Philly Falter in Texas & Patrick Saves Kansas City – Best Moments from NFL Week 12
The twelfth week delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys comeback, or was it an massive Eagles collapse?
Playoff Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' season as the Chicago Bears keep to impress as they continue their winning streak.
And did Sanders perform enough on his first NFL start to earn the starting job in Ohio?
Let's take a look at the pick of the week in the NFL.
The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
The Cowboys found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down versus the defending championship winners, how exactly did they produce their equal-largest comeback in history?
Sentiment of a initial home fixture after Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing may have played a part, however it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that cashed in on rare errors by the Eagles.
Dak surpassed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his plunging score personifying his all-action display.
Philly wasted a lead of 21 points or more for the initial time since 1999, with just their second game with several turnovers this season – the previous being a disappointing division defeat at the New York.
Along with 14 penalties for ninety-six yards, the attacking struggles that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games before the weekend, he had more than one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Texas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offense derailed spectacularly – with four consecutive kicks, a failed field goal and then a turnover handing chance after chance to the Dallas.
Philadelphia’s defense is brilliant, it really is, but an offense that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in five of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge worry, because the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.
Sirianni’s game is all about securing the big moments, the defence keeps them in it and what offense there is does just about enough – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there may be trouble in the future.
Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Appears Prematurely to Save Chiefs
It wasn't as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a strong Colts squad was hugely impressive – and may have only saved their campaign.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Chiefs a 58% probability of reaching the postseason, whereas a loss on the weekend would have dropped that figure to 28%.
No wonder the postseason version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half by itself and guiding three scoring drives in their final 4 series to win it in overtime.
A few big throws and daring scrambles are typical for Mahomes in the playoffs, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and just tenth in the conference rankings.
That was more like the former Kansas City though, with a initial one-score win of the season after dropping five previously – they won 11 of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be finished just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Rulers of the North?
You can no longer ignore the Bears any longer. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at 8-3 – holding the identical record as the Philadelphia.
They appear threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defense that leads the NFL in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now accustomed to winning close games.
He may at times be shaky, surrendering a touchdown after a fumble in his team’s end zone – but he also passed for 3 scores and, with already five fourth-quarter comebacks this year, he knows how to get the job done.
Green Bay are in close pursuit in the NFC North after dominating the Minnesota and Detroit are right there after beating the Giants in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.
The Bears are interestingly the most consistent with 8 wins in 9, but as they visit the championship winners on the holiday we'll see exactly how good they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store
This looks among the most exciting holiday schedules for years, with each game packed with playoff consequences.
The Lions welcome the Green Bay in the classic opener in Michigan, prior to a unusual trip return to Texas for the Chiefs, who began existence as the Texans long ago in the 1960s before moving to Missouri.
Sunday's comeback kings are each clinging to playoff aspirations but have very little margin for mistakes – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
What about the Ravens? An ugly win over the Jets in fact has them leading of the AFC North after starting one and five and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, 27 November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)
Can Sanders Keep His Job?
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first professional start to maintain the first-team position when Dillon Gabriel returns.
Yet the question will keep being raised as Sanders became the first Browns quarterback to secure his debut league game after Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 additional first-year signal callers unsuccessful to do so afterward.
It came just the Raiders, and with the assistance of an almost feral Browns defence getting ten tackles, but the Browns’ offence needs a leader, a figurehead to build confidence.
And confidence is one thing not lacking in Shedeur, who told a network {