Philly Stumble in Dallas & Patrick Rescues Kansas City – Top Highlights from National Football League Week 12
Week 12 provided an incredible Cowboys comeback, or was it an massive Eagles collapse?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to salvage the Kansas City's campaign as the Bears continue to impress as they extend their victorious streak.
Did Shedeur Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut professional start to secure the starting role in Ohio?
We’ll examine at the best of the week in the NFL.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys found themselves down and out at twenty-one to zero behind versus the defending Super Bowl champions, so how on earth did they engineer their joint-best recovery ever?
The emotions of a initial home game after Marshawn Kneeland tragic death may have been a factor, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defence that pounced on rare errors by the Philadelphia.
Dak surpassed Romo’s marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and game-winning possessions (twenty-five) with an dynamic display – his plunging touchdown personifying his energetic display.
Philly squandered a advantage of 21 points or more for the initial time since nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the previous being another disappointing NFC East loss at the New York.
Along with fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the attacking struggles that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He'd only thrown for over two hundred yards in four games before the weekend, he had over 150 in the opening two quarters by himself in Dallas.
Yet from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence derailed dramatically – with four consecutive kicks, a failed three-point attempt and then a turnover giving opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defence is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in 5 of seven games (3 losses) is now a huge concern, because the components are all there but it's simply not working.
Sirianni’s approach is all about securing the big situations, the defence keeps them in it and what offense there is manages just about sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the composure and possession security is breaking down, there could be problems ahead.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Early to Save Chiefs
It wasn't as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point recovery in the final period against a powerful Colts squad was very notable – and could have just saved their season.
How big was it? Well, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of making the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the playoff form of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for 235 yards in the second half alone and guiding 3 point-scoring drives in their final 4 series to seal it in overtime.
A few big throws and swashbuckling runs are commonplace for Mahomes in the postseason, but currently the Chiefs are in post-season mode – at six and five and just 10th in the conference standings.
This was more like the former Chiefs though, with a initial one-score victory of the year after dropping five previously – they secured eleven of them last year so, if that confidence comes back, this Kansas City faithful might not be finished just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Kings of the Division?
You just can't overlook the Bears any longer. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them top of the NFC North and at eight and three – holding the same standing as the Eagles.
They look dangerous on both sides of the field, with a defense that leads the league in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Williams, a emerging player now accustomed to winning tight games.
He may still be shaky, giving away a score after a fumble in his team’s goal area – but he also threw three touchdowns and, with already five fourth-quarter comebacks this year, he knows how to finish the game.
Green Bay are in close chase in the NFC North after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after overcoming the New York in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.
The Bears are strangely the most consistent with eight victories in nine, but as they travel to the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll see exactly how strong they truly are.
Preview – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Prospect
This looks one of the most exciting holiday line-ups for years, with every game packed with postseason consequences.
The Lions host the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Detroit, before a rare visit return to Texas for the Chiefs, who began existence as the Dallas Texans long ago in the sixties before relocating to Missouri.
The weekend’s rally teams are each clinging to postseason hopes but have very little room for mistakes – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
What about the Ravens? An ugly win over the New York in fact has them leading of the AFC North after beginning 1-5 and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (8:00 PM)
Will Shedeur Sanders Keep His Job?
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Sanders had done enough in his first NFL start to maintain the first-team job when Gabriel comes back.
Yet the issue will keep being asked as Sanders became the first Cleveland quarterback to win his first league game after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 other rookie quarterbacks failing to do so since.
It came only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an nearly feral Browns defence getting ten sacks, but Cleveland's offence requires a director, a presence to inspire confidence.
Moreover confidence is something not missing in Shedeur, who informed a network {