Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs and the Dallas Cowboys head into their Thanksgiving clash on Thursday riding momentum from gritty Week 12 wins. Kansas City eked out a 23-20 win in overtime against the Indianapolis Colts, while the Cowboys rallied from a 21-point deficit to defeat the Philadelphia Eagles, handing Dallas some much-needed momentum. With both teams now firmly in the playoff hunt, Thursday’s game could carry major postseason implications for two clubs still scrambling to get into the postseason field.
Mahomes enters Thursday’s game after completing 29 of 46 passes for 352 yards and an interception as Kansas City erased a fourth-quarter deficit and sealed the game on a field goal. That performance also made Mahomes the fastest QB in NFL history to reach 35,000 career passing yards, doing so in 123 games — three fewer than the previous record held by current Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Advertisement
Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.Mark Konezny-Imagn Images
The two-time league MVP will now face a Dallas defense that completely obliterated the Eagles in the second half and has shown signs of life in its past two games.
On Wednesday, Mahomes offered praise for Dallas’ much-improved unit and acknowledged the challenge his team faces (via The Athletic’s John Machota).
“Obviously, they’ve been in the scheme a little bit longer and then they’ve added players, they’ve also gotten players healthy,” Mahomes said. “You see that they’re playing at a higher level than they were playing at the beginning of the year. That comes with being more comfortable with the scheme that you’re in. They’re coached really well by Coach Eberflus. They fly around to the football … it will be a great challenge for us.”
Advertisement
Mahomes is right – the Cowboys’ defense shut out of the Eagles after halftime in Week 12 and has shown signs of real improvement, a unit many had questioned earlier in the season. As Mahomes and the Chiefs prepare for Thanksgiving, he knows breaking through Dallas’ revamped defense will be no easy task.
Still, the Cowboys’ defense is ranked among the worst in the NFL statistically. Dallas is 31st in points allowed (28.5), 29th in total defense (377.5 yards per game), 30th in pass defense (252.3) and 22nd in rushing defense (125.2).
Advertisement
In his lone career game against Dallas in 2021, Mahomes delivered 260 yards and an interception and failed to register a touchdown pass, leading the Chiefs to a 19-9 win. He’ll hope to improve on that performance as Kansas City (6-5) aims to sneak itself into the playoff picture with just six games remaining.
The Thanksgiving game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. ET on Thursday, from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, with the broadcast on CBS and streaming via Paramount+.
Related: Chiefs Fans React Strongly to Controversial Travis Kelce Decision
This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Nov 26, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.