Chiefs-Cowboys is the crown jewel of a loaded Turkey Day slate with some even predicting it could set the all-time record for most-watched NFL Thanksgiving Day game.
It has all the ingredients of a football feast. Patrick Mahomes vs. Dak Prescott. The NFL's two most popular franchises in full postseason desperation. Two larger than life icons in Jerry Jones and Andy Reid. The NFL's top WR duo of CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens vs. the brilliant blitz-happy mind of Steve Spagnuolo.
This is unchartered territory for Kansas City in the Patrick Mahomes era. The same team that's advanced to the AFC Championship Game in all seven seasons since he became the starting QB would officially have its playoff hopes on life support with a loss.
Fortunately for the Chiefs, Sunday's game at AT&T Stadium presents the exact type of situation in which Mahomes is nearly unbeatable.
MORE: Expert predictions for every Week 13 game
Patrick Mahomes indoor record
The Chiefs-Cowboys AccuWeather forecast for Arlington predicts game-time temperatures hovering in the 60s with no chance of rain. And yet the Cowboys rarely open the roof for late afternoon kicks due to the southwest facing windows that notoriously cause sunlight issues meaning Thursday's game will likely count as an indoor game.
That's great news for the Chiefs.
In the regular season, Mahomes is 16-1 for his career indoors and has won 9 straight games. Across those 17 games which is the equivalent of an entire season, Mahomes' stats border on 'Madden on rookie difficulty':
38 Pass TD and 4 Int
5,012 yards (294.8 per game)
67.9 completion percentage
105.5 Passer rating
Those are MVP caliber numbers perhaps foreshadowing a vintage Mahomes performance on Thursday.
The only quarterback to beat Mahomes indoors during the regular season is Matt Ryan during his final season with the Colts in 2022 when he threw the game-winning touchdown with just 24 seconds left on the clock.
If there's good news for Cowboys fans its that the combination of Prescott plus Lamb and Pickens is far more formidable than the QBs Mahomes has typically faced indoors. Here are all of those starting QBs along with how many points they put up:
2024 Gardner Minshew: 20
2024 Justin Herbert: 10
2024 Kirk Cousins: 17
2023: Aidan O'Connell: 17
2023 Tua Tagolovia: 17
2023 Kirk Cousins: 14
2022 Jarrett Stidham: 20
2022 Davis Mills: 13
2022 Justin Herbert: 24
2022 Matt Ryan: 20
2022 Kyler Murray: 21
2021 Justin Herbert: 28
2021 Derek Carr: 14
2020 Drew Brees: 29
2020 Derek Carr: 31
2020 Justin Herbert: 20
2019 Matthew Stafford: 30
Not exactly a murderer's row, particularly in the most recent years. In the nine games since Mahomes last loss, opposing teams have put up a paltry 15.0 points per game, nowhere in the vicinity of this explosive Cowboys team which ranks among the league leaders in scoring.
If Mahomes throws on the superhero cape as he frequently does indoors, the Cowboys' only hope is a big day from its trio of Prescott, Lamb and Pickens.
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