ARLINGTON, Texas — Few annual traditions hit as hard, pun intended, as the Dallas Cowboys playing football in front of a national audience on Thanksgiving. And, this time around, the battle was pure, unadulterated must-see TV, as future Hall of Fame quarterback Patrick Mahomes returned to his native stomping ground to try and lead the Kansas City Chiefs to a win.
He found himself going up against a defense that looked very different than just a few weeks ago, when it was statistically the worst in the entire NFL — the blockbuster trade for All-Pro defensive tackle headlining the group, along with the return of someone Mahomes knows well from their youthful days together in East Texas.
Dak Prescott, George Pickens and the Cowboys' offense helped an outstanding effort by their defense in mounting a historic 21-point comeback win against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles only four days prior, giving them a short week to try and win a third straight game to keep their playoff hopes alive.
They'd do exactly that, and it would take a team effort to get'er done, and the Cowboys who made my list this week deserve turkey, ham and all the fixings ... and some sweet potato pie, too.
[Note: This list is unranked.]
CeeDee Lamb
“We know the problem: I need to catch the f–king ball.” This was Lamb's quote during a short week preparing for the Chiefs after suffering several drops against the Eagles four days prior, and he delivered like Santa on Christmas Eve. The All-Pro's first four targets included three catches and two first downs, along with a PBU that kept Dak Prescott from suffering a second interception in as many drives — the scoring to end the drive with a beautiful touchdown that collected the ankles of Trent McDuffie, one of the best cornerbacks in the game. Yeah, 88 is back.
Malik Davis
A journey is only as valuable as someone's dedication to seeing it through. Davis is a testament to perseverance, having been waived multiple times in his young NFL career by the Cowboys, only to be called back up and patiently, time and again, wait for his moment. It arrived against the Chiefs, when Davis exploded through the line and made another guy miss en route to a 43-yard touchdown run to give Dallas their first lead of the game (17-14 in the second quarter) and the longest TD run of anyone on the Cowboys' roster this season.
Dak Prescott
An early interception for a second consecutive week was overcome yet again by Prescott, continuing to prove he never gets too high or too low. The All-Pro quarterback simply keeps grinding forward and the offense follows suit, the entire unit having overcome some early miscues, CeeDee Lamb notwithstanding. Prescott regained his composure and kept it throughout the remainder of the game, rewarding Lamb and others, like KaVontae Turpin, in the process — turning up the heat in the fourth quarter to the point it could've burned the turkey; and Pickens came alive to help him do it.
George Pickens
A quiet first three quarters lulled the Chiefs into somehow believing Pickens wouldn't eventually make a game-changing play, or multiple ones. The first Cowboys' drive of the final session saw Prescott find Pickens on an explosive 39-yard catch-and-run that put Dallas deep into enemy territory before grabbing an inside slant on the very next play to make it short yardage to the goal line. Prescott and Javonte Williams would do the rest, but Pickens wasn't done, making an unbelievable grab with his toes in the end zone as a defender was draped over him for a two-point conversion to give the Cowboys a 28-21 lead. The alien strikes again, though he owes KaVontae Turpin a free steak dinner.
KaVontae Turpin
Since the unfortunate fumble against the Eagles, Turpin (including in that game) refocused and has been very impactful for the Cowboys' offense. He helped propel the Cowboys past the Eagles in the historic comeback victory and, against the Chiefs, was once again tearing off chunks of yardage after getting the ball in space before turning on the afterburners. It's the best groove Turpin has been in since returning from injury a few weeks ago. Oh, and he recovered a fumble by Pickens on the Chiefs' 12-yard line that allowed Dallas to kick a field goal to make ita 31-21 game with only five minutes to play … a game-altering level of hustle.
The Defensive Line
It began with Jadeveon Clowney saving a touchdown early in the game by chasing the play down from behind and continued when he delivered a seven-yard sack on Patrick Mahomes with seven minutes to play in the second quarter, forcing a 3rd-and-26 and eventual punt with the Chiefs nursing a 14-10 lead at the time. Prior to the sack, it was Solomon Thomas and Kenny Clark bearing down on Mahomes to force a broken play. You have to want more in the realm of sacks, but they also get credit for keeping Mahomes from being comfortable in the pocket at any point during the contest.
The Secondary
Mahomes was doing Mahomes things, even when pressured, and a couple of critical drops by his receivers in the fourth quarter notwithstanding, the Cowboys' depleted secondary fared far better than most would've assumed going into this matchup. There were coverage pressures, i.e., QB pressures generated by superb downfield coverage, and while it wasn't a perfect showing — too many inside slants allowed for conversions, for my taste — it most certainly got the job done on Thanksgiving, so they get a plate, too.
Javonte Williams + Hunter Luepke + Jake Ferguson
Critical plays from each of these three earn them an honorable mention here, and not each play was flashy. Williams definitely made an impact on the highlight reel but, much like Luepke, it was also his pass protection that will jump off the film. Ferguson made the plays he needed to when they called his number, moving the chains on several occasions and he would've have a spectacular touchdown if not for his right foot landing on the defender's leg instead of the turf in the end zone — so close.
