Philadelphia Stumble in Texas & Mahomes Rescues Kansas City – Top Highlights from National Football League the Twelfth Week
Week 12 provided an incredible Cowboys rally, or was it an epic Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Kansas City's season while the Bears continue to impress while they continue their winning run.
And did Sanders do enough on his first NFL outing to secure the starting role in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the best of the action in the NFL.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
Dallas found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero behind versus the defending championship champions, so how on earth did they engineer their equal-largest comeback in history?
The emotions of a first home fixture after a teammate’s untimely death may have played a part, however it was a mixture of Prescott’s determination and a defence that pounced on rare errors by the Philadelphia.
Dak eclipsed Tony Romo records for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his diving touchdown embodying his energetic display.
Philadelphia wasted a lead of 21 points or more for the initial time since nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with several giveaways this year – the other being another disappointing NFC East loss at the Giants.
In addition to fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the attacking struggles that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was significant. He'd only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to Sunday, he had more than one hundred fifty in the first half alone in Dallas.
However from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offence derailed dramatically – with four straight kicks, a missed three-point attempt and then a turnover handing opportunity after chance to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defence is brilliant, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in 5 of seven games (3 losses) is now a major concern, because the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the key situations, the defense keeps them in it and what offense there is does just about sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the composure and possession security is breaking down, there may be problems in the future.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Early to Save Chiefs
It wasn’t quite as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter against a strong Indianapolis squad was very notable – and may have just saved their season.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s Next Gen Stats now give the Kansas City a 58% probability of making the playoffs, whereas a defeat on the weekend would have reduced that number to 28%.
No wonder the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for 235 yards in the second half by itself and leading 3 point-scoring drives in their final 4 series to win it in extra time.
Some huge passes and daring scrambles are commonplace for Mahomes in the playoffs, but right now the Kansas City are in playoff mode – at six and five and only 10th in the conference standings.
This was closer to the old Kansas City though, with a initial close win of the year after dropping five already – they secured eleven of them the previous season so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be finished so soon.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Rulers of the Division?
You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at eight and three – holding the same record as the Eagles.
They look threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defense that leads the NFL in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Williams, a young player now accustomed to securing tight games.
He can still be inconsistent, giving away a score after a turnover in his own goal area – but he also threw 3 scores and, with already five final period rallies this season, he knows how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the division after overpowering the Minnesota and Detroit are in contention after overcoming the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are interestingly the most consistent with eight wins in 9, but as they visit the championship winners on the holiday we'll discover just how good they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Holiday in Store
This looks one of the best Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with each game loaded with postseason consequences.
Detroit host the Packers in the classic opener in Detroit, before a unusual visit return to Dallas for the Kansas City, who began life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the sixties before relocating to Kansas City.
Sunday's comeback teams are both clinging to postseason aspirations but have minimal margin for mistakes – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
What about the Ravens? An ugly victory over the Jets actually has them leading of the AFC North after beginning 1-5 and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Retain His Job?
Browns head coach Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Sanders had performed enough in his first professional outing to keep the first-team job when Gabriel comes back.
But the question will keep being raised as Sanders became the first Cleveland quarterback to win his debut league start since Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional rookie signal callers failing to do so afterward.
It came only the Las Vegas, and with the help of an nearly feral Cleveland defence recording ten sacks, but Cleveland's offence requires a director, a presence to build confidence.
And self-belief is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who informed a network {