Philadelphia Stumble in Dallas & Mahomes Rescues Chiefs – Best Moments from National Football League the Twelfth Week
Week 12 provided an incredible Dallas Cowboys rally, or was it an epic Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to salvage the Kansas City's campaign as the Bears continue to impress while they continue their winning streak.
And did Sanders perform enough on his first NFL start to earn the starting job in Ohio?
We’ll examine at the pick of the action in the NFL.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
Dallas were trailing badly at 21-0 down versus the defending Super Bowl champions, so how on earth did they engineer their joint-best recovery ever?
Sentiment of a first home fixture since Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing may have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defensive unit that pounced on rare mistakes by the Philadelphia.
Prescott eclipsed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and game-winning drives (25) with an dynamic performance – his diving score embodying his energetic display.
Philadelphia squandered a lead of twenty-one points or more for the first time since 1999, with just their second game with several turnovers this year – the other being a bad division loss at the New York.
Along with 14 infractions for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was significant. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in four games before Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the first half by himself in Dallas.
Yet from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart spectacularly – with four straight punts, a failed field goal and then a turnover handing opportunity after chance to the Dallas.
Philadelphia’s defence is excellent, it really is, but an offense that's not eclipsed 21 points in five of 7 games (3 losses) is now a major concern, because the components are all there but it's just not working.
Sirianni’s game is all about winning the big moments, the defence maintains them in it and what offense there is manages just about sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there could be problems in the future.
Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Appears Prematurely to Rescue Chiefs
It wasn’t as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Indianapolis team was very impressive – and could have just saved their campaign.
How significant was it? Well, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now give the Chiefs a 58% chance of making the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that figure to 28%.
It’s no surprise the postseason version of Mahomes turned up, throwing for 235 yards in the second half alone and leading 3 scoring possessions in their last four series to seal it in overtime.
Some huge throws and daring scrambles are commonplace for Mahomes in the playoffs, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season form – at 6-5 and just 10th in the AFC rankings.
That was closer to the former Kansas City however, with a first one-score victory of the year after dropping 5 already – they won 11 of them the previous season so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful may not be done just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Be Rulers of the North?
You just can't ignore the Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, maintained them top of the division and at eight and three – sharing the identical record as the Eagles.
They look threatening on each side of the field, with a defense that tops the NFL in interceptions and total takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a young player now accustomed to winning tight games.
He may still be inconsistent, giving away a touchdown after a fumble in his team’s goal area – but he also threw 3 touchdowns and, with already five final period comebacks this year, he understands how to finish the game.
Green Bay are in hot chase in the NFC North after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after beating the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most consistent with 8 wins in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on the holiday we'll discover exactly how good they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Holiday in Store
It appears one of the most exciting Thanksgiving line-ups for a long time, with each game loaded with playoff implications.
The Lions welcome the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a unusual visit back to Texas for the Chiefs, who began existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
Sunday's comeback teams are both clinging to postseason aspirations but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a playoff feel.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive victory over the Jets actually has them top of the AFC North after starting 1-5 and appearing finished.
Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)
Will Shedeur Sanders Keep His Job?
Browns coach Kevin Stefanski batted away questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his debut NFL start to maintain the starting position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
But the question will continue to be raised as Shedeur became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his first league game since Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen other rookie signal callers unsuccessful to do so afterward.
It was only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Browns defense getting ten tackles, but Cleveland's offense requires a director, a figurehead to inspire confidence.
Moreover confidence is something not lacking in Shedeur, who told a CBS {