Philly Falter in Dallas & Patrick Rescues Kansas City – Top Highlights from National Football League the Twelfth Week
The twelfth week provided an epic Cowboys rally, or perhaps an epic Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes arrived to rescue the Chiefs' campaign as the Bears keep to impress as they extend their winning streak.
And did Shedeur Sanders do enough on his first professional outing to secure the starting job in Cleveland?
Let's take a look at the best of the action in the league.
Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?
Dallas were down and out at twenty-one to zero behind against the defending championship winners, how exactly did they produce their joint-best comeback in history?
Sentiment of a first home game after a teammate’s untimely death may have been a factor, but technically it was a mixture of Prescott’s determination and a defence that cashed in on rare errors by the Philadelphia.
Prescott eclipsed Romo’s marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his plunging touchdown personifying his all-action showing.
Philadelphia wasted a lead of 21 points or more for the first time since nineteen ninety-nine, with only their second game with several giveaways this season – the previous being another disappointing NFC East defeat at the Giants.
In addition to fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was significant. He had only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games prior to Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the first half alone in Texas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offence derailed spectacularly – with four consecutive kicks, a failed field goal and then a turnover giving opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.
The Eagles defense is excellent, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in 5 of seven games (three losses) is now a major concern, as the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Sirianni’s game is all about winning the big moments, the defense keeps them in it and what offense there is does just about enough – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there may be trouble in the future.
In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Early to Rescue Chiefs
It wasn't quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point recovery in the fourth quarter against a strong Indianapolis team was hugely notable – and may have only rescued their campaign.
How big was it? Well, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now give the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of making the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that figure to 28%.
No wonder the postseason form of Patrick Mahomes arrived, throwing for 235 yards in the latter half alone and leading 3 scoring drives in their final 4 possessions to win it in extra time.
A few big passes and daring runs are typical for Mahomes in the playoffs, but right now the Kansas City are in playoff form – at six and five and just 10th in the AFC standings.
This was closer to the former Chiefs though, with a first one-score win of the year after losing 5 previously – they won 11 of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful might not be done so soon.
Discussion – Can Bears Be Kings of the North?
You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at 8-3 – sharing the identical standing as the Eagles.
They look dangerous on each side of the ball, with a defence that leads the league in interceptions and total takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now accustomed to securing close games.
He may still be shaky, surrendering a score after a fumble in his team’s end zone – but he also threw 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter comebacks this season, he understands how to get the job done.
Green Bay are in hot pursuit in the division after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are right there after overcoming the New York in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.
The Bears are interestingly the most reliable with eight victories in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on the holiday we'll see exactly how strong they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Prospect
It appears one of the most exciting holiday line-ups for years, with every game packed with postseason implications.
Detroit host the Packers in the classic opener in Michigan, before a rare trip back to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out life as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before relocating to Missouri.
Sunday's comeback teams are both holding on to postseason aspirations but have very little margin for error – so this will have a post-season feel.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York actually has them top of the AFC North after starting 1-5 and appearing finished.
Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Job?
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski batted away questions on whether Sanders had done sufficiently in his debut NFL start to keep the starting position when Dillon Gabriel returns.
But the issue will keep being raised as Sanders became the first Browns quarterback to secure his first NFL game since Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen other rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so afterward.
It was just the Las Vegas, and with the help of an nearly aggressive Cleveland defence getting 10 sacks, but the Browns’ offence requires a director, a figurehead to build confidence.
Moreover confidence is something not lacking in Sanders, who informed a network {