Philly Stumble in Dallas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Highlights from National Football League the Twelfth Week
Week 12 delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys comeback, or was it an epic Philadelphia Eagles implosion?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes arrived to rescue the Kansas City's season while the Bears continue to impress while they extend their victorious run.
And did Sanders do enough on his first NFL start to earn the full-time job in Cleveland?
Let's take a look at the best of the action in the league.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys found themselves down and out at twenty-one to zero down against the defending Super Bowl winners, how exactly did they produce their joint-best recovery in history?
The emotions of a first home game after Marshawn Kneeland untimely death could have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defence that pounced on rare errors by the Eagles.
Dak surpassed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and game-winning possessions (25) with an dynamic performance – his plunging touchdown personifying his energetic showing.
Philly squandered a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the first time after 1999, with just their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the other being another disappointing NFC East loss at the New York.
In addition to fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was huge. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Dallas.
However from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offence fell apart dramatically – with four consecutive kicks, a missed field goal and then a fumble giving opportunity after chance to the Cowboys.
The Eagles defence is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in five of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge worry, because the components are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Sirianni’s game is all about securing the key moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offence there is does barely sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is failing, there could be trouble in the future.
In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Chiefs
It wasn't quite as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point comeback in the final period versus a strong Colts squad was very impressive – and could have only rescued their campaign.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s Next Gen Stats now give the Chiefs a 58% probability of reaching the playoffs, whereas a defeat on Sunday would have reduced that number to 28%.
No wonder the postseason version of Mahomes turned up, throwing for 235 yards in the latter half by itself and guiding three point-scoring drives in their final four possessions to win it in overtime.
A few big passes and swashbuckling scrambles are typical for Mahomes in the playoffs, but currently the Kansas City are in playoff mode – at six and five and just tenth in the AFC rankings.
That was closer to the old Chiefs though, with a first one-score win of the year after dropping 5 previously – they won eleven of them the previous season so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful may not be done just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Be Kings of the Division?
You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Rodgers, kept them top of the NFC North and at eight and three – sharing the same standing as the Eagles.
They look threatening on both sides of the field, with a defence that leads the NFL in picks and total turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young quarterback now accustomed to winning tight games.
He can at times be shaky, surrendering a touchdown after a turnover in his own end zone – but he additionally passed for 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter rallies this year, he knows how to finish the game.
Green Bay are in close chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Vikings and the Lions are in contention after beating the Giants in overtime with a monster game from Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most reliable with eight victories in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how good they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store
This looks among the best Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with every game packed with postseason consequences.
The Lions host the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a unusual visit back to Texas for the Kansas City, who started out life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the 1960s before moving to Missouri.
Sunday's rally teams are both clinging to postseason aspirations but have very little margin for mistakes – so this will have a post-season feel.
And how about the Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York in fact has them top of the division after starting 1-5 and looking finished.
Holiday and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (8:00 PM)
Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed enough in his first professional outing to maintain the starting position when Gabriel comes back.
But the question will keep being asked as Shedeur became the first Cleveland quarterback to secure his debut league start since Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks failing to do so afterward.
It came only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost feral Cleveland defense recording ten tackles, but Cleveland's offense requires a leader, a presence to inspire confidence.
And confidence is something not lacking in Shedeur, who told a CBS {