Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce face career first as Kansas City Chiefs end 20-year Thanksgiving wait

Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce have done just about everything there is to do in the NFL.

All that’s missing from their resume is a Thanksgiving game.

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This year, they get to check that box and potentially in a big way.

That’s because Mahomes, Kelce, and company will face the Dallas Cowboys at Jerry World, a game guaranteed to be a ratings monster and with the potential to become the most-watched game in NFL history.

With 42.1 million viewers, the 2022 Thanksgiving game between the Cowboys and New York Giants remains the most-watched regular-season NFL contest, but that record could be in serious jeopardy as Mahomes takes the field at AT&T Stadium.

Why?

Three simple reasons: Mahomes, the Cowboys, and Thanksgiving.

Whether you like it or not, the Chiefs are arguably the biggest draw in the NFL, second only to Jerry Jones’ Cowboys, and they’ll be taking the spotlight on the grand stage of the Thanksgiving afternoon game.

In other words, everything has lined up perfectly for CBS and the NFL to post record-breaking ratings.

For Chiefs fans, it has been a while since they last got to watch their team play on Thanksgiving.

The last time they played on the football-filled holiday was November 23, 2006, when they defeated the Denver Broncos 19-10.

The quarterbacks for those teams were Trent Green for the Chiefs and Jake Plummer for the Broncos. Who could forget?

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However, that night belonged to Kansas City’s Larry Johnson, who rushed for 157 yards to lead his team over their bitter rival.

It was also the first year the NFL scheduled a third game on that Thursday, in addition to the traditional Cowboys and Lions matchups.

In total, Kansas City has played 10 times on Thanksgiving, and owns a 5-5 record.

On the flip side, it’s been quite the opposite for Dallas. They have played on Thanksgiving every year since 1966, with the exception of two seasons.

The Cowboys boast a 34-22-1 record over 57 Thanksgiving games and are riding a three-year win streak on Turkey Day. Their last Thanksgiving loss came in 2021, when they fell in overtime to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Cowboys and Chiefs last met on Thanksgiving in 1995, with Dallas winning 24-12 thanks in part to Michael Irvin’s 11 catches for 121 yards.

talkSPORT reacts...The Dallas Cowboys could make a legitimate push for the postseason.

Just two weeks after looking dead in the water at 3-5-1, the Cowboys are now 5-5-1 following an incredible comeback over the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.

All of a sudden, they are very much alive for a wild card berth, and the NFC East title isn’t completely out of reach either.

The Eagles are 8-3 with six games remaining.

It won’t be easy for the Cowboys, who close out the season against the Chiefs, Lions, Vikings, Chargers, Commanders, and Giants, but what once looked like another lost season in Dallas now has the potential to be something special.

Don’t give up on America’s Team just yet.

Jack Savage, NFL Writer

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There will be a lot at stake when the two teams meet on Thanksgiving, with both looking to climb back into the playoff picture.

And after last week’s dramatic comebacks for both teams, they’re probably feeling good about themselves and hoping they can look to keep the momentum going.

Each team will have a chance, potentially in front of more than 42 million viewers, in a special tradition unlike any other in the sport.

Playing on Thanksgiving is typically reserved for the stars and the league’s best teams, so it’s remarkable that neither Mahomes nor Kelce has ever done so.

Now is their time to check that box, potentially in a historic way.

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