This week’s Madden simulation saw the Cowboys travel to Arrowhead Stadium for a matchup with Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. Despite being knotted up at the half, the Chiefs would eventually pull away from the Cowboys thanks to a series of costly mistakes. Let’s talk about it.
3. The Cowboys offense can only stop itself
Dak Prescott’s start to the game was sublime, finding targets CeeDee Lamb, Amari Cooper, and Michael Gallup to march the Cowboys down the field before a screen to Ezekiel Elliott punched in the first score of the game. It’s been a common theme in these Madden simulations on the season. Dominant opening drives.
On Dallas’s third drive, Dak Prescott found CeeDee Lamb for a 66-yard touchdown on a post route that was a thing of beauty. Lamb was a force on the day, scoring two touchdowns and easily surpassing 100 yards. The problem was what happened whenever the Cowboys didn’t score on a drive. More on that later.
2. The Dallas defense could do nothing to contain Tyreek Hill or Travis Kelce
Probably not the most shocking takeaway, right? Tyreek Hill is a speed demon few corners in the league can hold their own against, while Kelce is a dominant receiving tight end that can cause defenses fits on third down and in the red zone. In all honesty, Patrick Mahomes was not the problem in this simulation. It was these two targets who continually got open and kept the chains moving thanks to tremendous separation.
Tyreek Hill scored twice on the day, both deep bombs from Mahomes in which he was a solid five-plus yards behind the defense. He also logged over 150 yards to offset Lamb’s big day. But while Dallas got big production from its second-year receiver, it had nothing to match Travis Kelce.
Cooper scored a touchdown on a deep pass and hauled in a couple of other catches over the course of the game, but his touchdown came after the game was out of reach and his other receptions were on the opening drive. Everything in between as the game slipped away was silence from the team’s number one receiver.
In any normal simulation, Hill’s play alone would be the big story, but Madden seemed to have other ideas in store for Dak Prescott and company...
1. Madden is not a fan of Dak Prescott
The difference in this game was costly turnovers. Worse, it was turnovers that in defensive touchdowns. Not once, not twice, but three times Madden had Dak Prescott throwing a pick-six in this game. That’s unconscionable.
The Chiefs' defense may have turned things around the past three weeks but scoring 21 points against a premiere offense? No chance.
Prescott opened the game 10/10 for 146 yards and two touchdowns before making his first mistake; a pick-six to former Cowboy linebacker Anthony Hitchens. Despite the costly turnover, Dallas entered the half tied at 17 with the first possession of the second half headed their way. Dak responded with a 40-yard+ interception return for a touchdown to Rashad Fenton. And for good measure, he tossed one final pick-six to ensure no comeback was remotely possible.
For the day, Prescott surpassed 300 yards and threw touchdown passes to CeeDee Lamb (2), Amari Cooper (1), and Ezekiel Elliott (1), but his three picks—each returned for a score, easily proved the difference in a 14-point loss.
You can watch our entire Madden simulation of Sunday’s game right here!
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