Philadelphia Falter in Texas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Top Moments from National Football League Week 12
Week 12 provided an epic Dallas Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an massive Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Chiefs' campaign while the Chicago Bears keep to surprise while they continue their winning streak.
Did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his debut professional start to secure the full-time role in Ohio?
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 against the defending Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they produce their equal-largest recovery ever?
Sentiment of a first home game since Marshawn Kneeland untimely death could have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defensive unit that pounced on rare mistakes by the Philadelphia.
Dak surpassed Romo’s marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and clutch drives (25) with an dynamic display – his plunging score embodying his energetic display.
Philly squandered a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the initial time after nineteen ninety-nine, with only their second game with multiple turnovers this season – the other being another disappointing division loss at the New York.
Along with fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the attacking struggles that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had over 150 in the first half by himself in Dallas.
Yet from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offence derailed spectacularly – with four straight punts, a missed field goal and then a turnover handing opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.
The Eagles defence is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed twenty-one points in 5 of 7 games (3 losses) is now a huge concern, because the components are all there but it's just not clicking.
Sirianni’s game is all about winning the big situations, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is does barely enough – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there could be trouble in the future.
In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Early to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn't quite as extreme, but the Chiefs’ 11-point recovery in the fourth quarter against a strong Indianapolis team was very impressive – and could have only saved their campaign.
How big was it? Well, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now assign the Chiefs a 58% probability of making the postseason, whereas a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that number to 28%.
It’s no surprise the postseason form of Patrick Mahomes arrived, throwing for 235 yards in the latter half alone and guiding three scoring possessions in their last four possessions to win it in overtime.
A few big passes and swashbuckling runs are commonplace for Mahomes in the postseason, but right now the Kansas City are in post-season form – at 6-5 and only 10th in the AFC standings.
This was more like the old Chiefs however, with a initial one-score victory of the season after dropping five already – they secured eleven of them the previous season so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful may not be done so soon.
Talking Point – Are Chicago Become Kings of the Division?
You just can't ignore the Chicago Bears any longer. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, maintained them first of the division and at eight and three – sharing the same record as the Eagles.
They appear dangerous on both sides of the field, with a defence that leads the NFL in interceptions and total turnovers and, in Williams, a young player now accustomed to securing close games.
He can still be shaky, giving away a score after a fumble in his team’s goal area – but he also passed for 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 final period comebacks this year, he knows how to finish the game.
Green Bay are in hot pursuit in the division after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after beating the New York in overtime with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.
Chicago are interestingly the most reliable with eight victories in 9, but as they visit the championship champs on the holiday we'll discover just how strong they really are.
Look Ahead – Thrilling Holiday in Prospect
This looks one of the most exciting holiday line-ups for a long time, with each game packed with postseason implications.
The Lions welcome the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Detroit, prior to a rare visit return to Dallas for the Kansas City, who started out life as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before relocating to Kansas City.
The weekend’s comeback kings are both holding on to postseason hopes but have very little room for mistakes – so this will have a post-season feel.
What about the Ravens? An ugly win over the New York in fact has them leading of the division after starting one and five and appearing dead and buried.
Holiday and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Retain His Job?
Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Sanders had performed sufficiently in his debut NFL start to maintain the starting position when Gabriel comes back.
But the question will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his debut league game since Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen other rookie signal callers unsuccessful to do so since.
It came just the Las Vegas, and with the help of an almost feral Cleveland defence getting 10 sacks, but the Browns’ offence requires a leader, a figurehead to build belief.
Moreover confidence is one thing not missing in Sanders, who told a network {