The Cowboys and Chiefs enter this game with similar situations – which is a surprise in itself. But the 6-5 Chiefs travel to face the 5-5-1 Cowboys, both fresh off last-second wins by a field goal.
Now, Kansas City has stumbled more than expected but behind Patrick Mahomes, who will make his first professional start at AT&T Stadium, the Chiefs have the firepower to make a run. The Cowboys are looking to make a run as well, eyeing their first three-game since the 2023 season.
There will be many storylines for the week, as we detail five each for the Chiefs and Cowboys.
Chiefs
The Winning Side – Who would've thought a late-November overtime win at home over the Colts, would be the game to lift the Chiefs back into a winning record again. But that's where Kansas City stands, now at 6-5, thanks to a dramatic comeback win over Indy, 23-20 in overtime. The Chiefs are still within striking distance of making the playoffs, but it'll likely have to be as a Wild Card, considering they are three games behind Denver in the AFC West, including a loss to the Broncos two weeks ago.
Playing it Close – The Chiefs had become one of the best teams in NFL history, in one-score games … until they weren't. After winning 12 straight one-score games, the Chiefs had lost all five of their close games this year, until finally getting over the hump and beating the Colts in overtime last Sunday in a game they trailed at one point 14-6.
RB1 to Return – The Chiefs are expected to get starting running back Isaiah Pacheco back in the lineup for Thursday's game with the Cowboys. Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said "we'll get them in there "referring to Pacheco, although it may be in a limited role. He's been out since October 27 with a right knee injury that he suffered against Washington. Since then, the Chiefs have leaned on veteran Kareem Hunt, but should have more of a 1-2 punch with Pacheco and hunt in the backfield against the Cowboys.
Mahomes in AT&T – For a guy who has won three Super Bowl MVP awards and two NFL MVPs, it's hard to think there's anything that will be a "first." But Thursday's game will be Mahomes' first-ever start at AT&T Stadium, as a professional. He did start a pair of games here for Texas Tech but in his only trip to Arlington as a member of the Chiefs, he was a backup to Alex Smith during his rookie season of 2017. As a starter, Mahomes is 1-0 against the Cowboys, winning a game in Kansas City back in 2021.
Missing Piece – One of Mahomes' top offensive linemen won't be available for the Chiefs this week as All-Pro guard Trey Smith is expected to miss due to an ankle injury. Trey Smith signed a four-year, $94 million extension back in training camp, not long before Tyler Smith signed a four-year, $96 million extension with the Cowboys.
Cowboys
Becoming a winning team – The Cowboys have yet to be over .500 at any point this year, but it can happen with a win Thursday. The Cowboys sit at 5-5-1, but are looking for a third-straight victory overall this year, and a fourth-straight win on Thanksgiving Day. The Cowboys are desperately hanging on to their playoff hopes, but it's going to take a near-perfect finish down the stretch.
Getting Stops – The Cowboys are currently on an eight-drive streak of stops from the defensive side of the ball. Can they keep it going when the Chiefs come to town on Thursday? It certainly didn't look like that type of streak would happen after the Eagles scored three straight touchdowns to grab a 21-0 lead. But the Cowboys defense, anchored now by Quinnen Williams and linebackers DeMarvion Overshown and Logan Wilson, stopped Philly eight straight times to shut them out for the majority of the final three quarters.
PICK'd Apart - George Pickens might be the most dangerous wide receiver in the NFL right now. While he ranks second in yards behind Seattle's Jaxon-Smith Njigba (1,313 receiving yards), Pickens has become a human-highlight reel. Last week, he caught nine of nine targets for 146 yards. If he can surpass 140 again, Pickens would join CeeDee Lamb as the only Cowboys player with three straight 140-yard game and become one of just 15 players in NFL history.
Taking a backseat? – There hasn't been a time, aside from amybe his rookie year, when CeeDee Lamb wasn't the star of the show in the passing game. Now that Pickens has exploded, Lamb has taken a backseat, only in yards. But when it comes to attention from the defense, he has still commanded more double-teams this year and Dak threw the ball to him 11 times last week, with four receptions. Lamb vowed to "lock in" even more this week and bounce back after a couple of costly drops in the last two weeks.
Left tackle change? – Tyler Guyton suffered a high-ankle sprain and is not expected to play Thursday after missing two days of practice and not finishing Sunday's game. Nate Thomas will likely get the start for the second time this season.
