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The Dallas Cowboys won a Thanksgiving Day thriller over the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-28, to really catapult themselves into the NFC playoff picture.
Dallas needed a win heading into the short week as they are now 6-5-1 on the season. They have now beaten the reigning conference champions when they beat the Philadelphia Eagles last Sunday.
Meanwhile, after a massive home win for the Chiefs last week against the Indianapolis Colts, they are back to .500 at 6-6.
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Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb of the Dallas Cowboys celebrate after their touchdown connection against the Kansas City Chiefs during the first quarter of the game at AT&T Stadium on November 27, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
It was an inauspicious start for Dak Prescott and the Cowboys’ offense as the veteran signal caller threw an interception on the third play of the game. Jaylen Watson jumped George Picken’s route when Prescott’s throw was changed from a perfect blitz by Kansas City.
Just two plays later, Rashee Rice, who has fit in well with the Chiefs’ offense since returning from an early-season suspension, had a convoy of blockers as he picked off a Mahomes screen and took it 27 yards into the end zone for an early 7-0 lead.
However, the Cowboys were quick to respond with Prescott bouncing back on the ensuing drive. He went 12 plays and 75 yards and found his trusty receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 15-yard strike in the back right of the end zone to tie the game at seven apiece.
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But as CBS broadcaster and former Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo called, this should be a shootout between two of the best offenses in the league.
Patrick Mahomes and company responded with a 12-play touchdown drive for the Chiefs, and it was a decisive play on fourth-and-goal from the two-yard line after Kareem Hunt was stuffed on third-and-goal. Travis Kelce made an acrobatic catch with big coverage from the Cowboys on him, but the 36-year-old tight end gave his team the lead back.
After a Brandon Aubrey field goal cut into the Chiefs’ lead, the Cowboys got their first lead of the game thanks to running back Malik Davis finding a seam and hurting Kansas City. He burst through the defense for a 43-yard touchdown run to make it a 17-14 game.
The offensive fireworks waned in the third quarter, but the Chiefs saw another key fourth-and-goal play that resulted in seven points. It was Rice who came in for his second touchdown of the game as Mahomes trusts his receiver to step up and gain on the highest point of the ball in the end zone.
Rashee Rice of the Kansas City Chiefs scores a receiving touchdown in front of Malik Hooker #28 of the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter of the game at AT&T Stadium on November 27, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
It was a 21-20 game in favor of the Chiefs when Prescott and the Cowboys took over, and although he was quiet most of the game, George Pickens started cooking at the perfect time.
Pickens returned 50 yards on the 68-yard touchdown drive for Dallas, with Prescott scrambling and finding running back Javonte Williams for the three-yard touchdown pass. However, Pickens would convert a two-point attempt to make it a 28-21 game.
The Cowboys were able to force a three-and-out on the Chiefs, and after a huge play to Lamb, Dallas found itself close to the goal line again. But a massive play occurred when Pickens caught a short pass on third-and-8 from the Kansas City 12-yard line when he fumbled, and it looked like the Chiefs would get the ball back. But KaVontae Turpin came flying in and recovered the ball, allowing another Aubrey field goal instead of a crucial turnover.
Turpin’s heroic recovery was even more important after Mahomes went seven plays and 67 yards to find Hollywood Brown for a touchdown to make it a 31-28 game.
The Cowboys held their own on the ensuing drive, knowing they would need a couple of first downs to let the clock run to zero.
Prescott delivered third-and-2 just before the two-minute warning when he fired a pass to Pickens for 13 yards, picking up the first down needed to go into the winning formation.
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Looking at the box score, Prescott was 27-for-39 for 320 yards with two touchdown passes, while Lamb finished with a game-high 112 yards on seven receptions. Pickens had six catches for 88 yards, while Williams added 59 yards on 17 carries as well as 21 yards on three catches.
For the Chiefs, Mahomes was 23-for-34 for 261 yards with four touchdown passes, while Rice finished with 92 yards on eight catches.
