ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) hosting the Kansas City Chiefs (6-6) as Thanksgiving Thursday's afternoon main event presented a matchup of two of the top 10 scoring offenses in the NFL. Both squads lived up to their high-scoring pedigrees with Dak Prescott outdueling Patrick Mahomes for a 31-28 victory.
Thursday's victory runs Dallas' playoff chances up to 21% after starting Week 13 with an 11.4% chance, according to the SportsLine model. The Thanksgiving defeat for Kansas City drops their playoff chances from 63.8% to 46%, according to the SportsLine model.
Mahomes started on fire with touchdowns on Kansas City's first two drives: a 27-yard wide receiver screen to Rashee Rice, and a fourth-and-goal two-yard strike to tight end Travis Kelce in the back of the end zone. However, Dallas' defense locked in after that to force the Chiefs into four consecutive punts.
Prescott threw an interception on Dallas' opening drive on a deep pass into double coverage intended for hot hand George Pickens. Following the sour opening drive, Prescott locked in. He hit wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 15-yard touchdown on a vertical route down the right sideline and into the back corner of the end zone to tie the game at seven before Kelce's touchdown put the Chiefs back on top 14-7. Lamb shook off the concerns about his drops to erupt for 112 yards receiving and a touchdown while catching 7 of his 9 targets.
After a 49-yard field goal by kicker Brandon Aubrey, Dallas forced the Chiefs' first punt thanks to a seven-yard sack by edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney. That's when backup running back Malik Davis took center stage. Davis is a veteran undrafted free agent who had spent most of the season being called up and down to and from the practice squad. He just showcased why Dallas signed him to the active roster on Nov. 22 with an explosive 43-yard touchdown run. Davis blew through the middle of the line of scrimmage, and no Chiefs defender was able to get a hand on him. The play was just Davis' second career rushing touchdown with his other coming in the form of a 23-yarder in garbage time of a 54-19 home win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 of the 2022 season. That gave the Cowboys their first lead, 17-14, with 3:10 left in the first half.
In the second half, Dallas took control of the game after Prescott marched the Cowboys down for three consecutive scoring drives after a punt to begin the half. Those drives culminated with two field goals with a scrambling three-yard touchdown pass to running back Javonte Williams sandwiched in between. Dallas went for two following the touchdown to Williams, and Prescott scrambled to the left to hit wide receiver George Pickens in the front left corner of the end zone for a toe-tapping catch. That put the Cowboys up 31-21. Mahomes threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to Marquise "Hollywood" Brown, but it was too little too late. Prescott finished with 320 yards passing, two passing touchdowns and an interception on 27 of 39 passing while Mahomes completed 23 of his 34 throws for 261 yards and four touchdowns.
Following their Week 12 comeback win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday and the 31-28 win on Thanksgiving, the Cowboys have beaten the last two Super Bowl champions, and they're the first team to beat the prior season's Super Bowl participants in consecutive weeks since the 2016 Atlanta Falcons. That Falcons squad went on to win the NFC and narrowly fall in the first overtime game in Super Bowl history, 34-28.
For years, owner and general manager Jerry Jones lamented Dallas' inability to stop the run, but since acquiring All-Pro defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, the Cowboys rank fourth in the NFL in run defense (69.7 rushing yards per game allowed). Pair that with the league's No. 3 scoring offense (29.3 points per game) that's led by Prescott, Lamb, Pickens and running back Javonte Williams, and Dallas has a shot at potentially running the table to reach the postseason.
After a couple drops in Dallas' Week 12 win over the Eagles, including one on a late fourth quarter third-and-goal in the end zone, plenty was made of Lamb having issues with drops. His Thanksgiving performance, 112 yards receiving and a touchdown while catching 7 of his 9 targets certainly silenced those doubts in a hurry.
Prescott's trust in his No. 88 was most apparent near the halfway mark in the fourth quarter. Dallas' defense had gotten a stop to force a punt, but after a holding penalty on the play, the Cowboys had to start on their own 10. They maintained a 28-21 lead at that point with 9:26 left to play, so it would have made plenty of sense for Dallas to begin the drive with a run-heavy approach to start melting time off the clock. However, Prescott opted to instead heave a deep ball on a vertical route to Lamb, and he reeled in a jaw dropping, over the shoulder catch for a gain of 51 yards. That set up Aubrey's 26-yard field goal that put Dallas up 10, 31-21, a margin the Chiefs couldn't overcome.
Kansas City's 6-6 record is their worst 12-game start to a season since 2017. That's when Mahomes was a rookie and riding the bench in the final year of Alex Smith as the Chiefs' starting quarterback. Six defeats are also tied for the most in Mahomes' career as a starting quarterback along with his 2023 mark of 10-6. What's most concerning for Kansas City is their inability to close this season: they're now 1-6 in one-score games in 2025, just a year removed from being 12-0 in one-score games in 2024 -- the most such wins in a season all-time including the playoffs.
If Mahomes' magic can't paper over the team's defensive deficiencies and offensive line inconsistencies, the Chiefs will find themselves watching playoff football from the couch in January for the first time with No. 15 under center.
