Some Texas pride on the line
FRISCO — Listen up, Kansas City.
Enough is enough. You got Patrick Mahomes out of Texas and two trips to the Super Bowl, including the title in 2019.
He has now brought you Whataburger, a Texas treasure and the best fast-food chain known to man. Some of us are still smarting about that Kansas victory over Texas, the biggest upset in Big 12 football history.
Even Kansans are still shocked about that. And then there is this little barbecue talk. We will get into that later. But just know that when you’re talkin’ about the sauce, you’re not talking about the meat.
But the main dish here is Sunday’s game between the Dallas Cowboys and the Kansas City Chiefs, the showdown between Mahomes and Dak Prescott.
And it’s the Cowboys’ turn now to restore some Texas pride and take another step toward claiming a title of their own.
If this is truly going to be a special season for Prescott and the Cowboys, they need to beat Mahomes and the Chiefs on Sunday. Coach Mike Mccarthy doesn’t shy away from the notion that the showdown at Arrowhead is a measuring stick game for the Cowboys.
“You’re talking about a defending champion here, absolutely,” Mccarthy said. “I think we know where we are. And I know where they want to go. If I was a fan, this is a game I’d watch on Sunday, especially with both quarterbacks. I think it’s important. So, yeah, I think when you get to the end of the journey you may
look back on this game and definitely there will be some relevance to it.”
The Cowboys (7-2) have been better than the Chiefs (6-4) all season and Prescott has certainly outplayed Mahomes. But there is still something magical about Mahomes and the Chiefs.
He remains must-see TV and this matchup against Prescott and the Cowboys has the NFL world abuzz. Prescott understands what’s at stake and is ready for it.
“I think for this team going into a hostile environment, playing against a great quarterback, a good offense, a great team,” Prescott said. “A team that has been ‘the team’ of the
last few years. Just knowing how explosive they are, the star power they have. As I said, going into their environment, it’s a great challenge for us as a team. Excited to go into it. It will be a great atmosphere. Ready to go at it.”
It’s a measuring stick for the Cowboys, but it’s also about taking something back for the pride of Texas. Mahomes grew up a Cowboys fan in the small East Texas town of Whitehouse.
He dreamed of replacing Tony Romo at quarterback and winning titles for the Cowboys. But, of course, Prescott was already in Dallas when he left Texas Tech.
The Chiefs drafted Mahomes in 2017 and the rest is history. He won league MVP his first year as a starter in 2018 and Super Bowl MVP in his second season, while leading the Chiefs to their first title in 50 years.
That was one thing. Now he has helped open a Whataburger in Kansas City,
Mo.
As a native Texan, the only thing I have eaten more than Whataburger is Texas barbecue.
It was a staple of my diet. Every Saturday, we had some sort of barbecue — brisket, ribs, sausage, chicken. I took that palate to Kansas City when I lived there for four years from 1989-92 when I first learned of that region’s affinity for barbecue.
I used to eat at the historic Gates Barbecue once a week. One thing about Kansas City residents and their barbecue is their love for barbecue sauce. When you got to talk about the sauce and the beans, it’s not about the meat.
Barbecue is about the meat.
And no one does brisket better than Texas. If this is the year for the Cowboys to say the same thing about football, then they will show it Sunday in Kansas City.
That Kansas win doesn’t count.