Sam McDowell: Five things that stood out about the Chiefs' loss to the Cowboys on Thanksgiving

Sam McDowell, The Kansas City Star on Nov 27, 2025

Published in Football

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ARLINGTON, Texas — If the Chiefs had a margin for error left this season, they’ll come home without it.

The Cowboys beat the Chiefs, 31-28, on Thanksgiving Day, a game that will send them reeling into the final stretch.

The Chiefs lost the game, lost two more starting offensive linemen, lost their fourth-down courage and lost ground in a playoff race in which they already trailed.

Here are five observations from immediately after Patrick Mahomes’ first NFL game in the town nearest his own:

1. Third-and-long

It’s a sentence I’ve not used this year: The Chiefs’ cornerbacks were torn up.

The Chiefs’ defense will have plenty to clean up after allowing nearly 500 yards of offense, but they actually played just fine on first and second downs.

They were killed on third downs.

Again. And again. And again.

The Chiefs forced Dallas into third-and-long (at least 7 yards to go) six times. Dak Prescott on those snaps: 6 for 6, 95 yards, one touchdown.

That’s the game.

Prescott targeted Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie on two third downs on the same drive, using CeeDee Lamb’s size to win. McDuffie has been terrific this year. He was not-so-terrific Thursday.

And it was George Pickens beating Jaylen Watson for a 39-yard catch in the fourth quarter to set up a go-ahead touchdown.

McDuffie and Watson were also flagged for pass interference multiple times. They were at the center of a tough day for the defense, which couldn’t get off the field to give the Chiefs one final chance, either.

2. Fourth downs

The other team.

The other down.

In his 27th year leading NFL teams, Chiefs head coach Andy Reid has turned up the dial on his fourth-down aggression.

The Chiefs scored two fourth-down touchdowns in goal-to-go situations, yet there’s still enough other evidence to say Reid invoked his most conservative decision-making to date.

It makes for confusing timing.

After a first half dominated by the offenses, Reid played the third quarter as though he was locked in a battle for field position — twice punting from the plus side of the field.

Of course, that’s only part of the story of those punts. There are a couple of other layers.

The Chiefs were called for two questionable penalties to derail two drives after they’d advanced into Dallas territory — a Josh Simmons holding that looked more like a pancake and an Xavier Worthy offensive pass interference flag that looked more like, well, nothing.

But they didn’t respond well to those flags, either. The play-calling grew conservative each time the Chiefs were playing from behind the sticks. And if you’re going to punt from plus territory anyway, why not take a shot downfield first?

3. Playoff chances

The next time the Chiefs take the field, the calendar will have flipped to December.

We’re accustomed to configuring the playoff math.

Not this kind.

We can all but close the door on any small-chance hopes the Chiefs had at getting back into the AFC West.

Will they get in the dance at all?

For the first time in the Patrick Mahomes era, that late-season question will have this answer:

Probably not.

That’s according to the models, by the way. Before the game, the New York Times model offered the Chiefs only a 47% chance to reach the playoffs if they lost in Dallas.

Are they one of the seven best teams in the AFC? Yes.

Is it too late?

4. The lasting impact

The Chiefs are playing from behind in the AFC playoff race.

And now they might be playing shorthanded, too — at two of the most concerning positions.

Right tackle Jawaan Taylor left late in the first half with an elbow injury, and left tackle Josh Simmons joined him in the locker room with a wrist injury. Neither returned.

The Chiefs were already playing without Trey Smith, leaving them with only Creed Humphrey and Kingsley Suamataia as available starting protection in front of Mahomes.

It’s one loss. But this could have an even larger effect.

It did a year ago. The Chiefs have gotten by with inferior play on the interior offensive line. They’ve not handled subpar tackle play nearly as smoothly.

5. 15 to 87

Patrick Mahomes to Travis Kelce. It’s a combination that has produced 59 touchdowns.

This one was different — even if it covered all of 2 yards.

On fourth down, Mahomes dropped back and never looked elsewhere.

Here’s why it’s different: Kelce was never open. In fact, when Mahomes released the ball, Kelce was fully blanketed by linebacker Kenneth Murray. Mahomes, though, sensed the leverage and threw it anyway.

And unlike his late fourth-down touchdown pass to Rashee Rice, he wasn’t being pressured. He chose a tight window.

That’s an offseason point of emphasis and a new development this season. A career-high 12.8% of Mahomes’ passes have been tucked into tight windows, per Next Gen Stats.

That’s a big jump from the last four years (10.3%, 9.7%, 10.2% and 8.7%, respectively).