Philly Stumble in Dallas & Mahomes Saves Chiefs – Top Moments from National Football League Week 12
The twelfth week delivered an incredible Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an epic Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to salvage the Kansas City's campaign as the Chicago Bears keep to impress while they extend their victorious streak.
And did Sanders perform enough on his debut NFL start to secure the starting job in Cleveland?
Let's take a look at the pick of the week in the league.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys were trailing badly at 21-0 behind versus the defending championship champions, so how on earth did they engineer their joint-best recovery ever?
The emotions of a initial home fixture after Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing may have played a part, however it was a mixture of Prescott’s determination and a defensive unit that cashed in on uncommon mistakes by the Eagles.
Prescott surpassed Romo’s records for yards thrown (now 34,378) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an dynamic performance – his plunging touchdown embodying his all-action showing.
Philadelphia squandered a advantage of 21 points or more for the first time after 1999, with just their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the previous being a bad NFC East loss at the New York.
In addition to fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was significant. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in four games prior to Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Dallas.
However from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offense fell apart dramatically – with four straight punts, a missed three-point attempt and then a turnover handing opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defense is excellent, it truly is, but an offense that's not surpassed twenty-one points in 5 of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge concern, as the components are all there but it's just not working.
Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the big moments, the defence keeps them in it and what offense there is does barely enough – if it cannot even do that and now the composure and possession security is failing, there could be problems ahead.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Prematurely to Save Kansas City
It wasn't as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point recovery in the final period against a powerful Indianapolis team was hugely impressive – and could have only saved their season.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of making the playoffs, when a loss on the weekend would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.
It’s no surprise the postseason version of Mahomes arrived, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and guiding 3 point-scoring possessions in their final 4 possessions to seal it in overtime.
A few huge passes and swashbuckling runs are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but right now the Chiefs are in post-season mode – at 6-5 and just 10th in the conference standings.
That was closer to the former Chiefs however, with a initial one-score win of the season after losing five previously – they won eleven of them last year so, if that belief comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be done just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Kings of the North?
You just can't ignore the Chicago Bears now. A victory over the Steelers, without Aaron Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at 8-3 – sharing the same standing as the Philadelphia.
They appear dangerous on both sides of the ball, with a defence that leads the league in picks and overall takeaways and, in Williams, a young player now used to winning tight games.
He can still be shaky, giving away a touchdown after a turnover in his team’s end zone – but he additionally passed for three touchdowns and, with already 5 final period comebacks this season, he knows 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 overtime with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
The Bears are interestingly the most reliable with eight wins in 9, but as they visit the championship champs on the holiday we'll discover exactly how strong they truly are.
Preview – Thrilling Holiday in Prospect
It appears among the best Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with every game loaded with postseason implications.
Detroit host the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Detroit, before a unusual trip back to Texas for the Chiefs, who started out life as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before moving to Missouri.
The weekend’s comeback kings are each clinging to playoff aspirations but have minimal margin for mistakes – 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 dead and buried.
Holiday and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Retain His Job?
Browns head coach Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first professional outing to keep the first-team position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
But the issue will keep being asked as Sanders became the first Browns signal-caller to secure his first NFL game since Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so afterward.
It was only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an almost feral Browns defence getting 10 tackles, but the Browns’ offense needs a director, a presence to inspire confidence.
And self-belief is something not missing in Sanders, who told a CBS {