Neither the Kansas City Chiefs nor the Dallas Cowboys could easily deal with a loss in the final six games of the season, but it was Kansas City that came home from AT&T Stadium with a 31-28 loss that dropped its record to 6-6 — and will make it that much harder to make the postseason.
First quarter
Cowboys open with early mistake as quarterback Dak Prescott is intercepted
Dallas began at its own 27 after receiving the kickoff, and running back Javonte Williams picked up 4 yards off left tackle to the 31 on the first snap. Prescott followed with a short right completion to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for 2 yards to the 33, but on third-and-4 he forced a deep left throw toward wide receiver George Pickens. Cornerback Jaylen Watson undercut the route and intercepted the pass at the Kansas City 49, returning it 14 yards to the Dallas 37 with help from defensive back Jaden Hicks’ pressure on the play.
Chiefs immediately turn takeaway into points
Taking over at the Dallas 37 after Watson’s interception, quarterback Patrick Mahomes hit wide receiver Marquise “Hollywood” Brown on a short left throw for 10 yards to the 27, with defensive back Shavon Revel forcing him out of bounds. On the next snap, Mahomes went back to the left side and found wide receiver Rashee Rice in stride, and Rice turned upfield for a 27-yard touchdown to give Kansas City the early lead.
Cowboys answer with a long, composed touchdown drive
Dallas opened at its own 25 and moved quickly when Williams ran for 6 yards and Prescott hit wide receiver KaVontae Turpin for 9 to reach the 40. A false start on tackle Terence Steele backed the Cowboys up, but Prescott recovered with a 10-yard throw to Pickens. Williams was stopped for a 2-yard loss on the next snap, yet Prescott found Lamb for 10 yards to convert on a no-huddle call and followed with a short throw to tight end Luke Schoonmaker for 1 yard. After an incompletion, Prescott hit Lamb over the middle for 17 yards to the Kansas City 29, with safety Bryan Cook injured on the play.
A short pass to Williams gained 14 yards and set Dallas up at the Kansas City 15 before Williams was dropped for a 3-yard loss. Running back Malik Davis gained 3 yards to make it third-and-10, and under pressure from defensive end George Karlaftis, Prescott fired a short right throw to Lamb for a 15-yard touchdown, completing an efficient, balanced response to Kansas City’s early score.
Chiefs retake the lead with a sustained, varied touchdown drive
Kansas City started at its own 28 and leaned on the ground game early as running back Kareem Hunt picked up 14 yards off left tackle and then 7 more to the edge, with Revel involved in both stops. Wide receiver Xavier Worthy added a 17-yard right-end run to reach the Dallas 34, and running back Isiah Pacheco followed with a 9-yard gain to the 25. A short completion to Rice moved the ball to the 21 before Worthy was stopped for a 4-yard loss on a designed run.
After an incompletion, Mahomes steadied the series by scrambling for 16 yards to the Dallas 9. With offensive lineman Jaylon Moore reporting as an eligible blocker, Hunt ran twice for a combined 7 yards to reach the Dallas 2, and Rice advanced the ball on a direct-snap run that stayed at the 2 after fumbling out of bounds. Dallas held on third down, but on fourth-and-goal Mahomes fired a short middle throw to tight end Travis Kelce for a 2-yard touchdown, finishing the balanced march that reclaimed the lead.
Second quarter
Cowboys cut into the lead with a steady field-goal drive
Dallas opened at its own 16 and gained early momentum when Prescott found wide receiver Ryan Flournoy for 11 yards and Turpin for 19 more to reach the 46. Williams added 2 yards on a right-end run, and Prescott followed with a short throw to Williams that carried into Kansas City territory. After an incompletion to Pickens and a second misfire broken up by defensive end Charles Omenihu, Prescott converted on fourth-and-4 with a 10-yard completion to tight end Jake Ferguson.
An incompletion deep left preceded a short run by Davis and a 6-yard catch by Flournoy that moved the ball to the Kansas City 31, with Cook returning during the sequence. Dallas stalled, but placekicker Brandon Aubrey drilled a 49-yard field goal to trim the margin.
