On Thanksgiving Day at AT&T Stadium, the Week 13 game resulted in a 31-28 win for the Dallas Cowboys against the reigning AFC Champions, the Kansas City Chiefs. This week took the Cowboys to a 6-5-1 record, pushing them above the crucial .500 mark (for the first time this season) and injecting momentum into their season. This win came immediately after defeating the NFC’s number one team, the Philadelphia Eagles. Dallas has now beaten the reigning champions of both the AFC and NFC in back-to-back weeks.
Cowboys Favored for Remainder of Season
CBS Sports lead NFL analyst Tony Romo said on Thursday’s episode of CBS Sports:
“It was just a huge performance,” Romo said. “I think we’ve always been like, ‘All right, let’s see what they do in an incredibly tough situation.’ You’re going against a team that’s played in so many Super Bowls, never not made the AFC Championship under Mahomes, and you came out with your season on the line—truly, Dallas, the season was on the line.
“I think with another loss, they’re probably going to be out, and they won. And they controlled the football game in a lot of ways, which actually gives you a little bit more hope. Because now you’re like, okay, we just did that to the Eagles, who are number one in the NFC, we know this team is always playing in the AFC title game—we got the Lions next week at Detroit.”
The story of the win is the result of excellent offensive execution and a defensive rebound. Quarterback Dak Prescott was the hero of the game – by managing his playmakers and controlling the pocket with his legs, he showed yet another peak-level performance of his career. He finished the game throwing for over 300 yards on 27 of 39 passing completions. He was consistently seen attacking the Chiefs’ weak secondary and showed composure against the blitz (15 of 19).
Prescott’s receiving corps delivered big plays. CeeDee Lamb caught 112 yards and one touchdown on seven receptions, and George Pickens securing 88 yards on six catches. Against the Chiefs in the fourth quarter – when they needed a tough stop – Pickens caught several important passes in decisive moments. He made a catch on an inside slant route to gain a first down, which helped the Cowboys put together their game-winning drive and almost sealed the match.
Cowboys now a “very, very dangerous” team
The defense has completely turned around since their bye week, and now they are playing “humming” football. They have held opponents to an improved 22 points per game. The front seven, led by the healthy return of Quinnen Williams and DeMarvion Overshown, has stabilized the defensive line, helping linebackers reach the football faster and giving the defensive backs favorable down-and-distance situations.
This strong defense held the Kansas City offense to two shutout quarters. They limited the Chiefs to five of 13 on third downs. For the Chiefs, of course, it was a shocking loss. This marks their sixth one-score game loss of the season. This is in contrast to last year’s 12-0 record in such games. Despite Patrick Mahomes throwing for 261 yards and four touchdowns, his performance suffered due to his own mistakes.
Will the Cowboys continue this momentum?
Two-time Super Bowl champion Bryant McFadden focused on the difference between mental mistakes and talent, saying:
“They can’t get the necessary stops… they played well enough on the offensive side to win this ball game, but they had mental miscues—10 penalties for 119 yards—that’s not Andy Reid-like football,” McFadden said. “Then defensively, anytime Dak Prescott needed a play, he went to his five-star wide receivers, CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens.
“So, for the first time in quite some time, Steve Spagnuolo had an issue in terms of talent in the covering positions—at the quarterback positions—because it was just solely their man beating their one-on-one matchups against the Dallas Cowboys in critical moments, especially in the fourth quarter.”
According to Romo, the Cowboys now see themselves as a “very, very dangerous” team. They are showing success in high-pressure thinking while playing in tough situations. Their next big challenge, which is essentially an “official playoff elimination game,” is Thursday Night Football against the Detroit Lions (7-5). A win in this game would place them in a position to stay favored for the entire season.
Main Photo: [Kevin Jairaj] – Imagn Images
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