Philly Falter in Dallas & Patrick Rescues Kansas City – Top Highlights from National Football League Week 12

Week 12 provided an epic Cowboys rally, or perhaps an massive Philadelphia Eagles collapse?

Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Chiefs' season while the Bears continue to impress as they extend their winning run.

Did Sanders perform enough on his debut professional start to secure the starting role in Cleveland?

Let's take a look at the pick of the action in the NFL.

Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?

The Cowboys were trailing badly at 21-0 down against the defending championship winners, so how on earth did they engineer their equal-largest recovery ever?

The emotions of a first home game after a teammate’s untimely death may have played a part, however it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that pounced on uncommon errors by the Philadelphia.

Dak surpassed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his plunging score personifying his all-action showing.

Philadelphia wasted a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the initial time after 1999, with only their second game with several turnovers this year – the previous being a bad NFC East loss at the Giants.

Along with 14 infractions for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was significant. He'd only thrown for 200-plus yards in four games before Sunday, he had more than 150 in the first half alone in Dallas.

However from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offence derailed spectacularly – with four consecutive kicks, a failed three-point attempt and then a turnover giving opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.

Philadelphia’s defense is brilliant, it really is, but an offense that's not surpassed twenty-one points in 5 of 7 games (3 losses) is now a major concern, as the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.

Nick Sirianni approach is all about securing the key moments, the defence maintains them in it and what offence there is manages barely sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the composure and possession security is failing, there could be problems in the future.

Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Save Kansas City

It wasn’t quite as extreme, but the Chiefs’ 11-point comeback in the final period against a strong Colts team was hugely impressive – and may have only saved their campaign.

How big was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Chiefs a 58% probability of making the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.

It’s no surprise the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes arrived, passing for 235 yards in the latter half by itself and guiding 3 scoring possessions in their last four possessions to win it in overtime.

A few huge throws and swashbuckling scrambles are typical for Patrick in the postseason, but currently the Kansas City are in playoff mode – at six and five and just 10th in the conference standings.

This was more like the former Kansas City however, with a initial one-score win of the season after dropping five previously – they secured eleven of them the previous season so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be done so soon.

Discussion – Are Chicago Become Rulers of the Division?

You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears any longer. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without 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 field, with a defence that tops the NFL in interceptions and total turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now used to securing tight games.

He can still be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a fumble in his team’s end zone – but he additionally threw three scores and, with already 5 final period rallies this season, he knows how to get the job done.

Green Bay are in hot chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Minnesota and Detroit are right there after beating the New York in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.

Chicago are strangely the most consistent with 8 wins in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on the holiday we'll see exactly how strong they really are.

Preview – Exciting Thanksgiving in Prospect

This looks among the best holiday schedules for years, with every game packed with playoff implications.

Detroit host the Packers in the classic opener in Michigan, before a rare trip back to Texas for the Chiefs, who began life as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before relocating to Missouri.

The weekend’s comeback kings are each holding on to postseason hopes but have minimal 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 leading of the AFC North after beginning one and five and looking finished.

Thanksgiving and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)

  • Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Lions (18:00)
  • Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
  • Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
  • Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (8:00 PM)

Can Sanders Retain His Starting Role?

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had done enough in his first professional start to keep the first-team job when Gabriel returns.

But the issue will continue to be asked as Sanders became the first Cleveland quarterback to secure his debut league game since Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen additional rookie signal callers unsuccessful to do so since.

It came just the Raiders, and with the assistance of an nearly feral Cleveland defence recording 10 tackles, but the Browns’ offence requires a leader, a presence to build belief.

And self-belief is something not lacking in Sanders, who informed a CBS {

April Campbell
April Campbell

An avid hiker and writer who blends nature exploration with poetic storytelling.