Philly Stumble in Texas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Highlights from NFL the Twelfth Week
The twelfth week delivered an epic Cowboys rally, or was it an massive Eagles implosion?
Playoff Mahomes showed up to salvage the Kansas City's season as the Bears keep to impress as they extend their victorious streak.
Did Sanders do enough on his first professional start to secure the starting role in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the pick of the week in the league.
Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?
Dallas were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down against the defending Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they engineer their joint-best comeback in history?
Sentiment of a first home fixture since Marshawn Kneeland tragic death may have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that pounced on rare errors by the Eagles.
Prescott surpassed Romo’s records for passing yards (now 34,378) and clutch possessions (25) with an dynamic performance – his plunging touchdown embodying his all-action showing.
Philadelphia wasted a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the initial time since 1999, with just their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the previous being a disappointing division loss at the New York.
Along with fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the attacking struggles that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was huge. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had more than 150 in the opening two quarters alone in Texas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offence fell apart spectacularly – with four straight punts, a missed field goal and then a turnover handing chance after opportunity to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defence is brilliant, it truly is, but an offense that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in five of seven games (three losses) is now a huge worry, because the components are all there but it's just not working.
Nick Sirianni game is all about securing the key moments, the defence keeps them in it and what offence there is manages just about sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there could be trouble ahead.
Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Appears Prematurely to Save Kansas City
It wasn’t quite as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ 11-point recovery in the fourth quarter against a strong Indianapolis squad was hugely impressive – and may have just saved their season.
How significant was it? Well, the NFL's advanced analytics now give the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the playoffs, when a loss on Sunday would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.
It’s no surprise the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half alone and leading three point-scoring possessions in their final four series to seal it in extra time.
A few huge throws and swashbuckling runs are commonplace for Mahomes in the playoffs, but right now the Chiefs are in post-season mode – at six and five and just 10th in the AFC standings.
This was closer to the old Kansas City though, with a initial one-score victory of the season after losing five already – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful might not be finished just yet.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Become Kings of the North?
You just can't ignore the Bears any longer. A win over the Steelers, without Aaron Rodgers, maintained them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – holding the identical record as the Eagles.
They appear dangerous on both sides of the field, 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 passed for 3 scores and, with already five final period comebacks this season, he understands how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in hot chase in the division after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after beating the New York in overtime with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
The Bears are interestingly the most consistent with 8 wins in nine, but as they travel to the championship winners on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how strong they truly are.
Preview – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Store
This looks one of the most exciting holiday line-ups for a long time, with each game loaded with postseason consequences.
The Lions welcome the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a unusual visit return to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out existence as the Dallas Texans long ago in the sixties before moving to Missouri.
Sunday's comeback teams are both clinging to postseason aspirations but have minimal margin for mistakes – so this will have a playoff feel.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly win over the New York in fact has them leading of the AFC North after starting 1-5 and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Keep His Job?
Browns head coach Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Sanders had performed enough in his debut professional start to keep the first-team position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
But the issue will keep being raised as Sanders became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his first league start since Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 other first-year signal callers failing to do so since.
It came only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an nearly feral Browns defence recording 10 sacks, but Cleveland's offense needs a leader, a figurehead to inspire confidence.
And confidence is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who told a network {