KSHB 41 reporter Tod Palmer covers sports business and eastern Jackson County. He also covers the Chiefs on game days as our digital reporter. Share your story idea with Tod.
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For the second consecutive week, a desperate Kansas City Chiefs team needed a fourth-quarter comeback to keep its playoff hopes alive.
But unlike last week, when Kansas City’s defense stymied Indianapolis down the stretch with four straight three-and-outs in an overtime win, the Dallas Cowboys would not be denied a crucial victory for their own postseason hopes Thursday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Amid a barrage of dropped passes and penalties — 10 for a season-worst 119 yards, to be exact — the Chiefs, who were playing on Thanksgiving for the first time since 2006, sank back to .500 on the season as their playoff hopes faded once again.
Kansas City (6-6) entered the week with a 61% chance to reach the postseason, according to The Athletic’s NFL Playoff Simulator, but those odds crashed to 46% with the 31-28 loss.
The Chiefs dropped to 1-6 in one-score games with the latest defeat.
DUELING QBS
Patrick Mahomes did what he could in the fourth period.
Even with a patchwork offensive line, Mahomes willed Kansas City into a fourth-quarter lead, going 5 of 8 for 71 yards on an 80-yard touchdown drive that put the Chiefs in front 21-20.
Mahomes — who finished 23 of 34 for 261 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions in his first NFL game in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where he grew up — conjured some fourth-and-goal magic after he got flushed to his left and threw against his body.
Rashee Rice — another Dallas-area native, who finished with eight catches for 92 yards and two scores — made a leaping catch in the middle of the end zone on the other end for a 3-yard score, but the lead didn’t last.
Dak Prescott led the Cowboys on back-to-back scoring drives, which netted 11 points as Dallas surged to an insurmountable lead.
Prescott, who finished 27 of 39 for 320 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, put the Cowboys back on top with a 3-yard touchdown to Javonte Williams and two-point conversion to George Pickens.
Fittingly, for a Kansas City team reached double-digit penalties for the fourth time this season, a holding penalty short-circuited the next offensive drive before Dallas took a two-score lead — with a little luck to boot.
There were around 6 minutes left when cornerback Trent McDuffie, who had a miserable game, punched the ball free from Pickens after a third-down catch in the red zone, but KaVontae Turpin beat a trio of Chiefs defenders, including linebacker Drue Tranquill and safety Jaden Hicks, to the ball and recovered the fumble.
Brandon Aubrey drilled a 26-yard field goal one play later for a 31-21 lead.
Mahomes put on his cape for the next drive, stepping through two would-be tackles and staying up despite a stumble as he was flushed toward the right sideline before heaving a 42-yard bomb to Xavier Worthy.
Four plays later, he fired a 10-yard touchdown to Hollywood Brown in the back of the end zone to keep hope alive, but pass interference calls against Jaylen Watson and McDuffie — who was flagged three times for DPI in the game, all against CeDee Lamb — allowed the Cowboys to burn up the Chiefs’ three timeouts and run out the clock, possibly on any postseason hope for Andy Reid’s squad.
INJURIES DECIMATE O-LINE
Kansas City entered the game knowing it would be without right guard Trey Smith, who signed a record contract for his position in the offseason.
Smith suffered a sprained ankle last week and the short week for a Thursday afternoon game meant he wasn’t able to get it rehabbed in time to play at Dallas.
But what Kansas City hadn't counted on was losing both of its starting tackles as well.
Right tackle Jawaan Taylor, who has never missed a game due to injury in his seven-year NFL career, suffered an elbow injury in the second quarter.
Jaylon Moore replaced Taylor.
Late in the third quarter, Wanya Morris stepped in at left tackle after rookie Josh Simmons was sidelined with a wrist injury.
That left center Creed Humphrey and left guard Kingsley Suamataia as the only regular starters available on the offensive line.
LAMB, PICKENS CARVE UP KC'S CORNERS
Trent McDuffie hadn’t allowed more than 38 yards in coverage in any of the Chiefs’ first 11 games of the season, but that didn’t stop the Cowboys from attacking him early.
