Philadelphia Falter in Texas & Patrick Saves Chiefs – Top Highlights from NFL the Twelfth Week
Week 12 provided an incredible Cowboys comeback, or was it an epic Philadelphia Eagles collapse?
Playoff Mahomes showed up to rescue the Kansas City's season as the Chicago Bears keep to surprise while they extend their victorious streak.
And did Sanders perform enough on his debut professional outing to secure the full-time job in Cleveland?
We’ll examine at the best of the week in the league.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?
The Cowboys found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero behind against the defending championship champions, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest comeback ever?
Sentiment of a initial home fixture since Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing may have been a factor, however it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that cashed in on rare errors by the Eagles.
Prescott surpassed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and clutch possessions (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his diving score embodying his all-action showing.
Philly squandered a lead of 21 points or more for the initial time after 1999, with only their second game with several turnovers this season – the previous being a disappointing division loss at the New York.
Along with fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Dallas.
However from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offense derailed spectacularly – with four straight punts, a failed three-point attempt and then a fumble handing opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.
Philadelphia’s defense is excellent, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of seven games (three losses) is now a major worry, because the pieces are all there but it's just not clicking.
Nick Sirianni game is all about securing the big moments, the defence keeps them in it and what offense there is does barely enough – if it can't even do that and now the composure and ball protection is breaking down, there may be problems ahead.
In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Kansas City
It wasn’t quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter against a strong Indianapolis squad was hugely impressive – and may have only saved their season.
How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s Next Gen Stats now give the Kansas City a 58% chance of reaching the postseason, whereas a loss on the weekend would have dropped that figure to twenty-eight percent.
No wonder the playoff form of Mahomes arrived, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half by itself and leading 3 scoring possessions in their final 4 series to seal it in extra time.
Some big throws and swashbuckling runs are typical for Patrick in the postseason, but right now the Chiefs are in playoff form – at six and five and only 10th in the conference rankings.
This was closer to the old Chiefs however, with a initial close victory of the year after dropping 5 already – they won eleven of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful might not be finished just yet.
Discussion – Are Chicago Become Rulers of the North?
You just can't ignore the Chicago Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, kept them top of the division and at 8-3 – sharing the same standing as the Philadelphia.
They appear threatening on each side of the field, with a defense that leads the NFL in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging quarterback now used to securing close games.
He can still be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a turnover in his team’s goal area – but he also passed for 3 scores and, with already five final period rallies this year, he knows how to get the job done.
The Green Bay Packers are in hot pursuit in the NFC North after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are right there after overcoming the New York in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.
The Bears are strangely the most reliable with 8 victories in 9, but as they travel to the championship champs on the holiday we'll discover exactly how good they really are.
Look Ahead – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Store
It appears among the most exciting holiday schedules for a long time, with every game packed with postseason consequences.
Detroit host the Green Bay in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a rare visit back to Dallas for the Chiefs, who began life as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before moving to Kansas City.
Sunday's comeback kings are each holding on to playoff aspirations but have very little room for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.
And how about the Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York in fact has them leading of the division after starting one and five and appearing finished.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)
- Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
- Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)
Will Shedeur Sanders Keep His Job?
Browns coach Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Sanders had performed enough in his debut NFL outing to keep the starting job when Gabriel comes back.
But the issue will keep being asked as Sanders became the first Browns signal-caller to win his debut league start after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen other first-year quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.
It was just the Raiders, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Browns defense getting ten sacks, but Cleveland's offence requires a director, a figurehead to inspire belief.
Moreover self-belief is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who told a network {