Cowboys Cook the Chiefs on Thanksgiving — Playoffs in the Future?

ARLINGTON TEXAS – DFW Metroplex… we back in our feelings again. Four days after shocking the Eagles with that 21-0 comeback where Dak broke Tony Romo’s all-time passing record, the Cowboys turned around and beat Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs 31–28 on Thanksgiving at AT&T. Now the record sits at 6-5-1, the vibes are up, and the playoff delusion in the city is cooking harder than the dressing in Big Mama’s kitchen.  


Dak Didn’t Chase Records — He Protected the One He Just Broke

Dak already smashed Romo’s franchise passing yards record in that Eagles comeback. This game wasn’t about chasing history — it was about stacking wins.  

He finished Thanksgiving with:

27 of 39 passing
320 yards
2 touchdowns & 1 early interception  

No panic, no rushing, just veteran poise. After an early pick that KC turned into a TD, Dak settled in, started using the whole field, and kept the offense on schedule. He didn’t have to be a superhero — he just had to be the franchise QB he already is. And he was.

CeeDee Lamb: “WR1”

Let’s talk about CeeDee. Four days ago, everybody was clowning his drops even in a win over Philly. This time? He shut all that up. Lamb:

7 catches
112 yards
1 touchdown  

He scored Dallas’ first TD on a 15-yard route to tie it 7–7 after KC jumped out early, and from there he stayed in bully mode. This is the version of CeeDee that scares defensive coordinators: attacking the ball, yards after catch, big-moment confidence. When he’s in that bag, this whole offense looks different.

George Pickens: Quiet… Until It Was Time to Be Loud

On the stat sheet, George Pickens had a solid but not crazy line — 6 catches for 88 yards, no touchdowns. But if you watched the game, you know: he picked his moments.

He hauled in physical, contested grabs to keep drives alive. He caught the two-point conversion from Dak after the Javonte Williams TD, flipping a 21–20 deficit into a 28–21 lead early in the fourth. Then, with the Chiefs trying to steal it late, Dak hit Pickens on a 13-yard route at the two-minute warning to ice the game. That’s what you want from your guy when the cameras zoom in — maybe not loud all night, but deadly when it counts.


Malik Davis & Javonte Williams: Role Players, BIG Moments

The run game chipped in with two huge highlights:

Malik Davis busted a 43-yard touchdown run in the second quarter to give Dallas its first lead, 17–14, and flip the whole flow of the game. In the fourth, Javonte Williams caught a 3-yard TD from Dak to answer Mahomes’ strike and take back control at 28–21. When your RBs are making highlight plays on national TV? That’s when you know the whole locker room is locked in.


Mahomes Tried It… Defense Bent, Didn’t Break

Mahomes did Mahomes things:

23 of 34, 261 yards, 4 TDs, 0 picks, with two touchdowns to Rashee Rice. He kept Kansas City in it all night, including a late TD to Hollywood Brown that cut it to 31–28 with just over three minutes left. But Dallas’ defense made just enough plays: pressure up front, including big work from Jadeveon Clowney, tackling in space, forcing KC to burn time instead of stealing the whole game back. They didn’t dominate — but they delivered when the moment demanded it.


Aubrey, Turpin & Closing Time

Up 28–21 in the fourth, Dallas drove again and Brandon Aubrey banged through a 26-yard field goal to make it 31–21 after a clutch fumble recovery by Kevontae Turpin. Kansas City answered with that late TD, but after that? It was all about finishing. Dallas got the ball back needing one more drive to kill the clock. A couple of key penalties on KC helped, and then Dak hit Pickens for that 13-yard dagger just before the two-minute warning. From there, it was kneel-down city. No collapse. No heartbreak. Just clean, grown-man clock management to close out Mahomes on a holiday.


So… What Does This Mean for the Playoffs?

Let’s keep it a buck: Dallas is now 6-5-1. They just beat the defending champs (Eagles) and last year’s Super Bowl runner-up (Chiefs) in the same week.  
The NFC wild-card race is wide open especially with Eagles losing to the Chicago Bears today.

Are we “favorites”? No. Are we dead? Absolutely not. If this version of the Cowboys sticks around — with Dak in full command, Lamb in superstar mode, Pickens performing clutch, the run game becoming more explosive in spots, and that defense playing timely instead of tragic —then nobody’s gonna be thrilled to see that star on the other sideline in January.


Final Word from a Tired, Happy, Still-Delusional Cowboys Fan

I know better. I’ve seen this movie. But I don’t care. We beat Jalen Hurts and the defending champs.. We beat the generational talent known as Patrick Mahomes and all of a sudden we’ve got life again. So yeah… I’m back in. Back yelling at the TV, back checking playoff scenarios and my personal favorite, back arguing with strangers in comment sections. Because right now? The Cowboys got a pulse. The city got its hope back. And the delusion… is ELITE.


How ’bout them Cowboys?!


Written by JuugMasterJay
Catch me inside The Red Room, Saturdays 7 PM to 12 AM on 97.9 The Beat.
IG: @JuugMasterJay