Philadelphia Stumble in Dallas & Mahomes Rescues Kansas City – Top Moments from National Football League Week 12
Week 12 delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys comeback, or was it an massive Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to salvage the Chiefs' campaign as the Chicago Bears continue to impress while they extend their winning run.
And did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his first professional start to secure the full-time role in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the pick of the action in the league.
Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys were trailing badly at 21-0 down versus the defending championship winners, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?
Sentiment of a first home game after Marshawn Kneeland tragic passing could have been a factor, however it was a combination of Prescott’s resolve and a defensive unit that pounced on uncommon mistakes by the Eagles.
Prescott eclipsed Romo’s records for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and game-winning possessions (25) with an all-action display – his plunging score personifying his energetic display.
Philly squandered a lead of 21 points or more for the first time after 1999, with just their second game with several giveaways this season – the previous being another bad NFC East defeat at the Giants.
Along with fourteen penalties for ninety-six yards, the attacking 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 before Sunday, he had over 150 in the first half by himself in Dallas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offence derailed spectacularly – with four straight punts, a failed three-point attempt and then a turnover handing opportunity after chance to the Dallas.
Philadelphia’s defence is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge worry, as the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Sirianni’s approach is all about winning the big moments, the defense keeps them in it and what offence there is manages barely enough – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and possession security is breaking down, there could be problems ahead.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Prematurely to Rescue Chiefs
It wasn’t quite as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Colts squad was very impressive – and could have just rescued their campaign.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s Next Gen Stats now give the Chiefs a 58% probability of making the postseason, when a defeat on the weekend would have reduced that number to twenty-eight percent.
It’s no surprise the playoff form of Mahomes arrived, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and leading 3 scoring possessions in their final 4 possessions to win it in overtime.
A few huge passes and daring scrambles are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but currently the Chiefs are in post-season form – at 6-5 and just tenth in the AFC standings.
This was more like the old Chiefs however, with a initial one-score win of the year after losing 5 previously – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that belief returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be finished so soon.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Become Kings of the Division?
You just can't overlook the Chicago Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Rodgers, maintained them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – holding the identical standing as the Eagles.
They appear threatening on both sides of the field, with a defense that tops the league in interceptions and overall takeaways and, in Williams, a young player now accustomed to winning close games.
He can still be shaky, surrendering a score after a turnover in his own end zone – but he additionally passed for 3 touchdowns and, with already five fourth-quarter rallies this season, he understands how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the NFC North after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after beating the New York in extra time with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most consistent with 8 wins in nine, but as they visit the championship winners on the holiday we'll see exactly how good they truly are.
Look Ahead – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Store
This looks among the most exciting Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with each game packed with playoff implications.
Detroit host the Packers in the classic opener in Michigan, before a rare visit back to Texas for the Kansas City, who began existence as the Texans long ago in the sixties before relocating to Kansas City.
Sunday's rally kings are each holding on to playoff hopes but have minimal room for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly win over the New York actually has them top of the division after beginning one and five and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had done sufficiently in his first NFL outing to maintain the first-team job when Gabriel returns.
Yet the issue will continue to be asked as Shedeur became the first Browns signal-caller to win his debut NFL game since Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen additional first-year signal callers failing to do so since.
It came only the Las Vegas, and with the help of an nearly aggressive Cleveland defense getting ten sacks, but Cleveland's offense requires a leader, a figurehead to build belief.
Moreover confidence is something not missing in Sanders, who informed a CBS {