Philly Stumble in Dallas & Mahomes Rescues Kansas City – Best Moments from National Football League Week 12
Week 12 delivered an incredible Cowboys comeback, or was it an massive Philadelphia Eagles implosion?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to rescue the Chiefs' campaign as the Chicago Bears keep to surprise as they extend their winning streak.
And did Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut professional start to earn the full-time job in Ohio?
Let's take a look at the pick of the week in the league.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys were down and out at 21-0 behind against the reigning Super Bowl champions, so how on earth did they engineer their equal-largest recovery ever?
Sentiment of a initial home game since a teammate’s untimely death could have been a factor, however it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defence that cashed in on uncommon errors by the Eagles.
Dak surpassed Romo’s records for passing yards (now 34,378) and game-winning possessions (twenty-five) with an all-action display – his plunging score embodying his energetic display.
Philadelphia squandered a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the first time since 1999, with just their second game with several giveaways this year – the other being a bad division defeat at the Giants.
Along with fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in four games before the weekend, he had more than 150 in the first half by himself in Dallas.
Yet from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart dramatically – with four consecutive kicks, a failed three-point attempt and then a fumble giving opportunity after chance to the Cowboys.
Philadelphia’s defence is excellent, it truly is, but an offense that's not surpassed 21 points in five of 7 games (3 losses) is now a huge worry, because the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Nick Sirianni approach is all about winning the key situations, the defense maintains them in it and what offence there is manages just about sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there may be problems ahead.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn't quite as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ 11-point recovery in the fourth quarter versus a strong Indianapolis team was very impressive – and could have just saved their campaign.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of making the postseason, whereas a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.
It’s no surprise the playoff form of Mahomes turned up, throwing for 235 yards in the second half alone and leading three point-scoring possessions in their last four possessions to seal it in extra time.
Some huge passes and swashbuckling scrambles are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but currently the Chiefs are in playoff mode – at six and five and just tenth in the AFC rankings.
That was closer to the old Chiefs though, with a first close victory of the year after losing 5 previously – they secured 11 of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be done so soon.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Be Kings of the Division?
You just can't overlook the Chicago Bears any longer. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Rodgers, kept them first of the NFC North and at eight and three – sharing the same standing as the Eagles.
They appear threatening on each side of the ball, with a defence that tops the league in picks and overall takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now accustomed to securing tight games.
He may still be shaky, giving away a touchdown after a turnover in his team’s goal area – but he also threw 3 touchdowns and, with already five final period comebacks this season, he understands how to get the job done.
Green Bay are in close chase in the division after overpowering the Minnesota and Detroit are right there after beating the Giants in overtime with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are strangely the most reliable with eight wins in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl winners on Thanksgiving we'll see just how good they truly are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Prospect
It appears one of the most exciting holiday schedules for years, with each game loaded with playoff consequences.
Detroit host the Packers in the classic opener in Detroit, prior to a unusual visit return to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out existence as the Texans way back in the sixties before relocating to Kansas City.
Sunday's rally kings are each holding on to playoff hopes but have very little room for error – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.
What about the Ravens? An unattractive victory over the Jets in fact has them leading of the AFC North after starting one and five and appearing finished.
Thanksgiving and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)
Can Sanders Retain His Starting Role?
Browns coach Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Sanders had done enough in his first professional outing to maintain the starting position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
Yet the question will keep being asked as Sanders became the first Cleveland signal-caller to secure his first league start since Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen additional rookie quarterbacks failing to do so afterward.
It came only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Cleveland defence recording 10 tackles, but the Browns’ offense needs a director, a figurehead to build belief.
Moreover confidence is one thing not lacking in Shedeur, who told a network {