Kansas City moved the ball early when Mahomes found Kelce for 22 yards to reach the 46, then hit Worthy for 9 more to cross into Dallas territory. Hunt picked up 4 yards to the Dallas 41 to convert a short-yardage situation, but the possession unraveled. A deep shot toward wide receiver Tyquan Thornton was erased by an offensive-holding penalty on tackle Josh Simmons, and Mahomes’ next throw to Kelce gained only a yard. Dallas then broke through as defensive end Jadeveon Clowney sacked Mahomes for a 7-yard loss.
After an injury timeout, Mahomes connected with Rice for 10 yards, but it left Kansas City short of the sticks.
Cowboys surge back in front on a quick-strike touchdown drive
Dallas opened from its own 15 and used tempo and short-area precision to climb into scoring range. Williams gained 3 yards off left tackle before Prescott hit Ferguson for 11 to the 29. Turpin picked up 7 yards on a right-end run, and after an incompletion and a declined ineligible-downfield penalty, Prescott found Pickens for 12 yards to the 48 with defensive pass interference on Watson also declined.
Prescott then went back to Lamb for 9 more to reach the Kansas City 43. On the next snap, Davis took a shotgun handoff straight up the middle, split the second level cleanly, and accelerated for a 43-yard touchdown, restoring the Dallas lead.
Kansas City tried to answer before halftime and opened with a strong stretch on the ground. Hunt picked up 5 yards through left guard and then added 8 more to move near midfield. Hunt followed with another inside run for 5, but the drive unraveled again. A defensive offside wiped out an incompletion, yet an offensive-holding call on Simmons erased a 15-yard gain by Pacheco.
Two plays later, an illegal-formation flag on Simmons offset a Dallas penalty and nullified a scramble by Mahomes that had reached the Dallas 48. After a no-huddle incompletion to wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster and a short Pacheco run, Mahomes converted a third-and-short with a 4-yard scramble to the Dallas 43 — only to see another gain erased by holding.
Now behind schedule, Mahomes completed a 4-yard pass to Worthy, but defensive end Dante Fowler Jr. broke through for a sack that pushed Kansas City back.
Dallas simply handed the ball to Williams, who gained 8 yards around the right side before linebacker Nick Bolton closed the half with the tackle.
Third quarter
After a big kickoff return by wide receiver Brashard Smith set Kansas City up with favorable field position, the Chiefs pushed toward midfield behind a pair of early carries by Hunt. Brown appeared to convert a first down on a short right catch, but the play was wiped out when Worthy was flagged for offensive pass interference. Mahomes hit Pacheco for 11 yards to reach the Dallas 49, but the drive never recovered from the penalty.
Chiefs’ defense forces a quick stop deep in Dallas territory
Backed up at its own 3, Dallas managed only modest gains as Williams ran twice for a combined 7 yards before Prescott’s third-down throw to Pickens fell incomplete. Punter Bryan Anger launched a 62-yard kick that flipped the field before wide receiver Nikko Remigio returned it 9 yards to the Kansas City 37.
Kansas City again started with good field position and moved steadily at first, with Mahomes finding Rice for a short gain before hitting Kelce over the middle to set up third down. Hunt was stopped on third-and-short, but with offensive lineman Hunter Nourzad reporting as an eligible blocker, Mahomes converted on fourth-and-1 with a quick throw to tight end Jared Wiley that reached midfield.
Two deep shots — one to Kelce and one to Rice — fell incomplete. Pacheco slipped through right tackle for 6 yards, but the Chiefs stalled when Mahomes’ third-down attempt down the right sideline sailed incomplete.
Cowboys settle for three after replay reversal erases a touchdown
Dallas began at its own 4 but quickly flipped the field when Prescott found Ferguson for 6 yards and Turpin broke loose around the right edge for 25 more. Prescott then hit Lamb for 8 to reach the 48, and a deep shot to Lamb drew defensive pass interference on cornerback Trent McDuffie — but the penalty was erased as a no-play.
