Cowboys countdown to kickoff: Top 100 iconic games – Day 71

It is Day 71 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff. We are looking back at the 100 most iconic games in Dallas Cowboys history. The countdown will leads us right up to the opening game of 2026. Our look back doesn’t depend on just one criteria for our rankings. We take into consideration things like how big the game was for the organization, how memorable the game was, games that had unusual events take place, games that are a part of NFL lore, Cowboys firsts, and games where the Cowboys just plain dominated. Variety is the spice of life and we have all different kind of Cowboys games to review. At the bottom, we’ll link each day of the countdown so you can go back and check out any you missed.

It’s Day 71 of our 100-day countdown to kickoff and we revisit one of the biggest regular-season stages the Cowboys have ever owned. Dallas hosted Kansas City on Thanksgiving Day 2025 in a matchup built for television. By the time it was over, Dallas had a shocking win and the game had become the most-watched regular-season game in NFL history.

Advertisement

Thursday, November 27, 2025 — 4:30 p.m. ET

AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas

Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 31, Kansas City Chiefs 28

The game started about as poorly as possible for the Cowboys. Prescott was intercepted by Jaylen Watson on Dallas’ opening possession, and Mahomes needed only two plays to punish the mistake, hitting Rashee Rice for a 27-yard touchdown. Dallas answered immediately with a 12-play touchdown drive, capped by Prescott finding CeeDee Lamb from 15 yards out, but Kansas City struck again late in the first quarter when Mahomes hit Travis Kelce from two yards to make it 14-7 Chiefs.

Advertisement

From there, Dallas settled in. Brandon Aubrey cut the deficit with a 49-yard field goal, the defense finally forced Kansas City off the field, and the Cowboys took their first lead late in the second quarter. Malik Davis, who had only three carries in the game, broke loose for a 43-yard touchdown run, the longest run of his career and Dallas’ longest touchdown run since 2022, giving the Cowboys a 17-14 halftime lead.

The third quarter became a defensive reset for Dallas. After Kansas City scored touchdowns on its first two drives of the game, the Cowboys forced punts on four straight Chiefs possessions to start the second half. Aubrey added a 36-yard field goal to stretch the lead to 20-14, but Mahomes eventually answered early in the fourth, converting a fourth-and-goal throw to Rice to put Kansas City back in front 21-20.

That is when Prescott delivered the game’s defining response. George Pickens turned a short throw into a 39-yard gain, then added another catch to move Dallas deeper into Chiefs territory. Prescott avoided pressure and dumped the ball to Javonte Williams for a three-yard touchdown, then hit Pickens again on the two-point conversion. Just like that, Dallas was back ahead 28-21.

The Cowboys pushed the lead to 31-21 on an Aubrey field goal, but Mahomes still made it uncomfortable. He kept a late drive alive with trademark improvisation, found Xavier Worthy for 42 yards, and then hit Hollywood Brown for a 10-yard touchdown to cut the lead to 31-28 with 3:27 left.

Advertisement

Prescott never gave him the ball back. With Dallas facing a critical 3rd-and-2 near the two-minute warning, Prescott fired a 13-yard completion to Pickens for the clinching first down. The Cowboys ran out the clock from there, sealing their third straight win and moving above .500 for the first time that season.

This game belongs on the countdown because it had everything. A Thanksgiving atmosphere, a record-setting audience, a star quarterback duel, a Chiefs comeback push, and a Cowboys offense that closed the door with the game on the line. In a season where every win mattered, this was a marquee one.