🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys rally, or was it an epic Eagles implosion?

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

Did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his debut professional outing to earn the full-time role in Cleveland?

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

The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?

Dallas were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down against the defending Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they engineer their joint-best comeback ever?

Sentiment of a initial home game after Marshawn Kneeland untimely death may have played a part, but technically it was a mixture of Prescott’s determination and a defence that pounced on uncommon mistakes by the Philadelphia.

Dak eclipsed Romo’s marks for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his diving score personifying his all-action display.

Philadelphia wasted a lead of 21 points or more for the first time since 1999, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this season – the other being another bad division loss at the Giants.

In addition to 14 penalties for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in four games prior to Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the first half by himself in Dallas.

Yet from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offense derailed spectacularly – with four consecutive punts, a missed three-point attempt and then a fumble handing chance after chance to the Cowboys.

The Eagles defence is excellent, it really is, but an offense that's not eclipsed 21 points in 5 of 7 games (three losses) is now a major concern, because the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.

Nick Sirianni game is all about securing the key situations, the defense keeps them in it and what offense there is does just about sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there may be problems ahead.

In Focus – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Rescue Kansas City

It wasn’t quite as dramatic, but Kansas City's 11-point recovery in the fourth quarter against a powerful Indianapolis squad was very impressive – and could have only rescued their campaign.

How big was it? Well, the NFL's advanced analytics now assign the Chiefs a 58% chance of reaching the playoffs, when a defeat on Sunday would have reduced that figure to twenty-eight percent.

It’s no surprise the postseason form of Mahomes arrived, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and leading 3 point-scoring drives in their last 4 possessions to seal it in overtime.

A few huge passes and swashbuckling scrambles are typical for Patrick in the postseason, but currently the Kansas City are in playoff form – at six and five and only tenth in the AFC rankings.

That was more like the former Kansas City however, with a initial close victory of the season after dropping 5 already – they secured eleven of them the previous season so, if that belief returns, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be done just yet.

Talking Point – Can Bears Become Kings of the North?

You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Steelers, without Rodgers, kept 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 leads the league in picks and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now accustomed to winning tight games.

He may still be inconsistent, surrendering a touchdown after a fumble in his team’s goal area – but he also passed for three touchdowns and, with already five fourth-quarter rallies this season, he understands how to finish the game.

Green Bay are in hot pursuit in the division after dominating the Minnesota and the Lions are right there after overcoming the Giants in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.

Chicago are strangely the most reliable with eight wins in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl winners on the holiday we'll see just how good they really are.

Look Ahead – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Store

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

The Lions host the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a rare trip back to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before moving to Kansas City.

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

And how about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly victory over the Jets actually has them leading of the AFC North after starting 1-5 and looking dead and buried.

Holiday and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
• Friday, 28 November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
• Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)

Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Starting Role?

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Sanders had performed sufficiently in his debut professional start to keep the starting position when Gabriel comes back.

But the issue will continue to be asked as Sanders became the first Browns signal-caller to win his first league start since Eric Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen other first-year quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so afterward.

It was only the Raiders, and with the help of an almost aggressive Browns defense recording ten tackles, but Cleveland's offence needs a leader, a figurehead to build belief.

Moreover self-belief is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who told a network {