On Thursday, the (6-5) Kansas City Chiefs will be on the road taking on the (5-5-1) Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Let’s see how the game plays out in the “Madden NFL 26” video game!
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First quarter
On just the second play of the game, wide receiver Xavier Worthy takes a slant route and explodes upfield for 42 yards, instantly flipping the field in the Chiefs’ favor. The drive, however, stalls when tight end Travis Kelce is stopped a yard short of the sticks on a drag route. Head coach Andy Reid sends placekicker Harrison Butker out to drill the field goal. He delivers, giving Kansas City the early three-point lead.
On their first drive, the Cowboys look headed for a quick three-and-out, but quarterback Dak Prescott converts the third-and-short with his legs. On the next snap, he fires a strike to wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, who shakes off a tackle attempt from cornerback Jaylen Watson and picks up 27 yards. Wide receiver Jalen Tolbert adds another 19-yard catch-and-run, and Prescott caps the drive himself, running through the defense for a 12-yard touchdown scamper.
Before the quarter ends, quarterback Patrick Mahomes recognizes man coverage and wastes no time hitting wide receiver Marquise Brown for a 24-yard gain, giving the Chiefs some momentum heading into the second frame.
End of first quarter: Cowboys 7, Chiefs 3
Second quarter
Already deep in Dallas territory, Mahomes goes back to Worthy for 15 more yards and another first down, pushing the team into the red zone. Two plays later, a swing pass to running back Isiah Pacheco turns into a 14-yard burst to the pylon for a touchdown.
Dallas answers with a spark from running back Javonte Williams, who slips open on a Texas route and carries the team back into Kansas City territory. But the drive unravels quickly. A pair of stalled plays sets up third-and-long, and the Chiefs’ pass rush finally breaks through — dropping Prescott for a drive-killing sack that pushes Dallas out of field goal range.
Worthy strikes again on the next Kansas City series, hauling in a drive-changing catch while being dragged down and somehow breaking free for 19 yards across midfield. But momentum fades fast. After a first-down run goes nowhere, Dallas dials up a safety blitz on second down, blasting Mahomes for a 7-yard loss. The third-down pass falls incomplete, forcing Kansas City to punt.
Dallas quickly goes three-and-out.
With 46 seconds left in the half, Mahomes finds a wide-open Worthy on an out route for 23 yards, pushing the Chiefs down to the Cowboys’ 13-yard line. Two plays later, Kansas City extends its lead as Mahomes locates Kelce wide open in the end zone for the touchdown before the half.
End of second quarter: Chiefs 17, Cowboys 7
Third quarter
Dallas opens the quarter with a burst of offense. Prescott steps up in the pocket and fires a dart to tight end Jake Ferguson for a 25-yard gain. On the very next snap, a play-action fake frees Ferguson again, this time for an easy 15 yards. Running back Williams follows with a 13-yard run, and suddenly the Cowboys are operating inside the Chiefs’ 15-yard line.
But the drive comes to a sudden halt. As Prescott rolls to his right, defensive end George Karlaftis wraps him up, slowing him just enough for defensive back Jaden Hicks to crash in and jar the ball loose. Defensive back Chamarri Conner pounces on the fumble, flipping possession back to Kansas City.
Mahomes wastes little time crossing midfield, though the Chiefs are stopped a yard shy of a first down. Reid keeps the offense on the field, and Mahomes delivers — flipping the ball to running back Kareem Hunt to move the chains. The quarterback then takes off on his own, gaining 16 yards to set up another scoring chance. Moments later, he hands the ball to Pacheco, who powers across the goal line for his second touchdown of the afternoon.
End of third quarter: Chiefs 24, Cowboys 7
Fourth quarter
Karlaftis opens the quarter by sacking Prescott, setting an early tone for the Chiefs’ defense. Dallas tries to counter with a screen, but Watson sniffs it out and drops Williams for a loss. Facing third-and-long, Prescott holds the ball just long enough for a deep route to develop, absorbing two hits from the Chiefs’ pass rush as he launches a pass toward Lamb. Watson bumps Lamb on the break, drawing a defensive pass interference flag that keeps the drive alive. A few plays later, Lamb catches a comeback route, spins upfield and finds the end zone to trim the deficit to 10 points.
Kansas City responds with a methodical march deep into Dallas territory, reaching the 5-yard line. On third-and-one, the team tries a quarterback dive, but Mahomes is stopped inches short. Facing fourth-and-inches on the Cowboys’ 3-yard line, the Chiefs keep their offense out there. Mahomes tries to pick up the first down with his legs, but Dallas collapses the edge and sacks him, turning the ball over on downs.
Dallas capitalizes quickly. Lamb burns Conner on a go route and races 17 yards to the end zone, pulling the team even closer.
But Kansas City recovers the onside kick and goes right into victory formation.
Final score: Chiefs 24, Cowboys 21
Notable stats
- Patrick Mahomes: 29 for 33 passing, 310 yards, 2 touchdowns, 4 carries, 18 yards
- Dak Prescott: 16 for 20 passing, 184 yards, 2 touchdowns, 7 carries, 62 yards, 1 touchdown
- Isiah Pacheco: 9 carries, 64 yards, 1 touchdown, 3 receptions, 29 yards, 1 touchdown
- JaVante Williams: 9 carries, 38 yards, 4 receptions, 14 yards
- Xavier Worthy: 10 receptions, 105 yards
- Travis Kelce: 8 receptions, 67 yards, 1 touchdown
- Hollywood Brown: 3 receptions, 66 yards
- Rashee Rice: 2 receptions, 23 yards
- CeeDee Lamb: 4 receptions, 67 yards, 2 touchdowns
- Jake Ferguson: 2 receptions, 40 yards
- Chamarri Conner: 9 total (5 solo), 1 tackle for loss, 1 fumble recovery
- Mike Danna: 3 solo, 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack
- George Karlaftis: 2 total (1 solo), 2 tackles for loss, 1 sack
- Chris Jones: 1 solo
In Week 14, the Chiefs will be back home at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium for “Sunday Night Football,” taking on the Houston Texans — and we’ll give you a preview from the EA Universe!
