Philadelphia Stumble in Dallas & Patrick Rescues Chiefs – Best Highlights from NFL Week 12
The twelfth week provided an incredible Dallas Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an epic Eagles collapse?
Postseason Patrick Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' season while the Bears continue to surprise as they extend their victorious run.
And did Sanders do enough on his first NFL outing to earn the starting job in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the pick of the action in the NFL.
The Breakdown – Dallas Rally or Philly Fail?
Dallas were trailing badly at 21-0 behind against the reigning championship champions, how exactly did they engineer their joint-best comeback in history?
The emotions of a initial home game after a teammate’s tragic death could have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that pounced on rare errors by the Philadelphia.
Prescott eclipsed Tony Romo records for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch possessions (25) with an all-action performance – his diving touchdown personifying his all-action showing.
Philadelphia wasted a lead of twenty-one points or more for the first time since nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the other being a bad division loss at the Giants.
In addition to 14 infractions for ninety-six yards, the attacking struggles that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive start was significant. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Texas.
Yet from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offence derailed dramatically – with four straight kicks, a missed field goal and then a turnover giving opportunity after chance to the Dallas.
The Eagles defence is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not surpassed 21 points in 5 of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge worry, because the components are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Sirianni’s approach is all about winning the key moments, the defense keeps them in it and what offense there is manages barely sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there could be trouble in the future.
Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Prematurely to Save Kansas City
It wasn't quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point recovery in the final period against a strong Indianapolis squad was very impressive – and may have just saved their campaign.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Chiefs a 58% chance of making the postseason, when a loss on the weekend would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the postseason form of Mahomes arrived, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half by itself and guiding 3 scoring possessions in their final 4 possessions to win it in overtime.
Some big passes and daring runs are typical for Mahomes in the playoffs, but currently the Chiefs are in post-season form – at six and five and just 10th in the conference standings.
That was closer to the old Kansas City though, with a first one-score win of the season after losing 5 already – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful might not be done so soon.
Discussion – Can Bears Be Rulers of the Division?
You just can't ignore the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Steelers, without Rodgers, kept them top of the division and at eight and three – holding the same record as the Eagles.
They look dangerous on each side of the ball, with a defence that leads the league in picks and overall takeaways and, in Williams, a young quarterback now used to winning close games.
He can still be shaky, giving away a score after a turnover in his own end zone – but he also threw three touchdowns and, with already 5 final period comebacks this year, he knows how to finish the game.
The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the division after overpowering the Vikings and Detroit are right there after beating the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
The Bears are interestingly the most consistent with eight victories in nine, but as they travel to the Super Bowl winners on the holiday we'll discover just how strong they truly are.
Preview – Thrilling Holiday in Prospect
This looks among the most exciting Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with every game loaded with postseason consequences.
Detroit host the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a unusual trip return to Texas for the Kansas City, who started out life as the Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Kansas City.
The weekend’s rally kings are each clinging to postseason hopes but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a playoff feel.
What about the Ravens? An unattractive victory over the New York in fact has them leading of the division after starting one and five and appearing dead and buried.
Thanksgiving and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Starting Role?
Browns coach Stefanski batted away questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed enough in his debut NFL outing to keep the starting position when Gabriel comes back.
But the question will continue to be asked as Sanders became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his debut NFL game after Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 other first-year quarterbacks failing to do so afterward.
It was just the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an nearly feral Cleveland defence getting ten tackles, but Cleveland's offence requires a leader, a figurehead to inspire confidence.
And confidence is something not missing in Shedeur, who told a CBS {