Nov 17, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott (4) and center Cooper Beebe (56) warm up prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

What the Chiefs Paid for Against the Cowboys

Originally posted on Kansas City Chiefs on SI
By Fernando Alfaro-Donis | Last updated Nov 29, 2025 12:00 PM ET

The Kansas City Chiefs weren't at home celebrating Thanksgiving with their families; instead, they travelled across the country to take on America's team. Both of these teams were desperate for a win, but it was the Chiefs who couldn't come out on top despite playing some of their best offensive football of the season.

The Dallas Cowboys simply outplayed the Chiefs, and that's the reality that Chiefs Kingdom will have to live with. Despite Patrick Mahomes throwing for four passing touchdowns, it wasn't enough to put this game away, and the Chiefs are back at .500 with a record of 6 - 6.

Their Biggest Fears Realized

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Before the game, the Chiefs must've had some inkling of what they were walking into when they played at AT&T Stadium. The Cowboys offense is one of the most explosive in the league, and they showed that consistently against the Chiefs defense.

They had more than 300 receiving yards as a team, as well as more than 130 rushing yards. Their secondary couldn't stop Dak Prescott and their passing game, even if they tried, and they did try, as shown by how many penalties cost them. This was Trent McDuffie's worst game as a starter in the NFL, as it didn't matter if it was CeeDee Lamb or George Pickens who was giving him work. He was being cooked like Thanksgiving dinner regardless.

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The Chiefs brought back their season from the brink of collapse after beating the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12, but that resilience they showed to claw back into contention was nowhere to be found in Dallas. This was a must-win game for the Chiefs, and they came up short.

That's simply something that the Chiefs haven't been known for in past years. Mahomes has never missed an AFC Championship game in his entire career; one can't achieve that level of greatness without a clutch gene, and that's what's been missing from the Chiefs in 2025.

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Forget the conference championships, the Chiefs are at serious risk of missing the playoffs outright. That would be a catastrophic blow to the Chiefs' legacy of domination and may signal the start of the end of the Chiefs' dynasty.

If it wasn't the case before, every game from now on is a must-win. The Chiefs lose one more game this season, and they will be missing the postseason. Even if they win out, there's still a chance they don't even sneak in. That's how disastrous this loss was, and this Thanksgiving loss will haunt the Chiefs for a long time.

This article first appeared on Kansas City Chiefs on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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