage of it. If anything, you're trying to get this Kansas City defense spread out more. You want the opportunity to kind of get these, make these guys operate in space. You do not want to get into a crowded spot with Karloffice on the edge and you know, obviously Smith on the interior. Like you just don't want. I mean, sorry, Jones on the interior. You just don't want to get into a condensed area with Bolton and Tranquil. The way you take advantage of these guys is getting them in pass coverage is to get them spread out, make them run sideline to sideline. Don't get down to the two and think that you can run, run, run, play action, pass and, and get into the end zone automatically. I would take my. Not take my chances and eliminate that aspect from the game if you can.

[Marcus Mosher]

The other thing I would like to see from the Cowboys in this one is the Chiefs played a very, very physical game against the Colts last week that went into overtime. They're traveling to Dallas on a short week. It's an older team anyways. We haven't seen a lot of like trick plays or gimmick plays from Brian Schottenheimer. And I'm not saying to build an entire offense out of that, but if there's any week to, to use one or two of those just to try to create a spark or a big play, I think this is the week to maybe unveil them. They have an older defense anyways that played a ton of snaps. Maybe if you can get something, you know, that gives you a big chunk of 40 yard play or a touchdown that maybe you weren't expecting to get. I think those are the types of plays that not only help you score, but help keep the crowd in this game and get you energized. I think having the crowd be in on this game is going to be a big deal.

[Landon McCool]

I hate to say it because of what just happened last week, but this would be a really great game to get two or three nice snaps from Kevonte Turpin on offense, right? Like to get him on a jet sweep to pick up 10 yards to kind of get. Give you some space early on. Because again, like you're saying, this is an older defense. They want to come downhill at you. If you could find a way to get to the edge and get your space players opportunity to get the ball. You're going to be able to make some hay through this secondary. So I think that that is a smart way to do it. But again, it's tough with the trust, obviously because of what you saw with what Turpin did with the handoff there. But maybe we get back into the more traditional stuff that we know he does well, the, the jet sweep stuff, the swing passes, the, the potential screens. I think that that's the kind of stuff where if you can get him the ball in space, it's just another thing for this Kansas City offense to have to think about and just see if he can give you a couple big plays.

[Marcus Mosher]

Last thing on the offense. This has has to be a big Jake Ferguson game. He started out really slow against Philadelphia, made some plays in the second half. These linebackers for the Chiefs are really good, but they're not great in coverage and teams have kind of exposed the Chiefs in the middle of the field. And I, I've got to assume with all the attention that George Pickens and CD Lamb are going to get and they've got some really good corners. You need Jake Ferguson to win his matchups and too often this year he's not. Maybe we see more seam balls or maybe we see more stuff like corner routes where he's making plays down the field rather than, you know, next to the line of scrimmage where you're asking him to make plays after the catch. I just think Ferguson's going to have to have one of these big games soon for this offense to really get to that next level.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, it feels like the weakness of this defense is on the second and third levels in the middle right, the safeties and the linebackers, specifically in the passing attack. This means that you need a bounceback game for both guys, right from Ferguson and from CD Lamb, who's the other major operator, the major operator in the middle need to find ways to use them to attack them. Middle of this defense all right, let's.

[Marcus Mosher]

Give some predictions for this Week 13 matchup between the Chiefs and the Cowboys. We'll get to that next. This episode is brought to you by FanDuel. The NBA is back and there's not a better place to get in on the action than FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA. Even if you miss the start of the game or you just want to ride the hot hand, FanDuel has live bets on everything from who's going to score the next basket to fourth quarter comebacks. Plus you can even combine your live bets into a same game parlay for a shot at a bigger payout. It keeps every game exciting, especially when you're rooting for your team to make that late game. Push basketball. I mean, the basketball has been unbelievable this year. I know we're only 1516 games into the season, but we've had some unbelievable comebacks, some great games that have end ended on buzzer beaters. And right now FanDuel is offering an incredible offer for new customers. You can get $300 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. So head over to FanDuel.com to sign up and play your game. Of FanDuel, the official sports betting partner of the NBA.

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[Marcus Mosher]

Welcome back to the Lot Done Cowboys Podcast. We'd like to thank you for making us your first listen of the day. For your second listen, check out the Locked On NFL podcast. Two shows every single day. One in the morning with Tyler Roland, one in the afternoon with Tony Wiggins. Available wherever you get your podcast. And one more scheduling note, we do have a crossover show with Brian Tracy of Lockdown Chiefs coming out on Thanksgiving. It'll be in your podcast feeds early on Thursday morning. It'll be available on YouTube, so make sure you guys check that out. All right? Landon score predictions The Cowboys are three point underdogs over on FanDuel right now. Who do you got winning this one?

