Chiefs Outlast Cowboys in Thanksgiving Classic, Win 42–35 in Overtime

ARLINGTON, TX - The Cowboys had AT&T Stadium roaring and a Thanksgiving win within reach - until Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs turned the night into chaos.

Kansas City, entering the game at 4-6-1, outlasted the 9-2 Dallas Cowboys 42-35 in overtime, erasing a two-score fourth-quarter deficit and stealing a statement road win behind Mahomes' six-touchdown performance and Xavier Worthy's game-breaking speed.

"We just kept playing," Chiefs head coach Andy Reid said. "It wasn't perfect, but the guys didn't panic. They trusted each other and kept swinging."

How it happened

The opening quarter hinted at fireworks. Mahomes put the Chiefs on the board first with an 8-yard touchdown pass to Worthy, but Dallas answered with a 10-yard touchdown run to even things up at 7-7.

Kansas City seized control in the second quarter. Mahomes found Isiah Pacheco on a 6-yard touchdown pass, then followed it up with another 6-yard score to Travis Kelce, sending the Chiefs into halftime with a commanding 21-7 lead.

"We felt good at halftime," Mahomes said. "But with that team, in that building, you know it's never over. We knew they'd make a push."

Dallas flipped the script coming out of the locker room. Dak Prescott caught fire in the third quarter, throwing two touchdown passes to George Pickens - from 11 and 22 yards out - before Javonte Williams powered in a 2-yard rushing score just before the end of the quarter. In a matter of minutes, the Cowboys had swung the game and surged ahead 28-21.

"That was the response we wanted," Cowboys head coach Andres Perez said. "The energy, the execution - that's who we are when we're playing our best football."

Fourth-quarter chaos

Early in the fourth, Prescott delivered what looked like the knockout blow, hitting CeeDee Lamb for a 56-yard touchdown to stretch the Dallas lead to 35-21.

At that point, the Cowboys appeared to be in full control. But Mahomes had other ideas.

Mahomes responded with urgency, firing a 16-yard touchdown pass to Noah Gray to pull Kansas City back within one score. Moments later, the stadium fell silent as Mahomes connected with Worthy on a 75-yard strike, tying the game at 35 with under two minutes remaining.

"I just tried to run through it," Worthy said. "When I saw the space, I knew if I didn't slow down, nobody was catching me."

Overtime felt inevitable - and once it arrived, Mahomes finished the job. After marching the Chiefs down the field, he found Marquise Brown on a 1-yard touchdown pass to end one of the wildest games of the season.

"That's what great players do," Reid said. "When the moment's the biggest, they rise up."

What it means

For Dallas, it was a brutal Thanksgiving gut punch. The Cowboys dominated the third quarter and appeared to be in full control early in the fourth, only to watch Mahomes and Worthy rip the game away in a matter of minutes.

"We didn't close it," Perez said. "That's on all of us - coaches, players, everybody. Against a quarterback like that, you have to finish."

For Kansas City, the win could redefine their season. The Chiefs absorbed Dallas' biggest swings, survived a third-quarter avalanche, and still had enough firepower to force overtime and deliver the final blow.

"We needed this one," Mahomes said. "This shows what we're capable of if we stay together."

Up Next

For Dallas, they will look to bounce back in Week 14 against the Detroit Lions. Kansas City returns home in Week 14 to host the Houston Texans, hoping to build off a dramatic Thanksgiving victory.