With McDuffie lined up against CeeDee Lamb, Prescott connected with him three times — twice to convert third-and-long and then for a 15-yard touchdown — on Dallas’ second drive.
Lamb beat McDuffie on an out route for a 10-yard gain on third-and-7 early in the drive and caught a 17-yard pass over the middle on third-and-9 later in the drive.
He then beat McDuffie, who stumbled in the end zone, for the game-tying score to cap a 12-play, 75-yard march.
In the first quarter, Lamb had four catches for 44 yards, already the most McDuffie had allowed in any game.
McDuffie later got flagged for pass interference when he got physical with Lamb on a deep shot down the right sideline. The 32-yard penalty led to a 36-yard field goal and a 20-14 Cowboys lead.
The Chiefs took the lead with a fourth-down touchdown on the subsequent drive before McDuffie was flagged for another pass interference penalty, this one for 11 yards, in coverage against Lamb.
That led to the Cowboys’ go-ahead touchdown, a freelanced 3-yard pitch from Prescott to Javonte Williams.
Dallas went in front 28-21 when Prescott darted a two-point conversion to George Pickens at the front left pylon.
Pickens, who had two catches for 50 yards earlier in the drive, had been relatively quiet until that point. He’d managed only two catches for 22 yards, but the Chiefs had no answer for the Cowboys’ dynamic duo on the game-ending drive.
Both drew pass interference penalties and Pickens, who finished with six catches for 88 yards, iced the game with a 13-yard catch in front of Watson on a third-down slant.
Lamb finished with seven catches for 112 yards and two scores, while also drawing three penalties for 55 more yards against McDuffie.
Watson had his second DPI penalty declined after Pickens made the catch anyway.
It was a rare rough day for the secondary, especially after things started so well.
The Chiefs’ defense picked off Prescott on the game’s third play and Mahomes and company turned it into points only two plays later.
Kansas City had four interceptions in its first five games, but only two — both against Washington’s Marcus Mariota in Week 8 — in the six games since.
The Chiefs hadn’t forced any turnovers in the last three games — losses at Buffalo and Denver sandwiched around the bye before last week’s overtime win against Indianapolis — but a blitzing Jaden Hicks pressured Prescott into an underthrown pass.
It floated to Watson, whose 14-yard return set up Kansas City at the Dallas 37-yard line.
Mahomes found Brown for 10 yards on the first snap before Rice turned a quick screen to the left into a 27-yard touchdown catch and run.
Even after Dallas answered with a touchdown, the Chiefs netted five first downs in a second straight touchdown march to begin the game.
The offense stalled from there, picking up only five first down across the next four drives, which all ended in punts.
The Cowboys outscored the Chiefs 10-0 in the second quarter and 3-0 in the third period, taking a six-point lead into the fourth quarter.
PACHECO RETURNS, HUNT SHOULDERS LOAD
After three games carrying the load in the run game, Kareem Hunt remained the starting running back even with Isiah Pacheco’s return from a sprained knee.
With the game tied at a touchdown apiece, Hunt had four of the five running-back carries on Kansas City’s second drive, a 12-play march that covered 72 yards after Mahomes found tight end Travis Kelce for a 2-yard touchdown on fourth-and-goal to cap the drive.
Pacheco only had one carry, a 9-yard burst off the right side, while Hunt racked up 26 yards rushing as the Chiefs grabbed the lead.
It was a short-lived lead as the Cowboys responded with a 49-yard Brandon Aubrey field goal, forced the game’s first punt, then punished the Chiefs for losing gap integrity up front with a 43-yard Malik Davis touchdown run — the longest run of his NFL career — and a 17-14 lead.
Defensive tackle Chris Jones was spotted on the sideline after the play, tapping his chest and seemingly accepting responsibility for the big play with coaches and teammates.
Two Josh Simmons holding penalties led to punts, including one after Kansas City had reached field-goal range on a two-minute drive to close the first half.
Hunt finished with 14 carries for 58 yards, while Pacheco added three carries for 16 yards in his first game back. He also caught two passes for 17 yards, while Hunt had a 22-yard catch and run.
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