[Landon McCool]

I. I mean, honestly, I hadn't thought. I haven't decided even up until this moment. I, I kind of think I'm going with Casey and, and I, I think it's because they've got a lot on the line here. They still have a lot of serious playoff aspirations. I think the Cowboys do too. But I, I think, you know, we all see this as a long run. I, I think that it's, you know, if I'm just concerned that Patrick Mahomes is going to recognize what day it is, he's gonna say, oh, it's Thanksgiving. It's time to start playing again. And you know, just because like you talked about, like it almost feels like Andy Reid in this team has adopted a load management kind of, you know, stance in the regular season and maybe let them, let it get away from them a little bit. Right. They lost very much.

[Marcus Mosher]

They were down 20 to nine last week. Their season was slipping away.

[Landon McCool]

Yeah, yeah. And so I, I, I think that that was enough of a wake up call that I'm concerned about Patrick Mahomes kind of waking up and being a monster. However, I will say this, if he doesn't, and this is the 2025 Kansas City Chiefs that we've seen so far this year and they're playing the Cowboys. I, I think the Cowboys have a really nice chance to win this game because I think that they have a chance to kind of disrupt the things that the Chiefs are doing on offense early and if they can come out firing on all cylinders playing at home, like you said, you know, just maybe probably a little bit fresher just because of the lack of travel and that sort of thing and maybe just being more used to doing this, I think that there's a chance that the Cowboys could get, get off to a hot start and dominate this game.

[Marcus Mosher]

I'm taking the Chiefs as well because I just think they're the more well rounded unit. They, they've, I just trust Mahomes to convert on a lot of these third downs. I trust them in the red zone. I trust the defense, the Casey's defense to get these big critical stops when they need them. And they, they just know how to win these type of games, especially if they're playing bad. Where I think the Cowboys are still trying to learn how to do it. This is the second youngest team in the league with a first year head coach and we, we talked about it during Tuesday's show. Like Brian Schottenheimer is still pretty green as a head coach and as a play caller or by this time I mean Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes and Steve Spagnula have seen everything there is ever to see. Right. So they're not going to be shocked by anything. However, the Cowboys are riding a big win, like a big confidence boosting win. And sometimes your teams just don't know any better. They go into these games thinking they can win, knowing that they, I mean, not knowing that they're at a talent disadvantage and yet they go out and win. Right. I, I, I think, Landon, I think you're gonna know within like 10 minutes of this game.

[Landon McCool]

I agree.

[Marcus Mosher]

If the Cowboys are going to Win or not. Because if the Cowboys go down the first drive of the game, score a touchdown, or they get a quick stop at three and out to open up the game, that confidence is only going to build. My concern is that this snowballs on them a little bit, and that's where the Chiefs could be really dangerous.

[Landon McCool]

Well, Kansas City is really good on offense, is that maybe they're not as explosive as they have been at certain points, but they're efficient, right? They convert a lot, and that's how they control the ball and control the clock so much. And that's how you get a situation where, you know, your offense is only getting, like you said, four or five possessions and a half, right? And so I think if that happens, the Cowboys are going to, you know, probably be in some trouble. So the Cowboys, Even if the 20, 25 chiefs are the team that shows up on Thanksgiving, if the Cowboys can't find a way to disrupt that rhythm of the ability of the Chiefs to kind of just continue. You know, you mentioned it, the Kareem Hunt on short yardage, the ability for. For Mahomes to just get eight yards on first and second down combined, right? And then, then. And then just consistently getting first downs up and down the field. And even if they don't score, they're milking the clock so often that they're limiting your opportunities to score. And when you don't score, eventually they are the Chiefs and they will score. So I think the Cowboys have got to find a way to repossess the ball and make it make sure that the Chiefs aren't as efficient on first and second down, make them get into third and long and up the variance here a little bit where the Chiefs have had problems there. The counter to that, of course, like we mentioned, is what happens if Patrick Mahomes remembers that he's Patrick Mahomes, homes.

[Marcus Mosher]

Look at the Chiefs. Three drives to start the game last week. 17 players, 64 yards field goal, 13 plays, 48 yards field goal, 10 plays, 81 yards field goal.

[Landon McCool]

Exactly.

[Marcus Mosher]

And those are the three drives. Like there's five total possessions in the first half. It just. Those long drives just suck the energy out of the game and out of the crowd. And that's what the Cowboys can't allow to happen if they want to try to steal this game against the team that's been in the super bowl, what, five of the last six years. Should be a fun one. Make sure that you are downloading the podcast wherever you get your podcast. We are free and available on all platforms. Follow Lenan on Twitter @McCool BCB. I'm @Marcus Moer Enjoy your Thanksgiving. Enjoy the football. We'll see you right back here on Thursday night after the game.

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