Kansas City is truly never dead with Patrick Mahomes running their offense. The Chiefs capped a seven-play, 67-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown toss from Mahomes to wide receiver Marquise "Hollywood" Brown with 3:27 left to play. The Chiefs trail the Cowboys by just three, 31-28.
Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens caught a pass on an underneath route on third-and-8, but he fumbled the football. However, All-Pro return man/wide receiver KaVontae Turpins was already sprinting that way, and he dove on top of the loose ball to recover the fumble. That set up kicker Brandon Aubrey for a key 26-yard field to put the Cowboys up 10, 31-21, with 5:16 left to play.
Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott uncorked a high-arching deep ball to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb after the latter raised his hand after leaving Chiefs safety Chamarri Conner in the dust on a vertical route. Lamb held up his end of the bargain with a breathtaking over-the-shoulder catch for a gain of 51. He is now up to 112 yards receiving and a touchdown while catching seven of his nine targets.
Patrick Mahomes had Rice open over the middle of the field on third-and-8, but he dropped the throw that was slightly behind him. Kansas City punts the ball back to Dallas for a touchback, but a holding penalty pushes them back to the 10. The Cowboys maintain a 28-21 lead with 9:26 left to play.
On third-and-goal from the three, Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott scrambled around to the right before lightly tossing the ball to running back Javonte Williams who freed himself up on the scramble drill. Williams waltzed into the end zone for the three-yard score. On the ensuing two-point conversion, Prescott then danced around to the left, nearly getting sacked, before hitting wide receiver George Pickens in the front, left corner of the end zone for a two-point conversion. Dallas leads 28-21 with 11:15 left to play.
With Dallas backed up on third-and-8 on the Chiefs' 45, Kansas City defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo blitzed the house. That left wide receiver George Pickens one-on-one. He caught the football on an in-breaking route, and then he reversed field back up the right sideline on a spin move for a gain of 39 down to the Chiefs' six to set up a crucial first-and-goal.
Patrick Mahomes just waved off Harrison Butker to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the three vs. the Dallas Cowboys, and he was right. Mahomes scrambled all the way to the left before throwing back to the middle of the end zone to hit WR Rashee Rice. Chiefs lead 21-20 with 14:51 left in the game.
Dallas now leads 20-14 with 4:09 left in the third quarter. The Cowboys thought they had a 13-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jake Ferguson, but it was overturned on replay review. After Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb couldn't connect on a end zone fade route, Brandon Aubrey knocked through a 36-yard field goal for the first points of the second half. Dallas leads 20-14 with 4:09 left in the third quarter.
The call on the field was that Ferguson caught the ball with both feet down in the back of the end zone, but upon replay review, the officials determined the Dallas tight end didn't get his second foot down inbounds. It's third-and-3 from the Chiefs' 13 with 4:18 left in the third quarter. The Cowboys lead 17-14.
The Chiefs got whatever they wanted early, moving up and down the field for touchdowns with no issue on their first two drives. Since, Dallas has shut them down, forcing four punts in a row. The Cowboys are getting pressure on Patrick Mahomes, which is why he threw two incompletions on the Chiefs' latest series, including a third down pass that sailed well over his intended target's head. Dallas will set up shop on their own four once again after another strong punt, leading 17-14 with 7:05 left in the third quarter.
Kansas City is now without their starting right tackle.
Kansas City Chiefs RT Jawaan Taylor (elbow) is questionable to return vs. the Dallas Cowboys.
After Kansas City moved up and down the field for touchdowns with ease on their first two drives, Dallas has shut them down, forcing three consecutive punts. An offensive pass interference penalty by Chiefs wide receiver Xavier Worthy derailed the drive. Dallas will set up shop on their own four after excellent punt, leading 17-14 with 12:18 left in the third quarter.
Davis is an undrafted free agent who had spent most of the season being called up and down to and from the practice squad. He just showcased why Dallas signed him to the active roster on Nov. 22 with an explosive 43-yard touchdown run. Davis blew threw the middle of the line of scrimmage, and no Chiefs defender was able to get a hand on him. The play is just Davis' second career rushing touchdown with his other coming in the form of a 23-yarder in garbage time of a 54-19 home win over the Indianapolis Colts in Week 13 of the 2022 season. The Cowboys have their first lead, 17-14, with 3:10 left in the first half.
The Cowboys' drive frizzled out after an incompletion and a one-yard run by backup running back Malik Davis on the first two drives of the series. Dallas got six on third-and-9 on a checkdown to Ryan Flournoy, but it wasn't enough to move the chains. All-Pro kicker Brandon Aubrey's 49-yard field went through the uprights to get the Cowboys within four, 14-10, with 10:22 left in the first half.
With the way the Kansas City Chiefs have marched up-and-down the field for touchdowns on their first two drives, it was clear going for it on fourth-and-4 from the Chiefs' 48 was the right call. Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott found tight end Jake Ferguson on a short pass out to the left, and the Pro Bowl tight end rumbled ahead for 10 yards to move the chains. Dallas isn't blinking early.
