🔗 Share this article

Week 12 delivered an incredible Dallas Cowboys rally, or perhaps an massive Philadelphia Eagles collapse?

Postseason Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' season as the Bears keep to surprise while they extend their victorious run.

And did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his first NFL outing to earn the full-time role in Cleveland?

We’ll examine at the pick of the action in the NFL.

The Breakdown – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?

The Cowboys were down and out at 21-0 behind versus the reigning Super Bowl winners, so how on earth did they produce their joint-best recovery ever?

Sentiment of a first home game since Marshawn Kneeland tragic death could have been a factor, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that pounced on rare mistakes by the Eagles.

Dak eclipsed Romo’s records for yards thrown (now 34,378) and game-winning possessions (25) with an dynamic performance – his diving touchdown embodying his energetic showing.

Philly wasted a advantage of 21 points or more for the first time since nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with multiple giveaways this season – the other being a bad NFC East loss at the New York.

Along with 14 infractions for 96 yards, the attacking struggles that affected Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was huge. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in four games before the weekend, he had more than one hundred fifty in the first half by himself in Dallas.

However from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart dramatically – with four straight kicks, a missed field goal and then a fumble giving opportunity after chance to the Cowboys.

Philadelphia’s defence is brilliant, it really is, but an offense that's not eclipsed 21 points in five of seven games (3 losses) is now a huge worry, as the pieces are all there but it's just not clicking.

Sirianni’s approach is all about securing the key moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is manages barely sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is failing, there may be problems in the future.

In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Prematurely to Rescue Kansas City

It wasn't quite as extreme, but Kansas City's eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a strong Colts team was hugely impressive – and may have only rescued their campaign.

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

It’s no surprise the postseason form of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and guiding three scoring drives in their last four possessions to win it in extra time.

Some big throws and swashbuckling runs are typical for Mahomes in the playoffs, but right now the Kansas City are in post-season form – at six and five and only tenth in the AFC standings.

That was more like the old Chiefs though, with a initial one-score win of the season after dropping 5 already – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that belief returns, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be finished just yet.

Discussion – Can Bears Be Rulers of the Division?

You can no longer ignore the Bears now. A win over the Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them first of the NFC North and at eight and three – sharing the same standing as the Philadelphia.

They appear threatening on each side of the ball, with a defence that tops the league in interceptions and overall takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a young player now accustomed to winning tight games.

He may at times be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a turnover in his own end zone – but he additionally passed for three scores and, with already 5 final period rallies this season, he understands how to get the job done.

Green Bay are in hot chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after overcoming the Giants in overtime with a monster game from Gibbs.

Chicago are interestingly the most consistent with eight victories in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl winners on Thanksgiving we'll see just how strong they truly are.

Look Ahead – Exciting Holiday in Store

It appears one of the most exciting holiday schedules for a long time, with every game loaded with postseason implications.

Detroit welcome the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Detroit, before a unusual trip back to Texas for the Kansas City, who started out existence as the Texans way back in the sixties before relocating to Kansas City.

The weekend’s rally teams are both holding on to postseason aspirations but have very little margin for mistakes – so this will have a playoff feel.

What about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive victory over the New York in fact has them top of the division after beginning 1-5 and looking finished.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
• Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
• Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)

Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Starting Role?

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away questions on whether Sanders had done enough in his debut professional outing to keep the starting job when Dillon Gabriel returns.

Yet the question will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to win his debut NFL start since Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 other first-year signal callers unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Raiders, and with the help of an nearly feral Cleveland defence recording 10 tackles, but the Browns’ offence needs a leader, a presence to inspire belief.

And self-belief is something not missing in Shedeur, who told a network {