Despite the popularity of the Kansas City Chiefs, they haven’t played on Thanksgiving since 2006. The NFL has long prioritized the Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys to play on Thanksgiving, but now the Chiefs get a taste of the holiday game. Not only are they playing on Thanksgiving, but they’re playing the Cowboys in a game that could crush viewership records around the world.
Kansas City Chiefs Eye Third Straight Thanksgiving Win
For just the 11th time in franchise history, the Chiefs are set to play on Thanksgiving. Back in 2006, they took down the Denver Broncos, 19-10. Ten years prior, they beat the Detroit Lions, 28-24. Now, they’re back at it, nearly 20 years later, looking to get their third straight Thanksgiving win at the expense of a Cowboys team that just wiped away a 21-point deficit to beat the reigning Super Bowl Champions.
All in all, the Chiefs are 5-5 on Thanksgiving. It’s essential to note that these records count the 1960 game as played by the Dallas Texans and include three AFL games from 1967 to 1979. From 1971 onward, the Chiefs have played in six Thanksgiving games, sporting a 3-3 record.
Given that the Chiefs are tasked with traveling to Dallas for this game, they could be seen as the slight underdog. This isn’t necessarily about which team has played on Thanksgiving more, but both teams are coming in with a ton of momentum.
Kansas City’s 23-20 win in overtime against the Indianapolis Colts was a statement win as it could’ve seen them going under .500 once again, similar to their 1-2 start to the season.
Instead, the Chiefs sit at 6-5 against a red-hot Cowboys team. Dallas is led by quarterback Dak Prescott, who is seventh in the league with his B grade in PFSN’s QB Impact Metric. After a stellar performance against the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that shut down quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl last year, the Dallas Cowboys are 5-5-1, looking to get over .500 for the first time this season.
For reference, Mahomes is 11th in the Metric with a C+ grade. It’s been far from a perfect year for the Chiefs, but Mahomes is continuing to get back on track to his MVP ways. Playing on Thanksgiving is a new environment for this entire team, and it’s one that won’t phase the Cowboys whatsoever.
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One would have to go back to 1995, to the last and only time the Cowboys and Chiefs have played on Thanksgiving. In that game, the Cowboys won, 24-12, in front of their fans in Dallas.