Week 13 of the NFL delivered one of its most thrilling matchups last Thursday, as the Dallas Cowboys held strong at home and defeated the Kansas City Chiefs on Thanksgiving. However, one small but significant detail did not go unnoticed within Jerry Jones’ franchise.
What is this whole storyline about? The timing of the game meant that the setting sun shone directly through the AT&T Stadium roof, managing to bother and even blind several players—among them, George Pickens.
Once the game concluded, with the Cowboys finally defeating their opponent 31-28, the wide receiver spoke out about the situation, suggesting a solution while clarifying that it’s something that only Jerry Jones can address.
“Yeah, I mean, definitely. But that’s up to Jerry. But definitely curtains would help,” the former Steelers wide receiver said, via the Associated Press. “I really couldn’t see the ball. It was the sun.”
Additionally, Pickens emphasized just how much this situation bothered him when trying to catch the ball: “It definitely did. Some of the guys told me, too. That was my first time having that. Just coming on the crossing route, the sun was beating in my eyes, so I couldn’t see.”
The luxurious AT&T Stadium
Known widely as “Jerry World,” the AT&T Stadium stands as one of the NFL’s most extravagant venues, defined by its sheer scale and audacious design. The crown jewel is undoubtedly the massive, high-definition jumbotron, which spans from 20-yard line to 20-yard line, making it one of the largest in the world.
However, the architectural eccentricities are not without fault; despite the retractable roof, the alignment of the glass panels frequently causes a notorious issue where direct sunlight streams onto the field during afternoon games, creating a disruptive glare that forces players to squint and adjust, a peculiar engineering headache for a state-of-the-art facility.
The NFC East in their sights
The Dallas Cowboys are suddenly harboring genuine aspirations of seizing the NFC East crown after securing a thrilling 31-28 Thanksgiving victory over the Kansas City Chiefs. This major win, which marked their third consecutive, immediately followed the Philadelphia Eagles’ shocking upset loss to the Chicago Bears.
The Eagles’ recent stumble has dramatically tightened the divisional race, cutting their lead over the 6-5-1 Cowboys to just 1.5 games. With Dallas gaining momentum and Philadelphia trending in the wrong direction, the stage is now set for a tense final few weeks where the Cowboys have a legitimate, albeit narrow, path to overtake their rivals and claim the division title.