Philadelphia Stumble in Texas & Mahomes Rescues Chiefs – Best Highlights from NFL Week 12
Week 12 delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys rally, or perhaps an epic Eagles implosion?
Postseason Patrick Mahomes arrived to salvage the Kansas City's season while the Bears continue to impress as they extend their victorious streak.
Did Sanders do enough on his first NFL start to earn the starting job in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the pick of the action in the league.
Analysis – Dallas Rally or Philly Fail?
The Cowboys found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down against the reigning Super Bowl winners, so how on earth did they engineer their joint-best recovery ever?
The emotions of a first home fixture after a teammate’s tragic passing could have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defence that pounced on uncommon mistakes by the Eagles.
Dak surpassed Tony Romo records for yards thrown (now 34,378) and game-winning drives (twenty-five) with an all-action display – his diving score personifying his energetic display.
Philadelphia squandered a advantage of 21 points or more for the initial time after 1999, with just their second game with several turnovers this year – the previous being a bad division defeat at the New York.
Along with fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in four games before Sunday, he had more than 150 in the opening two quarters alone in Dallas.
However from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offense derailed spectacularly – with four straight kicks, a failed three-point attempt and then a turnover giving opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defense is excellent, it really is, but an offense that's not surpassed 21 points in five of 7 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 offence there is does barely sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the composure and ball protection is failing, there may be trouble ahead.
Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Save Kansas City
It wasn’t as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter against a powerful Indianapolis squad was hugely notable – and could have only rescued 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, when a loss on the weekend would have reduced that number to 28%.
It’s no surprise the playoff form of Mahomes arrived, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half by itself and leading three point-scoring drives in their last four series to seal it in extra time.
Some big passes and daring scrambles are typical for Patrick in the playoffs, but right now the Chiefs are in playoff mode – at 6-5 and just tenth in the conference standings.
That was more like the former Chiefs however, with a first one-score win of the season after losing five previously – they won eleven of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be finished so soon.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Become Rulers of the Division?
You just can't overlook the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, kept them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – holding the identical standing as the Philadelphia.
They look dangerous on each side of the ball, with a defence that tops the league in picks and total takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a young player now accustomed to winning tight games.
He can at times be shaky, giving away a score after a turnover in his own goal area – but he also threw three touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter rallies this season, he understands how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in hot pursuit in the division after dominating the Vikings and Detroit are right there after beating the Giants in overtime with a huge game from Gibbs.
The Bears are interestingly the most consistent with 8 wins in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on the holiday we'll see just how strong they really are.
Preview – Thrilling Holiday in Store
This looks among the most exciting Thanksgiving line-ups for a long time, with every game packed with playoff implications.
The Lions welcome the Packers in the classic opener in Detroit, prior to a unusual trip return to Texas for the Kansas City, who started out life as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Kansas City.
Sunday's rally teams are both clinging to playoff hopes but have very little margin for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
What about the Ravens? An ugly victory over the Jets in fact has them leading of the division after beginning one and five and looking dead and buried.
Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Cleveland Browns coach Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had done enough in his debut professional outing to maintain the starting position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
But the question will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his debut league start since Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen additional rookie signal callers failing to do so afterward.
It came just the Raiders, and with the help of an nearly aggressive Browns defense recording 10 sacks, but the Browns’ offence needs a leader, a figurehead to inspire belief.
And confidence is one thing not missing in Sanders, who told a CBS {