Philly Falter in Dallas & Patrick Rescues Kansas City – Top Highlights from National Football League Week 12
Week 12 delivered an incredible Dallas Cowboys rally, or perhaps an epic Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes arrived to rescue the Kansas City's season as the Bears continue to impress while they extend their victorious streak.
Did Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut NFL start to earn the full-time role in Cleveland?
Let's take a look at the best of the week in the league.
The Breakdown – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys found themselves trailing badly at 21-0 down versus the defending championship champions, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?
Sentiment of a first home game since a teammate’s tragic death may have been a factor, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that pounced on uncommon errors by the Philadelphia.
Dak eclipsed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and game-winning possessions (twenty-five) with an all-action display – his plunging touchdown embodying his energetic display.
Philly squandered a advantage of 21 points or more for the initial time after nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with multiple turnovers this season – the previous being a bad NFC East defeat at the New York.
In addition to fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive start was huge. He had only thrown for over two hundred yards in four games before Sunday, he had more than one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Dallas.
However from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offence derailed spectacularly – with four straight kicks, a missed three-point attempt and then a turnover giving chance after opportunity to the Cowboys.
The Eagles defence is excellent, it really is, but an offense that's not surpassed twenty-one points in 5 of seven games (three losses) is now a huge concern, because the pieces are all there but it's just not clicking.
Nick Sirianni approach is all about securing the big situations, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is does barely sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there may be problems ahead.
Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Prematurely to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn't as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Colts squad was very notable – and could have just rescued their season.
How big was it? Indeed, the league’s Next Gen Stats now give the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the postseason, whereas a defeat on the weekend would have reduced that figure to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the postseason version of Mahomes turned up, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half by itself and guiding three point-scoring drives in their last 4 series to win it in extra time.
Some big passes and swashbuckling runs are typical for Patrick in the postseason, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and only 10th in the AFC standings.
That was more like the former Kansas City though, with a first close win of the year after losing five previously – they won 11 of them last year so, if that belief comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be finished just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Rulers of the Division?
You can no longer overlook the Bears now. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, maintained them top of the division and at eight and three – sharing the identical record as the Eagles.
They appear dangerous on both sides of the ball, with a defense that leads the league in interceptions and overall takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging quarterback now used to winning tight games.
He can at times be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a turnover in his own goal area – but he also passed for 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter rallies this year, he knows how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in hot chase in the division after dominating the Vikings and Detroit are right there after overcoming the New York in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.
Chicago are interestingly the most consistent with 8 victories in 9, but as they travel to the Super Bowl winners on the holiday we'll see just how strong they really are.
Preview – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Prospect
This looks one of the best holiday line-ups for a long time, with every game packed with playoff implications.
The Lions host the Green Bay in the traditional opener in Detroit, before a unusual trip back to Dallas for the Kansas City, who began existence as the Texans long ago in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.
The weekend’s comeback teams are both clinging to postseason hopes but have very little margin for error – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York in fact has them top of the AFC North after beginning one and five and looking dead and buried.
Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed enough in his debut NFL start to keep the starting job when Dillon Gabriel returns.
But the question will continue to be asked as Sanders became the first Browns signal-caller to win his debut league game since Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen other rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.
It was just the Raiders, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Cleveland defense recording ten sacks, but the Browns’ offence requires a leader, a figurehead to build belief.
Moreover self-belief is one thing not lacking in Shedeur, who informed a network {