Philly Stumble in Texas & Patrick Rescues Chiefs – Top Moments from National Football League the Twelfth Week
Week 12 provided an incredible Dallas Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an massive Eagles implosion?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' season as the Bears keep to impress while they continue their victorious streak.
And did Sanders perform sufficiently on his first professional start to secure the full-time job in Cleveland?
Let's take a look at the pick of the week in the NFL.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down versus the defending Super Bowl winners, so how on earth did they engineer their joint-best recovery ever?
Sentiment of a initial home fixture after a teammate’s untimely passing may have been a factor, however it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defensive unit that cashed in on rare mistakes by the Philadelphia.
Prescott surpassed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and game-winning drives (25) with an dynamic display – his plunging touchdown personifying his energetic showing.
Philly wasted a lead of twenty-one points or more for the initial time after nineteen ninety-nine, with only their second game with multiple turnovers this year – the other being another disappointing division defeat at the Giants.
Along with 14 penalties for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was huge. He'd only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Dallas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offence derailed dramatically – with four consecutive punts, a missed field goal and then a turnover giving opportunity after chance to the Dallas.
The Eagles defence is excellent, it really 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 clicking.
Sirianni’s approach is all about securing the big moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offence there is manages barely enough – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there may be trouble ahead.
Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Save Kansas City
It wasn't quite as extreme, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point recovery in the fourth quarter versus a strong Indianapolis team was very impressive – and may have only rescued their campaign.
How big was it? Well, the NFL's advanced analytics now assign the Kansas City a 58% probability of making the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have reduced that figure to 28%.
No wonder the postseason version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half alone and leading 3 scoring possessions in their final four possessions to seal it in extra time.
Some huge passes and swashbuckling runs are typical for Mahomes in the playoffs, but right now the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and just 10th in the AFC rankings.
That was closer to the old Chiefs however, with a first one-score victory of the season after losing five previously – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that belief returns, this Kansas City faithful might not be done just yet.
Discussion – Are Chicago Become Kings of the North?
You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – sharing the same record as the Eagles.
They appear threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defense that leads the NFL in interceptions and total turnovers and, in Williams, a young player now used to securing close games.
He can still be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a fumble in his own end zone – but he also threw 3 touchdowns and, with already five fourth-quarter comebacks this year, he understands how to get the job done.
Green Bay are in hot chase in the division after overpowering the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after beating the New York in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most consistent with eight wins in nine, but as they visit the championship winners on the holiday we'll see just how strong they really are.
Look Ahead – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Prospect
It appears among the most exciting holiday line-ups for a long time, with each game loaded with postseason consequences.
Detroit welcome the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Detroit, before a rare visit back to Texas for the Chiefs, who began life as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
The weekend’s rally teams are each clinging to postseason aspirations but have very little margin for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
What about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive win over the Jets actually has them leading of the division after starting 1-5 and looking finished.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, 27 November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (8:00 PM)
Can Sanders Keep His Job?
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed enough in his debut professional outing to keep the starting job when Gabriel comes back.
Yet the issue will keep being asked as Shedeur became the first Cleveland quarterback to secure his debut NFL start after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional first-year signal callers failing to do so since.
It came only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost feral Browns defence getting ten sacks, but Cleveland's offence needs a leader, a presence to build belief.
Moreover self-belief is one thing not lacking in Shedeur, who informed a CBS {