There’s no manual as to how to beat Patrick Mahomes. The nine-year veteran has been a perennial Pro Bowler, All-Pro, Super Bowl winner and league MVP for a reason. Able to do things with his arm and legs very few quarterbacks can, Mahomes is a perfect blend of tangibles and intangibles rolled into one. So how exactly are the Dallas Cowboys supposed to beat Mahomes and his Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving Day?It’s not so much what a team should do to beat Mahomes, but rather what a team shouldn’t do. If there was an obvious weakness, teams would have exploited it by now. The best the Cowboys can do is not play into his hands when the Chiefs come to town here in Week 13.
Mahomes is good in all aspects of the game, but he’s particularly deadly against zone coverage. It’s here where the Chiefs lead the league in DVOA and here where his downfield targets tend to run rampant. Not only is Mahomes surgical in splitting zone, but his various pass catchers are savvy in finding soft spots and his many playmakers are wired for run after the catch opportunities.
The Cowboys defense, led by Matt Eberflus, lives and dies by their zone looks. While man schemes have snuck into the gameplan as of late, it’s still one of the most zone-heavy systems in the NFL. That’s not a good identity to have when facing Mahomes in another must-win situation.
The Cowboys are rightfully drinking their Kool Aid after locking the Eagles down in the second half last week but to think they can do the same against Mahomes is foolishness. For as good as Dallas’ pass rush has been, it’s not enough to make up for Mahomes’ magic and the Chiefs offense.
Kansas City ranks second overall in offensive EPA this year which is 12 spots ahead of the sluggish Eagles offense. It’s an attack that converts downs better than anyone, and beats up opponents with a balance of long drives and big plays.
Cowboys pass rushers should find success pressuring Mahomes since his line is beat up and his production falls off a cliff when passing under pressure. He’s also prone to fumble in situations such as this so it would be strategically wise to prioritize ball swipes over sacks given his propensity to draw roughing the passer penalties.
Mahomes can seemingly do it all, even belt out the perfect rendition of the Rainbow Connection on a moment’s notice. At least one could assume so. What the Cowboys can’t do is make things easy on him and play to his strengths. In this case that’s zone defense.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Zoning out: Key to Cowboys beating Chiefs is switching the coverage
Reporting by Reid D Hanson, Cowboys Wire / Cowboys Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
