Philly Falter in Dallas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Moments from NFL Week 12
The twelfth week provided an incredible Cowboys rally, or was it an massive Philadelphia Eagles implosion?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to salvage the Kansas City's season as the Bears keep to impress as they continue their winning streak.
Did Shedeur Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut NFL start to secure the starting role in Ohio?
Let's take a look at the pick of the week in the NFL.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys found themselves down and out at twenty-one to zero behind versus the reigning Super Bowl winners, so how on earth did they produce their equal-largest recovery ever?
Sentiment of a first home game since a teammate’s untimely passing could have been a factor, but technically it was a combination of Prescott’s determination and a defensive unit that pounced on rare mistakes by the Philadelphia.
Dak eclipsed Romo’s records for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch possessions (25) with an dynamic performance – his diving score personifying his energetic display.
Philadelphia wasted a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the initial time since 1999, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this season – the previous being a disappointing NFC East loss at the Giants.
In addition to fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was huge. He'd only thrown for over two hundred yards in four games before the weekend, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Dallas.
Yet from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart dramatically – with four straight punts, a failed field goal and then a turnover handing opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.
The Eagles defence is brilliant, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of seven games (three losses) is now a major concern, as the components are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Sirianni’s game is all about securing the key situations, the defence maintains them in it and what offense there is does just about sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there could be trouble ahead.
In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Prematurely to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn't quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point recovery in the fourth quarter against a strong Colts team was hugely impressive – and could have only saved their campaign.
How big was it? Indeed, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now give the Chiefs a 58% chance of reaching the postseason, when a loss on Sunday would have dropped that figure to 28%.
It’s no surprise the postseason form of Patrick Mahomes arrived, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half by itself and leading three point-scoring drives in their final four possessions to seal it in extra time.
Some huge passes and swashbuckling scrambles are commonplace for Patrick in the postseason, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season form – at 6-5 and only 10th in the AFC standings.
That was closer to the old Chiefs though, with a initial close win of the season after losing five previously – they secured eleven of them the previous season so, if that belief returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be done just yet.
Discussion – Can Bears Be Kings of the North?
You just can't ignore the Bears any longer. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Rodgers, kept them first of the NFC North and at 8-3 – holding the identical standing as the Eagles.
They look threatening on both sides of the field, with a defence that leads the league in picks and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging quarterback now used to securing tight games.
He can still be inconsistent, giving away a touchdown after a fumble in his team’s goal area – but he also passed for three scores and, with already 5 final period rallies this year, he understands how to get the job done.
Green Bay are in hot chase in the division after dominating the Vikings and the Lions are in contention after overcoming the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Gibbs.
The Bears are strangely the most consistent with eight wins in 9, but as they travel to the Super Bowl winners on Thanksgiving we'll discover exactly how good they truly are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Holiday in Store
It appears among the best Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with each game loaded with postseason consequences.
Detroit host the Green Bay in the classic opener in Michigan, before a unusual visit return to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
The weekend’s comeback teams are both clinging to playoff aspirations but have very little room for error – so this will have a post-season feel.
And how about the Ravens? An unattractive victory over the New York actually has them top of the division after starting one and five and looking finished.
Thanksgiving and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first NFL outing to maintain the starting job when Gabriel comes back.
But the issue will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns signal-caller to win his debut NFL game after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 other rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.
It was only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Browns defence getting 10 sacks, but the Browns’ offence requires a director, a presence to inspire confidence.
And self-belief is something not missing in Sanders, who told a CBS {