Philly Falter in Dallas & Patrick Rescues Kansas City – Top Moments from NFL Week 12
The twelfth week delivered an incredible Dallas Cowboys comeback, or was it an epic Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Postseason Mahomes showed up to rescue the Chiefs' season while the Chicago Bears keep to surprise as they continue their winning run.
Did Sanders do sufficiently on his first NFL outing to secure the full-time role in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the best of the week in the league.
Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys were down and out at 21-0 behind versus the reigning Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?
Sentiment of a first home fixture since a teammate’s untimely passing may have been a factor, however it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that cashed in on uncommon errors by the Eagles.
Dak eclipsed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and game-winning drives (twenty-five) with an dynamic performance – his diving touchdown personifying his all-action display.
Philly wasted a lead of twenty-one points or more for the initial time since nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with several giveaways this year – the previous being another bad NFC East defeat 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 fast beginning was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Dallas.
However from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offence fell apart spectacularly – with four straight punts, a failed three-point attempt and then a fumble giving chance after opportunity to the Cowboys.
The Eagles defence is excellent, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed 21 points in five of 7 games (three losses) is now a major worry, as the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the big situations, the defence 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 failing, there could be problems ahead.
Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Early to Save Kansas City
It wasn’t as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter against a strong Indianapolis team was hugely notable – and could have only saved their campaign.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Chiefs a 58% chance of making the postseason, whereas a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that figure to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the playoff version of Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half by itself and guiding 3 scoring possessions in their final four possessions to win it in overtime.
A few big passes and daring runs are typical for Patrick in the playoffs, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season mode – at six and five and only 10th in the AFC standings.
That was closer to the old Chiefs though, with a first close win of the year after losing 5 previously – they won eleven of them last year so, if that belief comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be done so soon.
Discussion – Can Bears Become Rulers of the Division?
You just can't ignore the Chicago Bears any longer. A victory over the Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them top of the division and at eight and three – sharing the same record as the Eagles.
They appear threatening on each side of the ball, with a defence that leads the league in picks and overall takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now used 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 three scores and, with already five fourth-quarter comebacks this season, he knows how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in hot pursuit in the NFC North after overpowering 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 eight wins in nine, but as they travel to the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how strong they really are.
Preview – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store
This looks one of the most exciting holiday line-ups for a long time, with every game loaded with postseason implications.
Detroit host the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a unusual trip back to Dallas for the Chiefs, who began existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before moving to Kansas City.
The weekend’s rally kings are both clinging to postseason hopes but have minimal room for error – so this will have a playoff feel.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly victory over the New York actually has them leading of the division after beginning one and five and looking dead and buried.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Cleveland Browns coach Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had done enough in his first NFL start to keep the first-team job when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
Yet the question will continue to be asked as Shedeur became the first Browns signal-caller to win his first league start since Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks 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 leader, a presence to inspire belief.
Moreover confidence is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who informed a network {