After another no-play on a defensive-holding call, Williams pushed the ball to the Kansas City 13 on a left-tackle run. Prescott appeared to finish the drive with a 13-yard touchdown to Ferguson over the middle, but replay overturned it to an incompletion. Two incompletions followed, and a delay-of-game penalty pushed Dallas back before Aubrey knocked through a 36-yard field goal.
Kansas City began at its own 20 and leaned on Hunt early, picking up short yardage before Mahomes found Rice deep down the right side for a 28-yard gain to midfield. Hunt followed with a 7-yard run to the Dallas 44, and Mahomes hit Hunt on a swing pass for 22 yards. After an incompletion, Mahomes went back to Rice for 13 yards to the 9. With Nourzad reporting as an eligible blocker, Hunt nudged the ball to the 8.
Mahomes kept feeding Rice — first on a short throw to the right that moved the ball to the 3 — then again after the quarter break, when an inside pass slipped incomplete.
Fourth quarter
After the quarter break, Mahomes overthrew Rice and the pass went incomplete on third down. On fourth-and-3, Kansas City stayed aggressive. Mahomes spread the formation, looked left, and fired a quick pass to Rice, who secured it at the goal line for a 3-yard touchdown. The drive — built on chunk gains to Rice and steady work from Hunt — pulled Kansas City back within striking distance.
Cowboys answer immediately with a sharp, penalty-aided touchdown drive
Dallas responded with one of its most efficient series of the night, opening at its own 32 after a defensive pass interference on McDuffie was erased as a no-play. Prescott missed deep on first down, but Williams followed with an 11-yard burst to cross midfield.
Prescott then hit Ferguson for 2 yards before Pickens broke free on the right sideline for a 39-yard gain to the Kansas City 6. An offensive-pass-interference call on Ferguson wiped out the next snap, but Dallas regained its footing when Williams pushed through right guard for 2 yards and Prescott found Pickens for 11 more to reach the 3.
After a Cowboys timeout, Prescott turned a short right throw into a 3-yard touchdown to Williams. Dallas stayed on the field, and Prescott completed the two-point conversion to Pickens, with a roughing-the-passer penalty on Omenihu added afterward.
Kansas City opened the next series with an offensive-holding call on guard Mike Caliendo, putting the Chiefs behind the chains. Mahomes followed with a short throw to Worthy for 6 yards and another to Pacheco for 6 more, but the offense never fully recovered. Mahomes’ third-down pass toward Rice was dropped.
Dallas began deep in its own end and immediately flipped the field when Prescott hit Lamb for a 51-yard gain up the right sideline. Turpin added a yard on a right-end run, and Prescott followed with a short throw to Ferguson for 7 to reach the Kansas City 31.
He then found Flournoy on a deep right sideline route for 17 yards to the 14, and Williams pushed the ball to the 12 on a left-guard run. Kansas City nearly created a turnover when Pickens’ short catch on third down was punched loose by McDuffie, but Turpin alertly recovered at the 8. Aubrey finished the drive with a 26-yard field goal.
Chiefs strike quickly as Mahomes and Brown finish a fast scoring drive
Kansas City answered immediately, overcoming an early sack when Mahomes hit Kelce on a short middle throw to reach the 38, then found Worthy streaking down the middle for a 42-yard gain to the Dallas 20. After an incompletion, Mahomes scrambled left for 10 yards and stepped out at the 10.
Another missed connection with Rice set up second down, and Mahomes delivered on the next snap, firing a short middle pass to Brown for a 10-yard touchdown. It was a clean, urgent series that pulled Kansas City back within reach.
Cowboys close it out with steady gains and three kneel downs
Dallas took over needing to drain the clock and did exactly that, starting with a 2-yard run by Williams and then benefiting from a defensive-pass-interference flag on Watson that erased an incompletion. Williams followed with a short gain up the middle, and although another defensive-pass-interference call wiped out a catch by Lamb, the Cowboys kept moving with consecutive runs that reached the Kansas City 41.
Prescott then hit Pickens on a short left throw that carried to the Kansas City 27, effectively sealing the game. From there, Dallas shifted fully to clock-killing mode. Prescott knelt three straight times, bleeding out the remaining time. Kansas City had no way to stop the final sequence, and Dallas closed out the win by simply taking the air out of the ball.