{"id":68211,"date":"2025-11-28T08:17:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-28T08:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/68211\/"},"modified":"2025-11-28T08:17:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-28T08:17:13","slug":"cowboys-playoff-hopes-brighten-in-thanksgiving-win-over-chiefs-orange-county-register","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/68211\/","title":{"rendered":"Cowboys\u2019 playoff hopes brighten in Thanksgiving win over Chiefs \u2013 Orange County Register"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the second...\" class=\"size-article_inline\"  \/><\/p>\n<p>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez)\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) celebrates after...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Chiefs_Cowboys_Football_06654.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) celebrates after scoring during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez)\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) catches a touchdown...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/APTOPIX_Chiefs_Cowboys_Football_20619-1-1.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Dallas Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb (88) catches a touchdown pass as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) defends during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez)\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) leaps over Kansas...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/APTOPIX_Chiefs_Cowboys_Football_50774.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Dallas Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens (3) leaps over Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez)\n<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" alt=\"Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis, right, scores on a...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/APTOPIX_Chiefs_Cowboys_Football_31641.jpg\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis, right, scores on a touchdown run past Kansas City Chiefs defensive back Chamarri Conner (27) and defensive back Jaden Hicks (21) during the first half of an NFL football game Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/LM Otero)\n<\/p>\n<p>Show Caption<\/p>\n<p>1 of 5<\/p>\n<p>Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the Dallas Cowboys Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo\/Tony Gutierrez)\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#\" class=\"icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand\" aria-label=\"Expand fullscreen slideshow\">Expand<\/a><\/p>\n<p>ARLINGTON, Texas \u2014 Dak Prescott and the Dallas Cowboys still face long odds in trying to rally for a spot in the playoffs.<\/p>\n<p>They won\u2019t be short on confidence with a win over last season\u2019s Super Bowl runner-up just four days after beating the defending champs.<\/p>\n<p>Prescott threw for two touchdowns, Malik Davis sprinted 43 yards for a score and the Cowboys overcame two fourth down TD throws from Patrick Mahomes in a 31-28 Thanksgiving Day victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>CeeDee Lamb scored the first Dallas touchdown and finished with 112 yards on seven catches after drops plagued the star receiver in a 24-21 victory over reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys (6-5-1) have won three straight and dropped the defending AFC champion Chiefs (6-6) back to .500 in a matchup of playoff-chasing teams.<\/p>\n<p>Dallas is 3-0 since 24-year-old defensive end Marshawn Kneeland was found dead of an apparent suicide during the club\u2019s open week. The Cowboys came back from the emotion-filled break with a 33-16 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn top of where we put ourselves right before these games and just the place that we\u2019re in, having to get these wins against two elite teams,\u201d Prescott said. \u201cI mean, two teams that played in the Super Bowl last year. Last year\u2019s last year, but you\u2019re talking about two organizations that obviously know how to win and we just beat them both in two great games.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn top of everything that we\u2019ve been through.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mahomes had four touchdown passes in his first professional game at the home of the Cowboys, where he played three times for Texas Tech, not far from his East Texas roots.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019re the same desperation that we are and they play better over four quarters than we did,\u201d said Mahomes, who threw for 261 yards and was sacked three times, twice by Jadeveon Clowney. \u201cSo even though we have good plays here and there, we have be more consistent at the end of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Travis Kelce caught Mahomes\u2019 first fourth-down TD toss on a 2-yarder, and Rashee Rice\u2019s second scoring catch came on fourth-and-3 early in the fourth quarter.<\/p>\n<p>Kansas City was down 10 when Mahomes was almost tripped in the backfield by Quinnen Williams but kept his feet and found Xavier Worthy wide-open down the field for 42 yards, setting up a 10-yard scoring toss to Hollywood Brown with 3:27 remaining.<\/p>\n<p>Prescott and company didn\u2019t give Mahomes another chance.<\/p>\n<p>After two pass interference penalties gave Dallas first downs, Prescott hit George Pickens for 13 yards and a clinching first down at the two-minute warning. Prescott knelt three times after that.<\/p>\n<p>The Chiefs had five pass interference penalties, one that was declined, and another defensive holding that gave Dallas a first down. Kansas City finished with 10 penalties for 119 yards.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBottom line is we\u2019re having too many penalties, and we have to make sure to take care of that,\u201d Chiefs coach Andy Reid said. \u201cNo excuses with it. We\u2019re going to clean it up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Rice had eight catches for 92 yards, his first score coming on a 27-yard catch-and-run on the sideline two plays after Prescott was intercepted by Jaylen Watson on the first Dallas possession.<\/p>\n<p>Davis had just three carries, but his long run gave Dallas its first lead at 17-14 late in the second quarter. Lead running back Javonte Williams scored on a 3-yard catch early in the fourth quarter, and Pickens\u2019 catch on a 2-point conversion put Dallas back in front 28-21.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys were 10th in the NFC entering the game, same as the Chiefs in the AFC coming off nine consecutive AFC West titles. The schedule doesn\u2019t get much easier, although two of the next four opponents \u2014 all playoff teams from a year ago \u2014 aren\u2019t in the postseason picture at the moment.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve got to continue with the same mentality,\u201d Lamb said. \u201cObviously it\u2019s been a short week. Now we get a little time to rest, a regular week so to speak. We get our bodies back, relax, build, grow, get better and on to next week.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Injuries<\/p>\n<p>Chiefs: The Chiefs lost two offensive linemen to injuries after beginning the game without RG Trey Smith, who was inactive because of an ankle injury. RT Jawaan Taylor injured an elbow, and rookie LT Josh Simmons went out with a wrist injury. \u2026 S Bryan Cook injured an ankle in the first half.<\/p>\n<p>Cowboys: CB Caelen Carson, who had started the previous two games, was inactive after being listed as questionable. He was added to the injury report during the week. \u2026 CB DaRon Bland injured a foot in the second half.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes throws during the second half of an NFL football game against the&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":68212,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[150,152,151,80,154],"class_list":{"0":"post-68211","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arlington","8":"tag-arlington","9":"tag-arlington-headlines","10":"tag-arlington-news","11":"tag-nfl","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68211","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=68211"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/68211\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/68212"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=68211"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=68211"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=68211"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}