Philadelphia Falter in Texas & Patrick Rescues Chiefs – Best Moments from NFL Week 12
Week 12 delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an epic Eagles implosion?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Chiefs' season while the Chicago Bears keep to surprise while they continue their victorious run.
And did Shedeur Sanders perform enough on his debut NFL start to secure the starting role in Ohio?
We’ll examine at the best of the week in the league.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
Dallas found themselves trailing badly at 21-0 behind against the defending Super Bowl winners, so how on earth did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?
Sentiment of a initial home fixture since a teammate’s tragic death could have been a factor, however it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that cashed in on uncommon mistakes by the Eagles.
Prescott surpassed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and game-winning drives (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his plunging touchdown personifying his energetic showing.
Philly squandered a advantage of 21 points or more for the first time since 1999, with just their second game with multiple giveaways this season – the other being a bad division defeat at the New York.
In addition to fourteen penalties for ninety-six yards, the offensive struggles that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was huge. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had more than 150 in the opening two quarters by himself in Texas.
However from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offense fell apart dramatically – with four straight kicks, a missed three-point attempt and then a turnover giving opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defence is brilliant, it truly is, but an offense that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of seven games (3 losses) is now a huge concern, as the pieces are all there but it's just not clicking.
Sirianni’s game is all about winning the big situations, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is manages just about sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there may be problems ahead.
In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn't quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's 11-point recovery in the final period against a strong Colts squad was hugely notable – and may have just rescued their campaign.
How big was it? Indeed, the league’s Next Gen Stats now assign the Chiefs a 58% probability of making the playoffs, when a loss on Sunday would have reduced that number to 28%.
No wonder the postseason form of Mahomes arrived, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and guiding 3 scoring drives in their final 4 series to seal it in overtime.
A few huge passes and swashbuckling runs are commonplace for Mahomes in the playoffs, but right now the Chiefs are in post-season form – at six and five and just 10th in the conference standings.
This was more like the former Chiefs however, with a first one-score victory of the season after dropping 5 already – they won eleven of them last year so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be done so soon.
Discussion – Can Bears Be Kings of the North?
You can no longer ignore the Bears now. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at 8-3 – holding the same standing as the Philadelphia.
They appear threatening on each side of the ball, with a defence that leads the NFL in picks and total takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now used to winning close games.
He can at times be shaky, surrendering a score after a turnover in his own end zone – but he additionally threw 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 final period rallies this season, he knows how to get the job done.
Green Bay are in close chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Vikings and the Lions are right there after beating the New York in extra time with a huge game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
The Bears are strangely the most reliable with 8 victories in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on Thanksgiving we'll see just how strong they really are.
Look Ahead – Thrilling Holiday in Store
It appears one of the most exciting Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with each game loaded with playoff implications.
The Lions host the Green Bay in the traditional opener in Michigan, before a rare trip back to Texas for the Chiefs, who began existence as the Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Kansas City.
Sunday's rally teams are both holding on to playoff aspirations but have very little room for mistakes – so this will have a post-season feel.
And how about the Ravens? An unattractive victory over the New York actually has them leading of the AFC North after beginning one and five and looking finished.
Holiday and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, 27 November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (8:00 PM)
Can Sanders Retain His Job?
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first NFL outing to keep the first-team position when Dillon Gabriel returns.
Yet the issue will continue to be raised as Shedeur became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his first league game after Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.
It was only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Cleveland defence getting ten sacks, but the Browns’ offense requires a director, a presence to inspire confidence.
Moreover confidence is something not missing in Shedeur, who informed a network {