For those who still believe the Dallas Cowboys are “America’s Team,” you now have a new stat to throw in the face of naysayers.
Dallas picked up a 31-28 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving to bring them closer to the playoff picture, while at the same time adding to Kansas City’s increasingly slim chances of making the playoffs. Although it was a celebratory day for Cowboys fans on the field, an off-field stat was recorded that puts Dallas firmly into the NFL record books.
Per NFL insider Ari Meirov, Cowboys-Chiefs drew a television audience of 57.2 million viewers, making it the most watched regular season game in NFL history.
This game didn’t just break the regular season viewership record; it shattered it. The previous record was set on Thanksgiving in 2022, when the Cowboys beat the New York Giants. That game only had 42.1 million viewers, meaning Cowboys-Chiefs broke the record by over 15 million.
Dallas has now been a part of six of the 10 most watched regular season games in NFL history.
Dallas is Still “America’s Team”
Cowboys-Chiefs absolutely lapped the other two Thanksgiving games this year, though Packers-Lions did accumulate 47.7 million viewers; still almost 10 million less than Cowboys-Chiefs. Bengals-Ravens only netted around 15 million viewers in the nightcap.
It certainly helps that the Cowboys game was highly consequential for both teams; the Cowboys win propelled them to just a game and a half behind the Eagles in the NFC East, while the Chiefs now find themselves two games out of a Wild Card seed.
Although this was a highly anticipated game among Cowboys and Chiefs fans, as well as hardcore NFL fans, it wouldn’t have had nearly the same amount of viewers if it was on a Sunday, even if it was the SNF game. The two teams synonymous with Thanksgiving football are Dallas and Detroit, and this whopping record proves that the Cowboys still grab the nation’s attention when they play on turkey day.
Cowboys’ Playoff Chances Continue to Climb
Speaking of the Lions, they’ll be Dallas’ next opponent in yet another highly anticipated matchup that could go a long way towards determining the NFC playoff picture. Dallas and Detroit face off on TNF this week, up north in Detroit.
The Lions and Cowboys occupy the No. 8 and No. 9 spot in the NFC playoff picture, respectively, with Detroit at 7-5 and Dallas at 6-5-1. The Cowboys have a slight advantage in the standings though, as they can significantly trim Philadelphia’s lead atop the NFC East with a win, while the Lions need basically need to win out to guarantee a playoff spot as the Bears have emerged as a juggernaut atop the NFC North.
According to The Athletic’s NFL playoff simulator, Dallas has a 23 percent chance of making the playoffs as of Dec. 3. With a win over the Lions, that number goes up to 41 percent, while a loss brings it down to 8 percent.
This game could either come close to effectively ending their season, or it could be a propeller for the final four games, all of which are winnable. They’ll finish with games against Minnesota, the LA Chargers, Washington, and the New York Giants.
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