Dallas Cowboys Win Third Straight with 31-28 Turkey Day Win

The Dallas Cowboys are one of the hottest teams in the NFL right now. And with that, they are giving themselves an outside shot at the postseason. 

Whether the 6-5-1 ‘Boys will get to the postseason remains to be seen, especially with the Detroit Lions (7-5), San Francisco 49ers (8-4), Green Bay Packers (8-3-1), and Seattle Seahawks (8-3) all ahead of them in the standings. But the biggest thing for the team right now is that they are playing high quality football. 

After an ugly Monday Night loss prior to their bye week (27-17 vs. the Arizona Cardinals), the Cowboys defeated the Las Vegas Raiders 33-16 in Week 11 before their 21-point comeback last week, Week 12, against the Philadelphia Eagles. And on Thanksgiving Day in front of a national audience, the Cowboys held off the Kansas City Chiefs in a 31-28 victory. 

Dak Prescott is the only quarterback across the NFL this season with four 300-yard passing games, thanks to his 320 on Thursday (27/39). He threw for two touchdowns and one interception in the game, with the scores caught by CeeDee Lamb (7 catches, 112 yards), and Javonte Williams (3 catches, 21 yards). 

The Chiefs struck first, with a 27-yard catch and run by wideout Rashee Rice getting the road team on the board. The Chief offense had the Cowboys confused early on. After Prescott found Lamb for a 7-yard touchdown, Mahomes found Travis Kelce for a 2-yard reception. Cowboy linebacker Kenneth Murray Jr. provided the coverage on the short Kelce grab. 

With 3:10 remaining in the opening half, reserve Cowboy running back Malik Davis scampered up the middle for a 43-yard touchdown run. The Cowboys led 17-14 at halftime and 20-14 after three quarters. 

Early in the fourth quarter, George Pickens (6 catches, 88 yards) made the play of the game on a long gainer down the right sideline. On 3rd and 8, Pickens ran a slant and caught the Prescott offering before turning toward the sideline and heading up field. Pickens raced up the field and at the 10-yard line hurdled Chiefs’ cornerback Trent McDuffie. The guy is a super athlete. Prescott found Javonte Williams for a short 3-yard touchdown reception, and Pickens completed the two-point conversion. A 26-yard field-goal by Brandon Aubrey on the Cowboys’ next possession made the score 31-21 before Mahomes found Hollywood Brown in the back of the end zone for an impressive toe-tap score that got the Chiefs within three, 31-28. The Cowboys though were able to keep the ball from the Chief offense for the remainder of the contest and secure the win. 

Williams ran 17 times for 59 yards and no scores, while Mahomes tallied 261 yards (23/34) and four touchdowns with no interceptions. While the Chief passing attack, namely Mahomes and Rice (8 catches, 92 yards, 2 touchdowns), gave the Cowboy secondary issues, the ‘Boys run defense was solid again, holding Kareem Hunt to 58 yards on 14 carries, a modest 4.1 yards per attempt. Defensive end Jadeveon Clowney posted two sacks and end Dante Fowler Jr. one. Clowney played a solid game both in run defense and rushing the passer. Quinnen Williams and Kenny Clark did a good job as well. Demarvion Overshown looked more spry, nearly making a shoestring tackle on a Mahomes scramble. The cornerbacks did have issues though down the field. 

Thursday’s result was a major victory for the Cowboys, who are one of, if not the hottest team in the league at the moment having defeated both of 2025’s Super Bowl participants in consecutive weeks. While the defense still has issues, their stinginess in short-yardage situations now is noticeable. It is no doubt the Quinnen Williams effect. 

The offense continues its strong play, with Thursday being a concerted effort to get Lamb involved early. Pickens on the opposite side remains an issue for any and all defenses. With Prescott, Pickens, and Lamb, the Cowboys have their own 3-headed monster. 

For the Chiefs, the loss is a tough one for a team that currently at 6-6 needs to win and then some to keep pace in the AFC. The New England Patriots (10-2), Denver Broncos (9-2), Indianapolis Colts (8-3), Buffalo Bills (7-4), Jacksonville Jaguars (7-4), and Los Angeles Chargers (7-4) are ahead, while the Baltimore Ravens are 6-6 due to their loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday night. The Pittsburgh Steelers stand at 6-5. 

For the Cowboys, the win as mentioned above keeps them sort of afloat in a conference that sees all of the aforementioned teams in the second paragraph ahead of them in the standings. Truthfully, the Week 1 loss at Philadelphia and the home tie vs. the Green Bay Packers will probably come back to bite them. They could easily be a 7 or 8-win team at the moment. 

Rather, they will need to keep winning and keep getting help in order to allow themselves a chance at the postseason, just as the Chiefs will have to do as well. In Week 14, the Cowboys travel to the Motor City to take on the 7-5 Lions. A challenging matchup. 

On Thanksgiving Day however, they were able to secure a win to keep their momentum headed in the right direction.