The Cowboys have had a difficult time involving their wide receivers in the passing game. Only 31 of Tony Romo's 76 completions have gone to Roy Williams, Patrick Crayton, Miles Austin or Sam Hurd. The Chiefs might be the perfect opponent to get the wide receivers going. Of the 77 completions the Kansas City defense has allowed in the first four games, 42 have gone to receivers. In their last two games, the Chiefs have allowed two 100-yard receivers – Philadelphia's DeSean Jackson (6 for 149) and the New York Giants' Steve Smith (11 for 134). Crayton had 135 yards in the season opener but has not come close to 100 since.

In the last two games, the Cowboys have allowed Carolina and Denver to convert only three of 18 third-down chances. And today, the Cowboys face the worst third-down team in the NFL. Kansas City has converted only 9-of-51 tries this season, a woeful 17.6 percent. Coach Todd Haley said the problems have been on first and second down, but what the Cowboys have to improve on today is how many yards they allow on third down. On three third-and-17 or longer situations against the Broncos, the defense allowed 13, 17 and 8 yards. The Cowboys got off the field but allowed too many yards to make a big difference in field position.

Last season, Todd Haley was Arizona's offensive coordinator and Clancy Pendergast was the defensive coordinator. They designed game plans that helped Arizona pull out an overtime victory over the Cowboys. Dallas had, at the time, a season-low 15 first downs, and the defense had only one sack. While Haley and Pendergast have implemented new schemes in Kansas City, their knowledge of what the Cowboys like to do is a plus. The same can be said for their counterparts in Wade Phillips and Jason Garrett. But Haley has the added benefit of having worked closely with 23 players when he was a Cowboys assistant.

The Cowboys built a 10-0 lead at Denver in the first half, doing everything necessary to turn a loud crowd lifeless. Then they had a turnover that Denver turned into a touchdown. Momentum gone. Crowd alive. The Chiefs are winless and still trying to figure out what's up from down. The Cowboys cannot let them believe they can win. Confidence is a fragile thing and the Chiefs don't have much or any of it right now. Arrowhead Stadium remains a difficult place to play but not as much as it was in the past. If the Cowboys can build a lead, it should demoralize the Chiefs. If the Chiefs stay in the game, doubt could creep into the Dallas sideline.