The Chiefs are undoubtedly a talented team that could very easily beat us. That being said, looking at the records and the ups and downs of the Chiefs season, I'm a little confused as to why we are being considered the underdog in this one. Your thoughts? – ADAM SMITH / LITTLE ROCK, AR
David: I mean, the early lines I'm seeing have the Chiefs favored by 2.5 points. So when you consider that homefield advantage is traditionally valued at three points, I hardly see the Cowboys as a true underdog. This feels mostly like a tossup. But the Chiefs are at home, and despite their struggles they are still a team that has been to two-straight Super Bowls that also employs an NFL MVP quarterback. The Cowboys are off to a great start, but you've got to win games like this to start flipping those types of narratives. This is a huge opportunity.
Rob: The Chiefs have the home-field advantage and the resume. They also bounced back Sunday with a 41-point performance against a good team. That's why. The Cowboys have been the more consistent team so far based on the stats and the records. But this will be their toughest challenge of the season, in my opinion, because of Pat Mahomes' ability to make plays anywhere on the field. The Dallas defense just played their best game yet, so it's a fun matchup.
Have the Cowboys ever had a group of free agents that have had this much of an impact on the team and outcome in games as the ones they signed this year? – MICHAEL SHAFER / SPARKS, NV
David: Not in the time I've been here. Granted, that's only nine seasons, but the track record over the past decade speaks for itself – in a bad way. Jeremy Mincey and Terrell McClain come to mind as solid free agency additions, but for the most part the guys they've signed in the spring haven't delivered in the fall. What we've been seeing from Jayron Kearse, Carlos Watkins, Bryan Anger and others has been a refreshing change of pace.
Rob: That's a good question. This year's group is up there. Ken Hamlin and Leonard Davis had a big impact on the 2007 team that won 13 games. So did Gerald Sensabaugh and Keith Brooking in 2009. But this year, the club did a great job of identifying players who fit specific roles in Dan Quinn's defense, especially. The best example is Jayron Kearse and the versatility and leadership he's providing. He has been an incredible addition.
