Philadelphia Falter in Texas & Mahomes Saves Chiefs – Top Highlights from National Football League the Twelfth Week
The twelfth week provided an incredible Dallas Cowboys rally, or was it an massive Eagles collapse?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to rescue the Chiefs' campaign as the Chicago Bears keep to impress while they extend their winning run.
And did Shedeur Sanders do enough on his debut NFL start to secure the starting role in Ohio?
We’ll examine at the best of the week in the NFL.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys found themselves trailing badly at 21-0 down versus the reigning championship winners, how exactly did they produce their equal-largest comeback in history?
Sentiment of a first home fixture after a teammate’s untimely passing could have been a factor, however it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that pounced on uncommon errors by the Philadelphia.
Dak surpassed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and game-winning possessions (25) with an dynamic display – his diving touchdown personifying his all-action display.
Philly wasted a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the initial time since 1999, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this season – the previous being another disappointing NFC East defeat at the New York.
Along with fourteen infractions for ninety-six yards, the attacking malaise that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in four games before Sunday, he had more than 150 in the first half alone in Texas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offense fell apart dramatically – with four straight punts, a missed three-point attempt and then a fumble giving chance after opportunity to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defense is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in 5 of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge concern, because the components are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Sirianni’s approach is all about securing the key moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is manages barely enough – if it can't even do that and now the composure and ball protection is breaking down, there may be problems ahead.
Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Rescue Chiefs
It wasn’t quite as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter against a powerful Indianapolis squad was hugely notable – and could have just rescued their campaign.
How big was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Chiefs a 58% probability of making the postseason, whereas a loss on the weekend would have reduced that figure to 28%.
No wonder the postseason form of Mahomes turned up, passing for 235 yards in the latter half alone and guiding three point-scoring possessions in their final four series to seal it in extra time.
A few huge throws and daring scrambles are commonplace for Patrick in the postseason, but right now the Chiefs are in playoff mode – at 6-5 and only tenth in the conference rankings.
That was more like the former Chiefs though, with a initial one-score victory of the season after dropping 5 previously – they won eleven of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful may not be finished just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Kings of the Division?
You just can't ignore the Bears any longer. A victory over the Steelers, minus Rodgers, maintained them top of the NFC North and at eight and three – holding the identical record as the Philadelphia.
They appear dangerous on each side of the field, with a defence that leads the league in interceptions and overall takeaways and, in Williams, a emerging player now accustomed to winning close games.
He may still be inconsistent, giving away a score after a fumble in his team’s goal area – but he also passed for three touchdowns and, with already five final period rallies this year, he knows how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in hot pursuit in the division after overpowering the Minnesota and the Lions are right there after beating the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most reliable with 8 victories in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl winners on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how strong they truly are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Holiday in Store
This looks one of the most exciting holiday schedules for a long time, with every game loaded with postseason consequences.
The Lions welcome the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Detroit, prior to a rare trip back to Dallas for the Kansas City, who began life as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before moving to Missouri.
Sunday's comeback teams are each clinging to postseason hopes but have very little room for mistakes – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.
What about the Ravens? An unattractive win over the Jets actually has them leading of the AFC North after beginning one and five and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)
Can Sanders Retain His Job?
Browns coach Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first professional outing to maintain the first-team job when Dillon Gabriel returns.
Yet the issue will continue to be raised as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to secure his first league start after Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 other first-year quarterbacks failing to do so afterward.
It came just the Raiders, and with the assistance of an nearly feral Browns defence getting ten tackles, but the Browns’ offence requires a leader, a figurehead to build confidence.
And self-belief is one thing not missing in Shedeur, who told a network {