Looking ahead to the Week 11 schedule in the NFL, there are quite a few big matchups that fans will want to keep an eye on. One of those matchups will come between the Dallas Cowboys and Kansas City Chiefs. Both teams are expected to be Super Bowl contenders come playoff time, and this is a great chance for both teams to make a huge statement with a win.
The Cowboys are coming off a big win over the Atlanta Falcons. They dominated the game from start to finish and ended up winning by a final score of 43-3. Dallas bounced back with that win after losing to the Denver Broncos the week before.
Jerry Jones and company are currently 7-2 heading into this week's tough matchup against Kansas City. Even though the Chiefs are just 6-4 coming in and have not looked like the dominant team they have been the last two years, they are figuring things out. Patrick Mahomes has started playing at an MVP level again, so the Cowboys know they will have their work cut out for them in this game.
Offensively, the Cowboys are always going to be capable of scoring points in bunches. Dak Prescott has a ton of weapons to work with, including Amari Cooper and CeeDee Lamb. Ezekiel Elliott has looked like his old superstar self this season as well.
Where the challenge will come this week is on the defensive side of the football. With Mahomes back to playing like an MVP, the Cowboys will have to find a way to slow him down and maybe force a turnover or two. The Dallas defense has looked much better this season than it did last year, but this is arguably the biggest test they have faced this season.
All of that being said, let's dive in and take a look at who the main X-Factor for the Cowboys will be this week against the Chiefs.
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Dallas Cowboys' Week 11 X-Factor
Any time a team faces off against the Chiefs, their secondary has to play to the best of their ability. Dallas has seen its secondary play at a decent level this season, but they are far from being an elite unit.
That leads to forcing a turnover or two being a major key for the Cowboys in their quest to defeat Kansas City. Trevon Diggs is the clear-cut main X-Factor in this Week 11 matchup.
So far this season, Diggs has been a massive playmaker for the Cowboys. He has racked up 28 total tackles to go along with eight interceptions, two defensive touchdowns, and 13 defended passes. Dallas will need Diggs to continue his impressive play this week.
Against the Las Vegas Raiders last week, Mahomes completed 35 of his 50 pass attempts for 406 yards, five touchdowns, and zero interceptions. To say that he is back would be an understatement. Honestly, he never left, he just got off to a slow start to the season.
Taking a closer look at this Dallas defense, Diggs is without question the best playmaker. Rookie linebacker Micah Parsons is growing into a legitimate star for the Cowboys and has compiled 58 total tackles to go along with six sacks and a forced fumble. He will be needed this week as well, but the secondary will rely heavily on Diggs making plays.
Outside of Diggs, the Cowboys have a relatively inconsistent secondary that consists of cornerback Anthony Brown and safeties Damontae Kazee and Jayron Kearse. They aren't bad players, but they do not bring a ton of playmaking to the field. Diggs has been the main provider of plays on the defensive side of the football.
Dallas will need to focus on putting pressure on Mahomes this week. If they can accomplish that goal, it will be up to Diggs and the rest of the secondary to capitalize on any mistakes Mahomes makes. He doesn't make many, but the Cowboys will have an opportunity or two this week.
Going up against Mahomes isn't easy, but Tyreek Hill is a nightmare matchup for almost every defense he faces. Diggs will likely be tasked heavily with defending Hill. That matchup could end up deciding the outcome of this massive Week 11 game.
At just 24 years of age, Diggs has been great at forcing turnovers, but he has been questionable in coverage at times. He has allowed some big plays and cannot afford to do that this week. The Cowboys need the best all-around performance of the season from Diggs.
This should be a very entertaining game between two high-profile contenders in their respective conferences. If the Cowboys want to come out on top, they will need the NFL interception leader to come through with another big outing.
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