Keeping playoff hopes alive isn’t even the best thing about the Dallas Cowboys’ Thanksgiving win over the Kansas City Chiefs
The Dallas Cowboys found their head coach in Brian Schottenheimer.
The Dallas Cowboys showed up big time on a short week and beat the Kansas City Chiefs 31-28 on Thanksgiving.
It was an impressive victory on many levels, but this week’s takeaways begin at the top: Head coach Brian Schottenheimer’s work can’t be ignored. Let’s dive in.
Brian Schottenheimer proved something very important with win over Andy Reid
If you had asked me what the No. 1 reason was to pick the Chiefs over the Cowboys before the game, I would not have hesitated. I would have said the coaching disadvantage on a short week. That’s nothing against Brian Schottenheimer. But Andy Reid has been one of the best head coaches in the NFL for the last two decades, and Steve Spagnuolo is known as one of the top defensive coordinators in the game.
But Schottenheimer’s staff was ready. Spagnuolo’s scheme wasn’t much of an issue from the second drive onward, and Schotty called his best plays in the biggest moments. On third and two to seal the win, he kept it simple. He called a player’s play. A slant to George Pickens. Around the league, no one has generated more EPA running slants than Pickens this year. It was the perfect call, and it secured the win.
Even if the Cowboys don’t make the postseason, they’ve figured out something that will matter well beyond 2025 after beating the two teams that were playing in the Super Bowl in February in a four-day span: They’ve got a legit head coach and play caller in Schottenheimer.
Dak Prescott is operating at an elite level
Indeed, Prescott’s day began on the wrong note. Spagnuolo put him on blast immediately by calling the perfect blitz to force the rushed throw and an interception. At least one more time, Prescott threw a near-pick. But for the most part, Prescott dominated the matchup.
Prescott consistently found his playmakers on third and long, moving the chains on all seven of the first seven third-and-long attempts. If the Cowboys go on a serious run to make the postseason, don’t mistake who the No. 1 reason is. It’s the quarterback.
Cowboys defense is legit
Do I believe the Cowboys can be a top defense in the NFL? Not really. But this unit is an NFL-caliber one, unlike the early-season unit Matt Eberflus led. The Quinnen Williams trade, along with several additions at linebacker and the defensive backfield, has made this a viable unit.
In the second and third quarters, the Cowboys’ defense forced four consecutive stops against a Patrick Mahomes-led unit. It had tackles for loss, pressured the quarterback, and made plays in the secondary. It might not have been flashy, but this defense was struggling against the likes of Russell Wilson, Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, and others not that long ago. This matters for a team trying to go on a run to save its season.
Give KaVontae Turpin a game ball
I’m completely serious. If KaVontae Turpin doesn’t recover Pickens’ fumble in the red zone, the Chiefs take over, and Mahomes does his magic with a chance to regain the lead. Instead, Turpin’s recovery gives the Cowboys some cushion they ended up needing: The Chiefs responded with a seven-play touchdown drive to cut down Dallas’ lead to 31-28.
Turpin ran to the football. And coaches say when you run to the football, good things happen.
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