Philadelphia Stumble in Texas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Highlights from National Football League Week 12
The twelfth week provided an epic Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an massive Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Postseason Patrick Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' season as the Bears continue to surprise as they continue their victorious streak.
And did Sanders perform sufficiently on his first professional outing to earn the full-time role in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the best of the action in the NFL.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
The Cowboys were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero behind against the reigning championship winners, so how on earth did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?
The emotions of a initial home game since a teammate’s untimely passing may have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defensive unit that cashed in on uncommon errors by the Eagles.
Prescott eclipsed Tony Romo records for passing yards (now 34,378) and clutch drives (25) with an all-action display – his diving touchdown embodying his energetic display.
Philly wasted a lead of 21 points or more for the initial time after 1999, with just their second game with multiple turnovers this year – the other being another disappointing NFC East loss at the Giants.
Along with fourteen penalties for ninety-six yards, the offensive struggles that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive start was huge. He'd only thrown for over two hundred yards in four games before Sunday, he had over 150 in the opening two quarters by himself in Texas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offense derailed spectacularly – with four consecutive kicks, a failed field goal and then a fumble giving opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.
The Eagles defence is excellent, it truly is, but an offense that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of seven games (3 losses) is now a major concern, as the components are all there but it's just not working.
Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the key moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offence there is manages just about enough – if it can't even do that and now the composure and possession security is failing, there may be problems ahead.
Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Early to Rescue Chiefs
It wasn’t quite as extreme, but Kansas City's eleven-point recovery in the final period versus a powerful Colts squad was hugely notable – and could have only saved their season.
How significant was it? Indeed, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now give the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent probability of reaching the playoffs, whereas a loss on the weekend would have reduced that figure to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the postseason form of Mahomes arrived, throwing for 235 yards in the second half by itself and guiding three point-scoring drives in their final 4 possessions to win it in extra time.
Some big throws and swashbuckling scrambles are commonplace for Mahomes 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 Kansas City however, with a first one-score win of the season after dropping five previously – they won eleven of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be finished so soon.
Discussion – Are Chicago Become Kings of the North?
You can no longer overlook the Bears any longer. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, maintained them first of the division and at eight and three – sharing the same standing as the Eagles.
They appear threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defence that tops the league in interceptions and overall takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a young player now accustomed to winning tight games.
He can still be shaky, surrendering a score after a turnover in his team’s end zone – but he additionally passed for 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 final period comebacks this year, he understands how to finish the game.
The Green Bay Packers are in close chase 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.
Chicago are strangely the most reliable with eight wins in 9, but as they travel to the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how good they truly are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Holiday in Prospect
It appears among the best holiday line-ups for a long time, with each game loaded with playoff consequences.
Detroit host the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a rare visit return to Texas for the Chiefs, who started out life as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
Sunday's rally kings are each clinging to postseason aspirations but have very little margin for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
And how about the Ravens? An ugly victory over the Jets in fact has them leading of the AFC North after starting one and five and looking dead and buried.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Starting Role?
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had done enough in his first professional outing to keep the first-team job when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
But the issue will continue to be asked as Shedeur became the first Cleveland quarterback to win his debut NFL game after Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 additional first-year quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.
It came just the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an nearly aggressive Browns defense recording ten tackles, but Cleveland's offence needs a leader, a figurehead to build confidence.
And confidence is something not missing in Shedeur, who informed a CBS {