The grades are in: Here’s our Sunday report card for the KC Chiefs against the Cowboys

A defensive struggle, just like everyone expected, right?

Hardly. But the Chiefs got their fourth straight victory, 19-9 over the Dallas Cowboys. The game was played on adrenaline and emotion on the Chiefs’ sideline.

They were too amped at times, with a pair of taunting penalties and an unsportsmanlike contact flag. But bottom line, the Chiefs’ defense was amazing. Take a bow, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo.

KC STAR OF THE GAME

Defensive tackle Chris Jones was a force with a career-best 3 1/2 sacks of his former Mississippi State teammate Dak Prescott. This could be the best game of Jones’ career: His day included a forced fumble and a fumble recovery, and a deflected pass that led to L’Jarius Sneed’s game-sealing interception. So the defensive end experiment is over, right?

Next: The bye week has arrived, just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. The Chiefs resume the season on Dec. 5 at Arrowhead against the Denver Broncos. The noon kickoff will be televised by CBS (Ch. 5).

REPORT CARD

Passing offense: C

Effective on the first possession, especially with Tyreek Hill as the target. There was no touchdown pass from Patrick Mahomes, and he gets dinged for two more turnovers. But the effort was good enough. His best throw went to Byron Pringle for 37 yards to help set up the second touchdown. The Chiefs wasted a possession late in the second quarter when right tackle Trey Smith compounded a holding call with an unsportsmanlike conduct flag.

Mahomes couldn’t outrun Micah Parsons, whose strip-sack gave the Cowboys some hope at the end of the first half. Another miscue occurred early in the third quarter: Travis Kelce couldn’t hold onto a pass that would have resulted in a first down and the ball wound up in the arms of Jayron Kearse for the interception.

Rushing offense: B

Give it up for the creativity. Kelce, from the Wildcat, takes a direct snap and powers into the end zone from the 4 for the Chiefs’ first touchdown. Mahomes ran an option at the goal line and pitched to Edwards-Helaire for the second rushing score. Tyreek Hill’s 33-yard run on the Chiefs’ first possession set up that first touchdown. Edwards-Helaire ran hard and showed no signs of the ankle injury that’s kept out for more than a month.

Passing defense: A

Frank Clark’s effectiveness increases when no one touches him, and that was the case on the Cowboys’ second possession. He came free, strip-sacked Prescott and Jones was there for the scoop. Jones’ motor ran hot throughout the game and recorded sacks on successive second-quarter plays. How about Charvarius Ward’s interception before the end of the first half? Perhaps the biggest play of the game.

Rushing defense: A

The Cowboys were missing key pieces on offense, but not their running back tandem of Ezekiel Elliott and Tony Pollard. But besides the direct snap to Pollard that went for a big gain, the Chiefs were rugged. Linebackers Nick Bolton and Willie Gay were active and set the tone. The Cowboys entered the game leading the NFL in points and yards. The Chiefs were more than up to this challenge.

Special teams: B

Harrison Butker had his streak of 53 straight extra point kicks halted with a miss after the first touchdown. But he also booted a 48-yard extra point after Edwards-Helaire’s taunting penalty pushed the extra-point try back 15 yards.

The 53-yard field goal late in the third quarter gave him four from at least 50 this season. His miss from 41 kept the total there.

Byron Pringle returned a pair of kickoffs for 39 yards each, but the Chiefs couldn’t take advantage of the field position. A Tommy Townsend punt into the end zone was his first touchback of the season. How about the pooch punt by Butker late in the game? Great call by Dave Toub.