Summary of the Kansas City game

Thanksgiving Day at Texas Stadium continued its tradition as the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Kansas City Chiefs by the score of 24-12.

But the victory may be a hallow one because of the knee injury to Dallas RB Emmitt Smith. In the 3rd quarter, Emmitt took a handoff up the middle and, seeing no daylight, spun to go outside. When he did, his foot remained planted and he strained the medial collateral ligament on his left knee. He will be getting an MRI on Friday to access the damage, but he may be out a week or two. The trainers said the knee was fairly stable for that kind of injury, so the Cowboys are optomistic.

The Cowboys, now tied with the Chiefs for the best record in the NFL, are 9-2 and a 2½ game lead on their closest divisional rival, the Ealges. Kansas City is 1½ games ahead of the Raiders.

Dallas took the opening kickoff and drove down the field, scoring on a 15-yard run from Smith. After the Chiefs went 3 and out, Dallas took the ball again and scored on a catch by Michael Irvin, splitting double coverage to make a juggling catch in the end zone, making the score 14-0 at the end of the 1st quarter.

Irvin's day was a big day - he had 11 receptions for 121 yards, his 10th 100-yard game of the season, tying the record held by the Oilers' Charley Hennigan in 1961. He also had his 500th career catch as a Cowboy, a record he is continuing to set as he stays active.

The Chiefs fought back, getting a 2 FGs from ex-Cowboy Lin Elliot, before QB Troy Aikman hit TE Jay Novacek over the middle and scampered into the end zone after hurdling would-be tackler Mark Collins around the 25 yard line. The pivotal play during this part of the game was Kansas City coach Marty Shottenheimer going for it on 4th and 6 from the Dallas 30 early in the 3rd quarter.

Chiefs QB Steve Bono countered with a 45-yard slant to Lake Dawson late in the 3rd quarter. The try for 2 failed and Dallas K Chris Boniol later finished the scoring with a 20-yard FG in the beginning of the 4th quarter.

Dallas also lost C Ray Donaldson woth a fractured his right ankle early in the game. Derek Kennard filled in admirably for Donaldson.

Dallas has now swept the reportedly "toughest division in football", the AFC West, for the 2nd time this decade. In 1990, Dallas went 4-0 against the AFC West.