On fourth-and-goal from the two, Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes finds his go-to-guy in TE Travis Kelce for the two-yard touchdown. Kelce beat #DallasCowboys LB Kenneth Murray to the back line of the end zone before hauling in the football. The Chiefs lead 14-7 with a second left in the first quarter.
That's the ideal way to quiet the noise about the drops issue for Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He high-pointed and snagged a vertical route in the back right corner of the end zone from quarterback Dak Prescott for a 15-yard receiving touchdown. We're tied here at AT&T Stadium, 7-7 with 6:50 left in the first quarter.
Kansas City up a wide receiver screen to the left for No. 1 wide receiver Rashee Rice off play action, and he had the entire left side of the field to run free. Rice scampered 27 yards to the house to give the visiting Chiefs an early 7-0 lead with 13:04 left in the opening quarter.
Kansas City cornerback Jaylen Watson undercut a throw from Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott into double coverage that was intended for wide receiver George Pickens. Prescott wanted to ride the hot hand, but if he had looked CeeDee Lamb's way, a much easier throw was available.
The Kansas City Chiefs won the coin toss, and they deferred to the second half. The #DallasCowboys offense led by QB Dak Prescott will take the field first.
Prescott ranks top five in the NFL in completion percentage (69.3%), passing yards (2,941) and passing touchdowns (23) in his first season with Brian Schottenheimer as his head coach and offensive playcaller.
| Stat | Value | NFL Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Comp percentage | 69.3% | T-5th |
| Pass yards | 2,941 | 3rd |
| Pass TD | 23 | T-2nd |
CeeDee Lamb is up to eight drops this year after two more against the Eagles in the Cowboys' 24-21 Week 12 win. That's tied for the most in the NFL.
Here's how Lamb, Dak Prescott and Brian Schottenheimer are dealing with the issue.
"I need to catch the f---ing ball," Lamb said Tuesday.
Jerry Jones looks smart for trading a third-round pick and making an additional late-round swap with the Steelers to land George Pickens. The wideout has been everything Dallas hoped for -- and more.
Pickens' 1,054 receiving yards are the most ever by a player in his first 11 games with the Cowboys, shattering Amari Cooper's previous mark of 875. He's already surpassed the record for most yards in a player's first 12 games with the team -- and No. 12 hasn't even kicked off yet.
Pickens has topped 140 receiving yards in each of his last two games and now needs just 127 more yards to set the record for the most receiving yards in a player's first season with the Cowboys. The current mark (1,180 yards by Terrell Owens in 2006) could be gone by the end of Thursday.
| Year | Player | Receiving Yards |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Terrell Owens | 1,180 |
| 1999 | Raghib Ismail | 1,097 |
| 2025 | George Pickens | 1,054* |
| 1965 | Bob Hayes | 1,003 |
* Most in first 12 games in Cowboys uniform (Thanksgiving is his 12th game)
Dallas has won 27 straight games with 21 or fewer points allowed, matching the longest such winning streak in team history that went from 1967 to 1970. The Cowboys' last loss when allowing 21 or fewer points was Week 1 in the 2022 season against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Cowboys feature a formidable defensive tackle trio in All-Pro Quinnen Williams, three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa. Dallas has used all three on the field together for 16 snaps over the past two games. In that same span, the Cowboys have deployed a five-man defensive front (five or more defensive linemen) on 29 plays, compared to just 43 such snaps across the first nine games.
Here's how Dallas is dividing snaps among its interior trio. It's about as balanced a three-man rotation as you could design, with all three playing roughly two-thirds of the defensive snaps.
| Player | Defensive Snaps | % of Defensive Snaps |
|---|---|---|
| Osa Odighizuwa | 77 | 66% |
| Kenny Clark | 75 | 65% |
| Quinnen Williams | 73 | 63% |
Here are the inactives for the Dallas Cowboys vs. the Kansas City Chiefs. Dallas ruled out CB Caelen Carson. No other surprises.
The Cowboys defense is nearly 14 points per game better since All-Pro DT Quinnen Williams made his Dallas debut in Week 11. The same goes for LB DeMarvion Overshown, who returned in Week 11. Here's how big their impact has been and the plan for Patrick Mahomes on Thursday.
Overshown and Mahomes grew up just 13.5 miles apart in East Texas -- the 25-year-old linebacker in Arp (population 1,055) and the three-time Super Bowl MVP quarterback in Whitehouse (population 8,794), per Census Reporter.
Overshown played rec league sports against Mahomes' younger brother, Jackson, and specifically recalled his second-grade basketball team beating Jackson's squad for a youth league title. Now, he'll be chasing around the future Hall of Famer who captivated East Texas for years.
Overshown's athleticism could be critical as a quarterback spy, given Mahomes leads the NFL with 56 first downs outside the pocket this season (37 passing and 19 rushing).
"It's going to be fun. I like my abilities, so it's going to be if that's what he decides to do. We got a good plan, a good game plan for it. ... More stats for me," Overshown said Tuesday about Mahomes' scrambling ability.
"East Texas has been talking about this since the schedule popped up, so it's 903 (the local area code). ... We're going at it. Somebody has to win too. ... I know his voice, and he's going to know mine too because I'm gonna be chasing him."
