Philly Stumble in Dallas & Patrick Saves Kansas City – Best Highlights from National Football League the Twelfth Week
Week 12 provided an incredible Dallas Cowboys rally, or was it an epic Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes arrived to salvage the Kansas City's season as the Bears keep to impress as they extend their victorious run.
And did Sanders perform sufficiently on his first professional start to earn the full-time role in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the best of the action in the league.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
Dallas were down and out at 21-0 behind against the defending championship winners, how exactly did they produce their joint-best comeback in history?
The emotions of a initial home game after a teammate’s tragic passing may have been a factor, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that pounced on rare errors by the Eagles.
Dak eclipsed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch drives (25) with an dynamic display – his diving score embodying his all-action showing.
Philly wasted a advantage of 21 points or more for the first time since 1999, with only their second game with several turnovers this season – the previous being a bad division loss at the New York.
In addition to fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was significant. He had only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Dallas.
However from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence derailed spectacularly – with four consecutive kicks, a missed three-point attempt and then a turnover giving chance after chance to the Dallas.
The Eagles defence is excellent, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed 21 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.
Sirianni’s game is all about winning the big situations, the defense keeps them in it and what offence there is does just about sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there may be problems in the future.
In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn’t quite as extreme, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Indianapolis squad was very impressive – and may have only saved their season.
How big was it? Well, the league’s Next Gen Stats now assign the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent probability of making the playoffs, when a loss on the weekend would have reduced that number to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, throwing for 235 yards in the latter half by itself and leading 3 scoring possessions in their last four possessions to seal it in overtime.
A few huge passes and swashbuckling runs are commonplace for Patrick in the postseason, but right now the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and just tenth in the AFC standings.
That was more like the former Kansas City however, with a first one-score win of the season after dropping 5 already – they won eleven of them the previous season so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful may not be finished so soon.
Discussion – Can Bears Be Kings of the North?
You just can't ignore the Bears now. A win over the Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at eight and three – holding the same record as the Eagles.
They look dangerous on each side of the ball, with a defense that tops the NFL in picks and total takeaways and, in Williams, a young player now accustomed to winning close games.
He can at times be shaky, giving away a touchdown after a turnover in his team’s goal area – but he also threw 3 scores and, with already five final period rallies this season, he understands how to finish the game.
The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the NFC North after overpowering the Vikings and Detroit are in contention after beating the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most consistent with 8 wins in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl winners on the holiday we'll discover just how strong they really are.
Preview – Thrilling Holiday in Prospect
It appears one of the most exciting holiday schedules for years, with each game loaded with playoff implications.
The Lions host the Packers in the classic opener in Detroit, prior to a unusual trip return to Dallas for the Kansas City, who began life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the sixties before relocating to Missouri.
Sunday's rally kings are each holding on to playoff aspirations but have very little room for mistakes – so this will have a playoff feel.
And how about the Ravens? An unattractive victory over the New York in fact has them top of the division after beginning one and five and appearing finished.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Job?
Browns coach Stefanski batted away questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his debut professional outing to keep the starting job when Dillon Gabriel returns.
But the question will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns signal-caller to secure his debut league start after Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional rookie signal callers failing to do so afterward.
It came just the Raiders, and with the help of an almost aggressive Cleveland defense recording 10 tackles, but Cleveland's offense requires a leader, a presence to inspire confidence.
Moreover confidence is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who told a network {