Philly Stumble in Dallas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Top Highlights from National Football League the Twelfth Week
Week 12 delivered an incredible Dallas Cowboys rally, or perhaps an epic Eagles collapse?
Postseason Mahomes showed up to salvage the Chiefs' season while the Bears keep to surprise as they continue their victorious run.
Did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his first professional start to earn the full-time job in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the pick of the action in the league.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
The Cowboys found themselves down and out at twenty-one to zero behind against the defending championship winners, so how on earth did they produce their equal-largest recovery in history?
The emotions of a first home fixture since a teammate’s tragic death could have been a factor, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that pounced on uncommon errors by the Eagles.
Dak eclipsed Romo’s records for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch drives (25) with an all-action display – his plunging touchdown personifying his all-action showing.
Philadelphia squandered a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the first time after nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with several giveaways this season – the other being a disappointing division loss at the Giants.
Along with 14 penalties for ninety-six yards, the offensive struggles that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was significant. He had only thrown for over two hundred yards in 4 games prior to Sunday, he had more than 150 in the opening two quarters alone in Dallas.
However from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart dramatically – with four straight kicks, a missed field goal and then a turnover giving opportunity after chance to the Cowboys.
The Eagles defense is brilliant, it really is, but an offense that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in 5 of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge worry, as the components are all there but it's simply not working.
Sirianni’s game is all about winning the big situations, the defence keeps them in it and what offence there is does barely enough – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there could be problems in the future.
Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Early to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn't as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point recovery in the final period versus a strong Colts squad was hugely impressive – and may have just saved their campaign.
How big was it? Indeed, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now assign the Chiefs a 58% chance of making the playoffs, when a loss on Sunday would have reduced that number to twenty-eight percent.
It’s no surprise the playoff form of Mahomes arrived, throwing for 235 yards in the second half alone and leading three scoring possessions in their final four possessions to win it in overtime.
Some big throws and daring runs are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but right now the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and just tenth in the AFC rankings.
This was more like the old Chiefs however, with a first one-score win of the season after losing five previously – they won eleven of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful may not be finished so soon.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Become Kings of the North?
You can no longer ignore the Chicago Bears any longer. A victory over the Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, maintained them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – sharing the identical record as the Philadelphia.
They look threatening on both sides of the field, with a defence that leads the NFL in picks and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young player now accustomed to securing close games.
He may still be inconsistent, giving away a score after a turnover in his team’s goal area – but he also passed for three touchdowns and, with already 5 final period comebacks this season, he knows how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in hot pursuit in the NFC North after dominating the Minnesota and Detroit are in contention after overcoming the Giants in overtime with a huge game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most consistent with 8 wins in nine, but as they visit the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll discover exactly how strong they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Holiday in Prospect
It appears one of the most exciting holiday line-ups for a long time, with each game loaded with playoff consequences.
Detroit host the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a unusual visit back to Texas for the Kansas City, who began life as the Texans long ago in the 1960s before relocating to Kansas City.
Sunday's rally teams are both clinging to postseason aspirations but have very little margin for error – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York actually has them top of the AFC North after starting 1-5 and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Retain His Starting Role?
Cleveland Browns coach Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first professional start to maintain the first-team job when Gabriel comes back.
But the question will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to secure his debut league start since Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen additional first-year quarterbacks failing to do so afterward.
It came just the Raiders, and with the help of an nearly aggressive Cleveland defence getting ten sacks, but the Browns’ offence requires a leader, a presence to inspire belief.
And self-belief is one thing not missing in Shedeur, who told a network {