Chiefs at Cowboys game could eclipse viewer record as both teams remain in playoff chase
PublishedNovember 24, 2025 7:34 AM EST•UpdatedNovember 24, 2025 7:34 AM EST
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There were whispers among NFL leadership Sunday evening that we’d just witnessed the best week of the 2025 season and that in a few days we could see the biggest example of how popular the league has become, with a massive Thanksgiving Day television audience serving as proof.
The record television audience for an NFL regular-season game is approximately 42.1 million viewers reached on Thanksgiving Day 2022 when the Dallas Cowboys played the New York Giants.Â
NFL Expects Huge Thanksgiving Audience
NFL executives expect the Kansas City Chiefs at Dallas Cowboys Thanksgiving game to approach and possibly surpass that record number. And the Chicago Bears at Philadelphia Eagles game on Black Friday may not be far behind.
That’s all because on Sunday the Chiefs and Cowboys made renewed cases for getting in the playoffs and did it in an amazing manner – Dallas erasing 21-0 deficit against the Eagles to win 24-21, and the Chiefs overcoming a 20-9 fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Indianapolis Colts 23-20 in overtime.
The fallout from all that is that the Chiefs are still alive in the chase for a playoff race even though their 6-5 record has them in the AFC’s No. 10 spot as teams in the conference chase the top seven positions that will qualify for the postseason.
The Cowboys similarly saved their season for at least one week. Their comeback prevented the Eagles from basically calling a lid on the remainder of the NFC East race.Â
Jerry Jones Proud Of Win Over Philly
Instead, the Cowboys have outside hopes they can still make up the 2.5-game margin between them and Philadelphia. And, of course, the Cowboys are still in the hunt for a wildcard berth and will remain there as long as they keep winning.
“You’ve got to have these little wins as you look [at the] daunting [schedule] ahead and our numbers of what we’re going to do to get in the playoffs,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said the victory. “But that’s one right there that I’ll be as proud of on my dying breath as I will any game we’ve won around here.”
Today, the NFL boasts that only one team – the New York Giants – is mathematically out of playoff contention.
And only four teams – Giants, Jets, Titans and Raiders – are eliminated from division contention.Â
Divisions Tighten, Increasing Interest
Multiple divisions, meanwhile, feature a close race that will be decided in the coming weeks.
The Baltimore Ravens, winners of five consecutive games, on Sunday overtook the Pittsburgh Steelers for first place in the AFC North even as both teams are 6-5.
The Colts are suddenly trying to stave off the Jaguars and Texans, with two games against each division rival remaining.
The Denver Broncos own a two-game lead in the AFC West but must play at Kansas City and against the Chargers the final two weeks of the season.
In the NFC East, we know the Eagles still own a commanding lead over the Cowboys but the Eagles are full of drama when they win and things are good. Imagine what is about to happen in the next couple of days after such a bizarre loss.
Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) rolls out as Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Patrick Queen (6) defends during the second half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
Bears Are On A RollÂ
That’s where the conversation turns to the NFC North because the Eagles host the Bears at 3 p.m. on Friday. And the Bears have won eight of their last nine games and lead the North with a 8-3 record, but every game is important because the Green Bay Packers and Detroit Lions don’t have the look of teams about to fade.
The NFC South is knotted between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers. And while the Panthers play Monday night, they and Bucs will play each other twice in the coming weeks.
The NFC West is also tight. It’s a three-team race between the Rams, Seahawks and 49ers currently in that order.
That means six of the eight divisions have teams within two games of each for the lead and eventual division title. That kind of competitive snapshot adds interest and drama and, yes, bigger audiences.
No wonder NFL executives are pleased.