The sea of jerseys flooding AT&T on Thanksgiving told a story the Dallas Cowboys’ owner and general manager, Jerry Jones, never wanted written. More than 90,000 fans packed the place, but something looked wrong. The Kansas City Chiefs’ red everywhere. Michael Irvin, the Hall of Fame wideout who helped build the Cowboys’ mystique in the ’90s, couldn’t look away from what it meant.

“It was an epic time because there was so many red jerseys and so much red in that stadium, there had to be a realization to what damage has been done to America’s team,” Irvin shared his verdict on his podcast. “Kansas City has done a hell of a job of winning games, clutch games, and staying on top. You can see the shine on the star eroding when I see that much red in the stadium.”

This wasn’t just visitors making noise. It was a cultural shift. They may have lost the game, but it was damaging to a brand that was America’s very own. Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys for $140 million in 1989 and turned them into a marketing machine. “America’s Team” became a brand that always transcended records. But at 5-5-1 entering Week 13, Dallas had watched newer dynasties steal their spotlight. 

Stack up wins in the regular season, and either miss the playoffs or flame out in the postseason. It’s almost the same script every season that has eroded the trust in their franchise. There are still those who proudly wear the star on their back and scream themselves hoarse like it’s January 1996, when Dallas hauled the Lombardi trophy last. But for most around the league, something has shifted.

The Chiefs’ three Super Bowls in five years have created their own gravity. Their ability to build drives around their franchise quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, has even gotten them the moniker of the “new America’s team.” That public sentiment has now started to affect Jerry’s $3 billion franchise, and legends like Michael Irvin are watching this shift in real time.

However, there’s a twist. Thanksgiving 2025 seems to have flipped the script back in Jerry Jones’ favor.

Michael Irvin’s faith: Week 13 has shown “what it could be”

The Cowboys dismantled Kansas City 31-28 behind quarterback Dak Prescott’s 320 yards and two touchdowns. While wide receiver CeeDee Lamb went for 112 yards, George Pickens became the catalyst. Pickens grabbed the ball for 88 yards and made the play of the night, hurdling Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie on third-and-8, then spinning away for 39 yards in the fourth quarter.

“We got a glimpse of what it could be, what it should be,” Michael Irvin said. “If everybody gave everything they had every time they had a chance to give it, you’re looking at what it would be.”

The Week 13 win was massive. Just days earlier, Dallas erased a 21-point deficit to beat defending Super Bowl champ Philadelphia Eagles 24-21. Dallas’ kicker Brandon Aubrey drilled a 42-yarder as regulation time expired. Pickens went off for nine catches, 146 yards against Philly. With back-to-back championship-level performances, the confidence in the Dallas locker room now is infectious.

“We can be whatever we want to be,” Dak Prescott said after the Thanksgiving Day game. “All these wins have given us confidence. It starts with preparation, one day at a time.”

And Michael Irvin couldn’t agree more. After beating two Super Bowl-winning teams in two games, there was reason to be optimistic.

“I said last week we beat the current champs. This week, we beat the perennial champs. Very soon, we will be champs,” Irvin noted. “The steps of a champion are ordered. And you’ve got to beat the man to be the man. They call this prison mentality.”

The playoff math has shifted hard. Dallas’ odds have jumped to 17% now. Next up are the Detroit Lions in Week 14. If they get a win against the Lions, their remaining 4 games could pave a path to the playoffs.

The brand damage won’t vanish overnight. Those red jerseys in Week 13 told the truth about where Dallas has been. But if they keep delivering against elite teams, the Cowboys might reclaim something bigger than a playoff spot. They might remember who they once used to be.