How the Cowboys and Chiefs Can Make NFL History
This year on Thanksgiving, the NFL is presenting one of the most exciting matchups in recent memory as the Kansas City Chiefs travel to Arlington, Texas, to face the Dallas Cowboys. Both teams find themselves in difficult positions, currently sitting outside of their respective playoff pictures. For the Cowboys, the path is clear but steep: they need to win out to have a realistic chance at reaching the postseason. Coming off their historic comeback against the Eagles, they believe they can build on that momentum and take down Kansas City. The Chiefs enter Thanksgiving with confidence as well, having mounted an eleven point fourth quarter comeback against the Colts. With both teams desperate to keep their seasons alive, this showdown has the potential to be one of the best games of the NFL year. On a holiday when millions of fans are home watching, this matchup has all the ingredients to become a historic moment for the league.
With the Cowboys and Chiefs representing two of the biggest fan bases in the sport today, the audience for this game will be enormous. Whenever the Cowboys play, viewership records seem to fall, and it is no surprise that they consistently dominate television ratings. Millions tune in whether they support Dallas or simply enjoy watching the league’s most polarizing franchise. When combined with the national spotlight that surrounds the Kansas City Chiefs, both on and off the field, the game becomes an ideal fit for Thanksgiving’s premier afternoon slot.
The current record for the most watched regular season game is also held by the Dallas Cowboys. That mark was set during their 2022 Thanksgiving matchup against the New York Giants, a game Dallas won 28-20 between two teams that entered with identical 7-3 records. At its peak, the broadcast reached more than 42.1 million viewers, surpassing the previous record of 41.5 million from a 1990 meeting between the San Francisco 49ers and the Giants. The Cowboys appear frequently on the all-time viewership list, holding six of the top ten most watched regular season games, including their 2023 Thanksgiving matchup against the Washington Commanders. This year’s game features the league’s largest fanbase, its most prominent franchise, and the NFL’s latest dynasty, which may include global superstar Taylor Swift in attendance. Adding to the spectacle, Post Malone is scheduled to perform at halftime, introducing an entertainment element that will draw in even more viewers. With everything considered, the Cowboys and Chiefs are positioned to challenge, and possibly surpass, the record for the most watched regular season game in NFL history.
