The (6-5) Kansas City Chiefs will take on the (5-5-1) Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving Day for the 11th time the franchise has played on Turkey Day. The game will kick off at 3:30 p.m. Arrowhead time from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Both teams are deep in the playoff hunt for their respective conferences and have a small margin for error.
The Chiefs are 5-5 historically on Thanksgiving; the most recent was a 19-10 win over the Denver Broncos in 2006. The last time Kansas City visited Dallas on Thanksgiving was in 1995; they lost 24-12.
Featuring two of the largest fan bases in the NFL, this game could draw a record number of viewers — and there is a good chance there will be some fireworks. Here are five things to watch:
1. Managing a holiday week
Both the Chiefs and Cowboys played stressful games ahead of the short holiday week that is notoriously difficult for players and coaches. Kansas City won in overtime against the Indianapolis Colts, while Dallas came back from down 21-0 to beat the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles in the closing moments.
Both teams are dealing with injured players. Each side could be without starting offensive linemen: Chiefs’ right guard Trey Smith left Sunday’s game with an ankle injury that could cause him to miss time, while Cowboys’ left tackle Tyler Guyton also suffered an ankle injury and is expected to miss this game.
On the playoff fringe, each team’s heavy contributors will need to be as available as possible.
2. Chiefs’ secondary versus Cowboys’ wide receivers
Dallas’ two-headed monster of wide receivers George Pickens and CeeDee Lamb has been lethal all season. Pickens is second in the NFL in receiving yards this season with 1,054, while Lamb has 632.
Pickens has had productive games in back-to-back weeks — but the deadly duo has strained defenses all season. Kansas City’s secondary will have a tough task, but cornerback Trent McDuffie and his teammates should be up for the challenge.
Pickens’ contested-catch ability is not a great matchup for McDuffie. He should be able to stick with Lamb, working to prevent him from working the intermediate passing game and generating explosive yards-after-catch situations.
Against Pickens, the Chiefs would be wise to lean on cornerback Jaylen Watson as well as safety help over the top. I would expect defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s unit to keep quarterback Dak Prescott on his toes by mixing and matching coverages.
3. Mahomes returns to the Lone Star State
A Texas native, Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes will be making his second home-state NFL start. It’s his first in AT&T Stadium, the site of the team he grew up cheering for. Mahomes’ first trip to Texas was against the Houston Texans in 2022; he finished with over 300 passing yards, two touchdowns and an overtime win.
The Cowboys have some new faces on defense after a busy trade deadline — but the defense still ranks 29th in total yards allowed per game in the NFL. Dallas allows 252 passing yards per game, and that rate increases to 289 yards at home.
Throughout his career, Mahomes has had elite performances playing in a dome. Against the Cowboys’ back end — which has struggled — he could be on his way to a prolific performance.
4. Running back rotation
Lead back Isiah Pacheco is expected to return to the starting lineup this week after missing three games due to a knee injury. This will come at a welcome time, since veteran running back Kareem Hunt had a large workload on Sunday.
Hunt touched the ball 33 times — tied for a career high — and put up over 100 yards from scrimmage with a touchdown.
The heroic performance is unlikely to be duplicated on a short week.
Pacheco will likely take on the heavier workload — and should be accompanied by rookie running back Brashard Smith. Clyde Edwards-Helaire has been elevated from the practice squad twice this season, leaving only one standard elevation remaining.
There is an outside chance that Dameon Pierce — who signed with the Chiefs’ practice squad on Sunday — could be ready to elevate to the gameday roster, but Kansas City will likely give it more thought in preparation for Week 14 against his former team, the Houston Texans.
5. Defensive line impact
Both teams boast star defensive tackles in a matchup where offensive linemen injured on both sides; the defensive fronts could dictate which way the games go.
The Chiefs’ All-Pro defensive tackle Chris Jones started the season slowly, but has turned it on during the last two weeks; he played a critical role in Kansas City’s comeback against Indianapolis. The Cowboys recently traded for their own All-Pro defensive tackle, Quinnen Williams, and he has been a force since joining Dallas. Each disruptive defender will be the focal point of the opponent’s pass protection.
Because protection could potentially slide toward either player, it could open up other opportunities for the rest of the defensive line.
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