Philadelphia Falter in Texas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Highlights from NFL Week 12
The twelfth week provided an incredible Cowboys rally, or perhaps an massive Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to rescue the Chiefs' campaign as the Bears keep to impress while they continue their victorious run.
Did Shedeur Sanders do enough on his first professional start to earn the full-time role in Ohio?
We’ll examine at the best of the action in the league.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys were down and out at twenty-one to zero down against the defending championship winners, so how on earth did they engineer 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 combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defence that pounced on rare mistakes by the Philadelphia.
Prescott surpassed Romo’s records for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and game-winning drives (25) with an dynamic performance – his diving score personifying his all-action showing.
Philly wasted a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the first time since 1999, with only their second game with several turnovers this season – the previous being a disappointing NFC East loss at the New York.
In addition to fourteen penalties for ninety-six yards, the offensive malaise that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was huge. He had only thrown for over two hundred yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had more than one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Texas.
Yet from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offense fell apart dramatically – with four consecutive punts, a missed field goal and then a turnover giving opportunity after chance to the Cowboys.
The Eagles defense is brilliant, it truly is, but an offence that's not eclipsed 21 points in 5 of 7 games (3 losses) is now a huge worry, because the pieces are all there but it's just not working.
Sirianni’s game is all about securing the key moments, the defence maintains them in it and what offense there is does barely sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there may be trouble in the future.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Early to Save Chiefs
It wasn't as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ 11-point recovery in the final period versus a powerful Indianapolis squad was very notable – and could have just saved their campaign.
How significant was it? Well, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now give the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of making the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have reduced that number to 28%.
It’s no surprise the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, throwing for 235 yards in the latter half alone and leading 3 point-scoring possessions in their last four series to win it in extra time.
A few huge passes and swashbuckling runs are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but right now the Chiefs are in playoff form – at 6-5 and just 10th in the AFC standings.
That was more like the old Kansas City though, with a first close win of the season after losing 5 previously – they won 11 of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful might not be done just yet.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Become Rulers of the Division?
You can no longer ignore the Chicago Bears any longer. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Aaron Rodgers, maintained them first of the NFC North and at 8-3 – sharing the same standing as the Eagles.
They appear threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defence that leads the league in picks and total turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young quarterback now used to winning tight games.
He can still be shaky, giving away a score after a fumble in his own end zone – but he additionally threw 3 touchdowns and, with already five final period comebacks this season, he knows how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in close chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Vikings and the Lions are right there after overcoming the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most consistent with eight wins in 9, but as they travel to the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll see exactly how good they truly are.
Look Ahead – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Prospect
It appears one of the most exciting holiday line-ups for years, with every game loaded with playoff consequences.
Detroit welcome the Green Bay in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a unusual visit return to Texas for the Chiefs, who began life as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
The weekend’s comeback kings are both holding on to playoff aspirations but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a post-season feel.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive victory over the New York in fact has them top of the division after starting 1-5 and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed enough in his debut NFL outing to maintain the first-team job when Gabriel returns.
But the question will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to secure his first league game since Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen additional rookie signal callers failing to do so since.
It was only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an nearly aggressive Cleveland defence recording 10 sacks, but the Browns’ offence requires a director, a figurehead to build confidence.
Moreover self-belief is something not missing in Sanders, who told a network {