Controversial officiating in Cowboys' Thanksgiving win vs Chiefs sparks debate

The Dallas Cowboys pulled off a Thanksgiving thriller on Thursday, holding off the Kansas City Chiefs in a 31-28 win at AT&T Stadium.

The game featured some entertaining back-and-forth between the two offenses in the fourth quarter, though this wasn't without multiple delays due to penalties against both teams.

The Chiefs were victimized the most, as Kanas City finished with 10 accepted penalties for a whopping 119 yards.

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There's no doubt that many of Kansas City's wins during its dynasty run has come as a result of some questionable officiating, but the Chiefs got a taste of what it felt like to be on the opposite end of this against Dallas.

NFL World Reacts to Controversial Calls Against Chiefs

Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Rashee Rice and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrate after a play against the Dallas Cowboys during the first quarter at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Chiefs head coach Andy Reid was asked about the officiating after the game and took the high road with his comments.

“I’m not always going to agree with the call, but the calls were made," Reid said, per KCTV5.

As for the rest of the NFL world on social media, the frustration about the calls was certainly felt.

The Chiefs fan accounts were out and about with the tweets criticizing the officiating.

Every flag is on the Chiefs. It’s comical at this point.
— 🗣🎙‼️ (@LanceTHESPOKEN) November 27, 2025

ESPN's NFL insider Jeremy Fowler pointed out some "ticky-tack" pass interference calls called against Kansas City.

The Chiefs were called for two of these penalties on Dallas' game-sealing drive.

For the Chiefs conspiracy theorists, 119 penalty yards for Kansas City, including several ticky-tack PI calls.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) November 28, 2025

The most notable of these was against Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie on the final drive. In tight coverage against Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb, McDuffie was called for defensive pass interference as Lamb hauled in an 11-yard grab.

One could argue that Lamb pushed off and should have been called for offensive pass interference.

Instead, the flag gave Dallas another first down before Dak Prescott found Cowboys wide receiver George Pickens for the game-sealing first down.

Perfect coverage, CeeDee pushes off, McDuffie DPI.

The refs held the Cowboys hand every step of the way today. pic.twitter.com/FV7dDLPpkD
— fatty patty (@theonlydyl_) November 28, 2025

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Another interesting non-call came after Pickens took his helmet off while on the ground following a first-down catch in the first quarter, which is a 15-yard penalty.

It's likely that many Dallas fans expected a flag to be thrown, but Pickens walked away without punishment. In his defense, it appeared that Pickens was taking his helmet off after it got uncomfortably pushed against his head after hitting the ground.

No flag for Pickens taking his helmet off. NFL officiating has got to be fixed.
— Chiefs Hive (@chiefshive) November 28, 2025

While the Cowboys certainly had a few favorable calls, the Chiefs had every opportunity to win the game.

A dropped pass from Rashee Rice in the fourth quarter along with two near takeaways in the red zone were opportunities Kansas City needed to take advantage of. Prescott nearly threw an interception into traffic before Pickens had a fumble near the goal linen that Cowboys wide receiver KaVontae Turpin jumped on.

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Should the Chiefs have been called for 10 penalties? Probably not. But they didn't capitalize on some near-crucial mistakes by Dallas. A loss is the result.

As for the Cowboys, they'll take the win in stride as they look to make a run toward the playoffs to end the regular season.

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes warms up prior to the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

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