Philadelphia Stumble in Dallas & Mahomes Saves Kansas City – Best Highlights from National Football League Week 12

Week 12 delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an epic Philadelphia Eagles collapse?

Postseason Patrick Mahomes arrived to rescue the Chiefs' season as the Chicago Bears keep to impress while they continue their winning run.

Did Sanders do enough on his debut professional outing to secure the full-time role in Ohio?

We’ll examine at the pick of the week in the league.

The Breakdown – Dallas Rally or Philly Fail?

The Cowboys were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down against the defending Super Bowl champions, so how on earth did they produce their joint-best comeback in history?

Sentiment of a first home fixture after Marshawn Kneeland tragic passing may have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that cashed in on uncommon errors by the Eagles.

Prescott eclipsed Tony Romo records for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and game-winning possessions (25) with an all-action performance – his plunging touchdown personifying his all-action showing.

Philly wasted a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the first time since nineteen ninety-nine, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the previous being a disappointing NFC East loss at the Giants.

In addition to 14 penalties for 96 yards, the offensive struggles that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was significant. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in four games prior to the weekend, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Texas.

Yet from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence derailed spectacularly – with four straight punts, a failed three-point attempt and then a fumble giving chance after chance to the Dallas.

Philadelphia’s defence is excellent, it truly is, but an offense that's not surpassed 21 points in five of seven games (three losses) is now a major concern, because the components are all there but it's just not clicking.

Sirianni’s approach is all about winning the key moments, the defense keeps them in it and what offense there is manages barely enough – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there could be problems ahead.

In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Chiefs

It wasn't as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ 11-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Colts squad was very impressive – and may have only saved their campaign.

How big was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Kansas City a 58% chance of making the playoffs, whereas a loss on the weekend would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.

It’s no surprise the playoff version of Mahomes turned up, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half by itself and leading 3 point-scoring possessions in their final four series to seal it in overtime.

A few huge passes and daring runs are typical for Patrick in the playoffs, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season mode – at 6-5 and only tenth in the AFC rankings.

That was closer to the former Chiefs though, with a initial one-score victory of the year after losing five previously – they won 11 of them last year so, if that confidence comes back, this Kansas City faithful may not be done just yet.

Talking Point – Are Chicago Be Rulers of the North?

You can no longer overlook the Bears any longer. A win over the Steelers, without Rodgers, maintained them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – holding the same standing as the Philadelphia.

They look threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defence that tops the league in picks and total turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young quarterback now accustomed to securing tight games.

He can at times be shaky, giving away a touchdown after a turnover in his own goal area – but he also threw 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 overpowering the Vikings and Detroit are in contention after overcoming the New York in overtime with a huge game from Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Bears are interestingly the most reliable with eight wins in 9, but as they visit the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll see just how strong they truly are.

Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Prospect

It appears one of the best holiday line-ups for years, with every game loaded with playoff implications.

The Lions welcome the Packers in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a unusual visit return to Texas for the Chiefs, who started out existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before moving to Missouri.

The weekend’s comeback kings are both holding on to postseason hopes but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a playoff feel.

What about the Ravens? An ugly victory over the Jets actually has them top of the division after beginning 1-5 and appearing dead and buried.

Holiday and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)

  • Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
  • Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (9:30 PM)
  • Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Ravens (1:20 AM)
  • Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)

Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Job?

Browns head coach Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Sanders had done enough in his first NFL start to maintain the first-team job when Dillon Gabriel returns.

But the issue will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns signal-caller to secure his debut NFL game since Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen additional first-year quarterbacks failing to do so afterward.

It was just the Raiders, and with the help of an almost aggressive Cleveland defence getting 10 tackles, but Cleveland's offence needs a director, a figurehead to inspire confidence.

And confidence is something not lacking in Shedeur, who informed a network {

Matthew Stone
Matthew Stone

A cultural anthropologist and travel writer specializing in Nordic regions, with over a decade of experience documenting Scandinavian traditions.