The NFL's Thanksgiving Day slate of football will continue on Thursday afternoon in Dallas as the Cowboys host the Chiefs for a 4:00 p.m. ET kickoff from AT&T Stadium.
Kansas City enters Week 13 coming off a massive overtime win against the Colts last Sunday that brought them to 6–5 on the season and kept their playoff hopes alive. Despite still not playing his best football, Patrick Mahomes got back to delivering when it mattered most—leading the offense to 14 unanswered points to close out the comeback while logging just his second 300-yard performance of the season.
The Cowboys, meanwhile, are winners of their last two after retooling their defense at the trade deadline. The team is sitting at 5–5–1 and is just outside the NFC playoff picture. With a win over the Eagles in their pocket and a matchup against the Lions upcoming, Dallas suddenly has a realistic path to returning to the postseason for the first time since 2022.
With a lot on the line this Thanksgiving afternoon, here are three bold predictions for Cowboys vs. Chiefs.
CeeDee Lamb
CeeDee Lamb is looking to get back on track. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images
CeeDee Lamb hasn’t been nearly as productive as Dallas would like him to be over the last several weeks, but it’s not for a lack of trying.
Despite failing to tally a 100-yard game in over a month, Lamb has been targeted double-digit times in three of the Cowboys’ last four games. Drops, however, have become an issue—as the 26-year-old recorded his second three-drop performance of the season last Sunday against the Eagles.
With George Pickens garnering some much-deserved attention from the Chiefs’ secondary, expect Dak Prescott to continue feeding Lamb on Thursday afternoon—only this time, it pays off. Look for Lamb to post a season-high in receiving yards (115-plus) while also pacing Dallas in receptions as the former All-Pro gets back on track. –Mike Kadlick
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Travis Kelce, NFL, Chiefs
Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce has 54 receptions for 674 yards this season. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The 2025 season hasn’t been the most productive for Kelce, as he’s still yet to record more than 91 receiving yards and hasn’t caught more than nine passes in any game this season. A matchup against the Cowboys’ defense may be the perfect recipe for him to turn in his best game of the campaign.
Two weeks ago against the Broncos, Kelce had nine catches on 13 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown in what was a vintage performance for the future Hall of Famer. I’m expecting him to have a Thanksgiving feast in Dallas, with even bigger numbers than he had in Week 10.
The Cowboys’ secondary has surrendered the third-most passing yards per game this season. Opponents have averaged 2.2 passing touchdowns per game against Dallas, second-most in the league. That all bodes well for Kelce, who I’m predicting will have his first game of the season with double-digit receptions, 100-plus yards, and more than one touchdown. ––Rasmussen
Patrick Mahomes
Mahomes has a chance to make magic happen once again on Thursday afternoon. / Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Despite the Chiefs playing on what feels like every holiday since Mahomes took over as quarterback, Kansas City hasn’t suited up on Thanksgiving since 2006—when they beat the Broncos 19–10 at Arrowhead.
Now headed on the road, and with their backs against the wall as they look to avoid missing the postseason for the first time since 2014, look for the Chiefs to make it two in a row on Turkey Day—though it won’t be easy.
In what will be not only an all-time classic, but also potentially the highest-rated game in NFL history, I'm predicting that—behind a three-touchdown performance from Mahomes—Kansas City will win 30–27 to keep their hopes alive for at least one more week. –Kadlick
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