Philly Stumble in Texas & Mahomes Rescues Kansas City – Top Highlights from NFL Week 12
Week 12 provided an incredible Cowboys rally, or was it an massive Eagles implosion?
Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Chiefs' season while the Chicago Bears keep to impress as they continue their winning run.
And did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his first NFL outing to earn the full-time role in Ohio?
We’ll examine at the pick of the action in the league.
Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?
Dallas were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero behind against the defending Super Bowl winners, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?
The emotions of a initial home game after Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing may have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defensive unit that cashed in on rare mistakes by the Philadelphia.
Prescott eclipsed Romo’s marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and game-winning possessions (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his plunging touchdown personifying his energetic showing.
Philly wasted a lead of 21 points or more for the first time after nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with multiple turnovers this year – the other being a bad NFC East defeat at the Giants.
Along with fourteen infractions for ninety-six yards, the attacking malaise that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He'd only thrown for over two hundred yards in four games before the weekend, he had more than 150 in the first half alone in Dallas.
Yet from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart spectacularly – with four straight punts, a missed field goal and then a turnover handing opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.
Philadelphia’s defense is excellent, it truly is, but an offense that's not surpassed 21 points in five of seven games (three losses) is now a huge concern, as the pieces are all there but it's just not working.
Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the big moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is does barely enough – if it can't even do that and now the composure and possession security is breaking down, there could be trouble ahead.
Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Prematurely to Save Chiefs
It wasn't as extreme, but Kansas City's eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter against a strong Indianapolis team was hugely notable – and may have just rescued their campaign.
How significant was it? Indeed, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now give the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of making the playoffs, whereas a loss on Sunday would have reduced that figure to twenty-eight percent.
It’s no surprise the postseason form of Mahomes arrived, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and guiding three point-scoring drives in their final 4 possessions to win it in extra time.
A few huge passes and daring scrambles are typical for Patrick in the postseason, but currently the Chiefs are in playoff mode – at 6-5 and just tenth in the AFC rankings.
This was more like the former Kansas City however, with a first one-score win of the year after losing five already – they won 11 of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be done just yet.
Talking Point – Can Bears Become Rulers of the Division?
You just can't overlook the Bears any longer. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at 8-3 – sharing the same standing as the Philadelphia.
They look dangerous on both sides of the ball, with a defense that leads the league in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Williams, a young player now accustomed to securing tight games.
He may at times be shaky, giving away a touchdown after a fumble in his team’s end zone – but he also threw three touchdowns and, with already five fourth-quarter comebacks this year, he understands how to finish the game.
The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the NFC North after dominating the Vikings and Detroit are in contention after overcoming the Giants in overtime with a monster game from Gibbs.
The Bears are strangely the most consistent with eight wins in 9, but as they travel to the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll discover exactly how good they truly are.
Look Ahead – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Prospect
It appears one of the best Thanksgiving line-ups for years, with every game loaded with playoff consequences.
The Lions host the Packers in the classic opener in Michigan, prior to a rare visit return to Texas for the Kansas City, who began existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before relocating to Missouri.
The weekend’s rally teams are both clinging to playoff aspirations but have very little margin for mistakes – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.
And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly win over the Jets in fact has them leading of the AFC North after starting one and five and appearing dead and buried.
Thanksgiving and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (18:00)
- Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
- Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (01:20)
- Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Eagles (20:00)
Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?
Browns coach Stefanski batted away questions on whether Sanders had done sufficiently in his debut NFL outing to maintain the starting position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.
But the question will continue to be raised as Shedeur became the first Browns signal-caller to win his first NFL start after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen additional first-year signal callers unsuccessful to do so since.
It was only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an nearly aggressive Browns defence recording 10 tackles, but Cleveland's offense requires a leader, a figurehead to inspire confidence.
Moreover self-belief is something not lacking in Shedeur, who told a network {