The Kansas City Chiefs fell to the Dallas Cowboys, 31-28, on Thursday afternoon in a game that came down to the final minutes.
Trailing by 10 points late in the fourth quarter, quarterback Patrick Mahomes found wide receiver Hollywood Brown for a 10-yard touchdown, cutting the deficit to just three points with just over three minutes remaining on the clock. The Cowboys proceeded to move the chains on third down on their ensuing possession, however, and the Chiefs never possessed the ball again.
"My hat goes off to the Cowboys. They did a nice job today battling through," said Head Coach Andy Reid. "I was proud of our guys for battling through with some of the things that were going on…The bottom line is we're having too many penalties…and [we have] to get off the field on third downs."
The final sequence was in many ways a microcosm of the game, as Dallas converted 9-of-16 third-down opportunities on the day. Several of those conversions took place on long third downs, too. Dallas moved the chains on a 3rd-and-7, a 3rd-and-9 and a 3rd-and-10 on its first touchdown drive, for example, which tied the game at seven points apiece when Cowboys' quarterback Dak Prescott found wide receiver CeeDee Lamb for a 15-yard score.
The score came on the heels of a Mahomes touchdown pass to wide receiver Rashee Rice, who had the Chiefs in the end zone just two snaps after cornerback Jaylen Watson picked off Prescott on Dallas' opening series.
Mahomes then pushed the Chiefs back in front when he found tight end Travis Kelce for a 2-yard score – on fourth down, no less – to put a bow on a 12-play, 72-yard touchdown drive.
Kelce's efforts meant that Kansas City found the end zone on each of its first two drives, but Dallas – which entered Thursday's game with the No. 1 total offense in the NFL – found a similar groove itself, tallying 13 unanswered points between the second and third quarters to take a six-point lead.
Penalties thwarted the Chiefs' next three possessions following their strong start which, along with the struggles on third down, turned out to be the story of the game. Kansas City was penalized 10 times for 119 yards on Thursday, consistently providing the Cowboys with additional chances to make plays on both sides of the ball.
Kansas City still managed to keep the deficit within a single score despite those circumstances though, and when Mahomes found Rice for a 3-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, the Chiefs took a one-point lead courtesy of an 11-play, 80-yard series.
The Chiefs then seemed poised to get the ball back when Dallas lined up for a 3rd-and-8 at midfield, but – like the Cowboys did far too often on Thursday – Prescott managed to move the chains when he connected with wide receiver George Pickens for a 39-yard gain.
Prescott soon had Dallas back in front when he found tailback Javonte Williams for a 3-yard score – again on third down – and the ensuing two-point conversion meant that the Cowboys possessed a seven-point lead with just over 11 minutes remaining in the contest.
A holding penalty on the first snap of the Chiefs' following possession ultimately led to a punt soon after, and on the Cowboys' ensuing drive, Dallas knocked through a 26-yard field goal that provided the Cowboys with a two-possession lead late in the game.
Kansas City proceeded to keep fighting though, and when Mahomes found Brown in the back of the end zone for his fourth touchdown pass of the night, it certainly looked as if another fourth-quarter comeback was in the cards just five days after the Chiefs rallied to overcome an 11-point deficit against Indianapolis. Prescott found Pickens to move the chains on the Cowboys' final possession, however, and the Chiefs never saw the field again.
"We had too many opportunities that we gave away," Reid said. "When two good teams are playing each other, you can't have that."
In terms of injuries, offensive tackle Jawaan Taylor (triceps), offensive tackle Josh Simmons (wrist) and safety Bryan Cook (sprained ankle) left Thursday's game early.
Now at 6-6, the Chiefs will look to turn the page in preparation for a matchup against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium next Sunday.
