Philly Stumble in Texas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Highlights from NFL Week 12
The twelfth week provided an epic Cowboys comeback, or was it an epic Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to salvage the Chiefs' campaign while the Bears keep to impress as they continue their victorious streak.
And did Sanders do enough on his debut NFL outing to earn the full-time role in Cleveland?
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 down versus the reigning championship winners, so how on earth did they produce their equal-largest recovery ever?
The emotions of a first home fixture after a teammate’s untimely death may have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that cashed in on rare mistakes by the Eagles.
Prescott eclipsed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an dynamic performance – his diving touchdown embodying his energetic display.
Philadelphia squandered a lead of 21 points or more for the first time since nineteen ninety-nine, with only their second game with multiple turnovers this season – the other being another bad division loss at the Giants.
Along with fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive start was huge. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had over 150 in the first half by himself in Dallas.
However from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart spectacularly – with four straight punts, a missed three-point attempt and then a fumble giving opportunity after chance to the Dallas.
The Eagles defense is excellent, it truly is, but an offense that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in five of 7 games (3 losses) is now a huge concern, as the components are all there but it's just not working.
Sirianni’s game is all about winning the key situations, the defense keeps them in it and what offense there is manages just about enough – if it can't even do that and now the composure and ball protection is breaking down, there could be trouble in the future.
In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Chiefs
It wasn't quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Indianapolis squad was hugely notable – and could have only rescued their season.
How significant was it? Well, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Kansas City a 58% chance of making the playoffs, whereas a loss on the weekend would have dropped that figure to 28%.
No wonder the playoff version of Mahomes arrived, passing for 235 yards in the second half by itself and leading 3 point-scoring possessions in their last 4 series to seal it in overtime.
A few big passes and swashbuckling runs are commonplace for Mahomes in the postseason, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and only tenth in the AFC standings.
That was more like the former Chiefs however, with a initial close victory of the year after dropping 5 previously – they won eleven of them the previous season so, if that confidence comes back, this Kansas City faithful may not be finished so soon.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Kings of the Division?
You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears any longer. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, maintained them first of the division and at eight and three – holding the same standing as the Philadelphia.
They appear dangerous on both sides of the field, with a defence that tops the league in interceptions and total turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young quarterback now accustomed to winning close games.
He can at times be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a turnover in his own goal area – but he also passed for 3 scores and, with already 5 fourth-quarter rallies this season, he knows how to finish the game.
The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the NFC North after overpowering the Vikings and Detroit are right there after beating the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are interestingly the most reliable with 8 victories in nine, but as they travel to the championship winners on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how strong they really are.
Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store
It appears among the best Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with each game packed with postseason consequences.
Detroit host the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a unusual visit back to Dallas for the Kansas City, who started out existence as the Texans way back in the 1960s before moving to Kansas City.
Sunday's rally kings are each clinging to playoff aspirations but have very little margin for error – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly win over the New York actually has them top of the division after beginning 1-5 and appearing finished.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, 27 November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Keep His Job?
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first NFL start to maintain the first-team job when Gabriel comes back.
But the question will keep being asked as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to secure his first league game after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen other first-year quarterbacks failing to do so since.
It was just the Raiders, and with the help of an nearly aggressive Cleveland defense getting ten tackles, but Cleveland's offense needs a leader, a figurehead to inspire belief.
And confidence is something not missing in Shedeur, who informed a CBS {