Chiefs-Cowboys on Thanksgiving: What We Learned from Dallas' 31-28 win

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• READ: Chiefs LT Simmons suffers dislocated, fractured wrist in loss

1. Prescott outduels Mahomes for pivotal Cowboys victory. The Chiefs' blitz got Dak Prescott on the second pass of the Thanksgiving contest, forcing an interception. From there, the Cowboys quarterback was flawless. Prescott continually avoided pressure to make magic on the move and picked apart the Chiefs defense with quick slants. Prescott led the Cowboys to scoring drives on six of Dallas' nine non-end-of-half possessions. He iced the game with a dart to George Pickens to avoid giving Patrick Mahomes the ball back. Prescott finished with 320 yards on 27-of-39 passing with two TDs, one INT, and didn’t take a sack. Dak’s ability to avoid pressure was key, keeping the Cowboys out of long down-and-distances. He finished 10 of 12 under pressure, per Next Gen Stats, for 108 yards, two TDs and one INT, for a +24.7% completion percentage over expected. Prescott was a maestro identifying Chiefs blitzes and making them pay, whether it was a slant to Pickens or a 51-yard bomb to CeeDee Lamb. After getting down early, the Cowboys marched up and down the field. In a near must-win, Dallas, moving to 6-5-1, keeps itself alive for a playoff spot ahead of next week’s showdown in Detroit.
2. Chiefs' miscues come back to haunt. Patrick Mahomes nearly pulled off another epic comeback, stacking how-did-he-do-that plays, particularly late in the game, to cut the Cowboys' double-digit lead. However, the miscues and a mid-game lull spelled doom. Following back-to-back early scoring drives to open the game, the offense went cold. Four straight Chiefs drives sputtered over the second and third quarters, despite crossing midfield on each possession. The hiccup allowed the Cowboys to take control of the contest in the middle frames. Mahomes engineered a comeback bid, but the defense’s inability to slow Dak Prescott stung. Drops peppered the offensive problems, but penalties on both sides of the ball were K.C.’s biggest bugaboo. Andy Reid’s squad was penalized 10 times for 119 yards on the day, including multiple holds and big defensive pass interference calls. It’s not the winning ball that the Chiefs have been known for the past decade. The loss pushed K.C. to 6-6, putting its 10-year playoff streak on life support.
3. Dallas' defense continues to improve. The trade-deadline moves continue to pay off for Jerry Jones’ club. Defensive tackle Quinnen Williams generated a team-high six QB pressures and tied for the lead with two run stuffs. Williams’ presence completely changes how Dallas can play defense -- he took on 10 double teams on 29 pass rush snaps, most among Cowboys players. The back end getting healthier has also been massive for Brian Schottenheimer’s club, not as easily giving up free releases as they did early in the season. Things got a little wobbly early, with the Chiefs gashing Dallas on the opening drives, but the Cowboys defense settled in and made the stops that mattered. They held Patrick Mahomes & Co. to 5-of-13 on third downs for the game. The biggest stop was a quick three-and-out in the fourth quarter after Dallas retook the lead -- a spot where Mahomes usually answers.

Next Gen Stats Insight for Chiefs-Cowboys (via NFL Pro): CeeDee Lamb caught four of his five targets against Trent McDuffie for 44 yards and a touchdown, while also gaining 51 yards on a fourth-quarter shot against Chamarri Conner. Lamb additionally drew three pass interference penalties for 50 yards in matchups with McDuffie. Four of Lamb's receptions, 93 of his yards, and his touchdown came on throws downfield (10+ air yards).

NFL Research: The Chiefs have five road losses this season, their most in the Patrick Mahomes era and the team's most since Andy Reid's second season as head coach in 2014 (5).