Philadelphia Falter in Texas & Mahomes Rescues Kansas City – Top Highlights from National Football League the Twelfth Week
Week 12 provided an epic Dallas Cowboys rally, or perhaps an massive Eagles collapse?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' campaign as the Bears keep to impress while they extend their victorious run.
Did Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut NFL start to earn the starting job in Ohio?
Let's take a look at the best of the week in the league.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
Dallas found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down against the reigning Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they engineer their joint-best recovery ever?
The emotions of a initial home fixture since Marshawn Kneeland untimely death may have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that pounced on rare mistakes by the Eagles.
Dak surpassed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and game-winning possessions (25) with an all-action performance – his plunging score embodying his energetic display.
Philly squandered a lead of 21 points or more for the first time since 1999, with just their second game with multiple turnovers this season – the previous being another bad NFC East defeat at the Giants.
In addition to fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the offensive struggles that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had more than 150 in the first half alone in Texas.
However from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offence fell apart dramatically – with four consecutive kicks, a failed field goal and then a turnover giving chance after opportunity to the Dallas.
Philadelphia’s defence is excellent, it truly is, but an offense that's not eclipsed 21 points in five of seven games (3 losses) is now a major concern, because the components are all there but it's just not clicking.
Nick Sirianni approach is all about securing the big situations, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is manages barely enough – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there may be trouble ahead.
Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Save Chiefs
It wasn’t quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a strong Colts squad was hugely impressive – and could have only saved their campaign.
How big was it? Well, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Kansas City a 58% probability of reaching the postseason, when a loss on the weekend would have dropped that number to 28%.
No wonder the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half by itself and leading three point-scoring drives in their last four possessions to seal it in overtime.
Some big throws and daring runs are commonplace for Patrick in the playoffs, but currently the Kansas City are in playoff mode – at 6-5 and only tenth in the conference standings.
This was closer to the old Chiefs though, with a first close victory of the season after losing 5 already – they secured eleven of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be finished just yet.
Discussion – Are Chicago Become Rulers of the North?
You just can't overlook the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at eight and three – sharing the same record as the Philadelphia.
They appear threatening on each side of the field, with a defence that leads the NFL in interceptions and total takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now accustomed to securing close games.
He can at times be shaky, giving away a score after a turnover in his own goal area – but he also passed for 3 touchdowns and, with already five final period rallies this season, he understands how to finish the game.
Green Bay are in hot chase in the division after overpowering the Minnesota and the Lions are right there after overcoming the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are interestingly the most reliable with eight victories in 9, but as they visit the championship winners on the holiday we'll discover just how good they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Prospect
This looks among the most exciting Thanksgiving schedules for years, with every game loaded with playoff consequences.
Detroit host the Green Bay in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a rare trip back to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
Sunday's rally teams are both clinging to playoff aspirations but have very little margin for error – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.
What about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly win over the New York actually has them leading of the AFC North after starting 1-5 and appearing finished.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Browns head coach Stefanski batted away questions on whether Sanders had done sufficiently in his debut NFL outing to maintain the first-team position when Gabriel returns.
Yet the issue will keep being asked as Shedeur became the first Cleveland quarterback to win his first NFL start after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.
It was only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Cleveland defense recording ten tackles, but the Browns’ offence requires a leader, a figurehead to build belief.
Moreover self-belief is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who informed a CBS {