🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week provided an incredible Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an massive Philadelphia Eagles implosion?

Postseason Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Kansas City's season while the Chicago Bears continue to surprise as they extend their winning run.

Did Shedeur Sanders perform sufficiently on his first NFL start to secure the starting role in Cleveland?

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

Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?

Dallas were down and out at twenty-one to zero behind against the reigning Super Bowl champions, so how on earth did they produce their equal-largest comeback in history?

The emotions of a initial home fixture since Marshawn Kneeland tragic death could have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defence that pounced on uncommon errors by the Philadelphia.

Dak surpassed Tony Romo marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and game-winning drives (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his plunging touchdown embodying his all-action showing.

Philadelphia squandered a advantage of 21 points or more for the initial time since 1999, with only their second game with several giveaways this season – the other being another disappointing NFC East loss at the New York.

In addition to fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the attacking struggles that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive start was huge. He'd only passed for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the first half by himself in Dallas.

Yet from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offence fell apart spectacularly – with four straight kicks, a missed field goal and then a fumble handing opportunity 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 just not working.

Sirianni’s game is all about securing the big moments, the defence maintains them in it and what offence there is does just about sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is failing, there may be problems ahead.

In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Prematurely to Save Kansas City

It wasn't as dramatic, but Kansas City's eleven-point recovery in the fourth quarter against a powerful Indianapolis team was very notable – and could have only rescued their season.

How big was it? Well, the NFL's Next Gen Stats now assign the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the postseason, whereas a loss on Sunday would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.

It’s no surprise the playoff form of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for 235 yards in the second half by itself and guiding three scoring possessions in their last four series to win it in extra time.

A few huge passes and daring runs are typical for Patrick in the postseason, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season mode – at six and five and only 10th in the AFC standings.

That was more like the former Kansas City though, with a initial close win of the year after losing 5 already – they won eleven of them last year so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful might not be finished just yet.

Discussion – Are Chicago Be Rulers of the North?

You just can't ignore the Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at 8-3 – holding the same record as the Eagles.

They look dangerous on both sides of the ball, with a defence that leads the league in interceptions and total turnovers and, in Williams, a young player now used to securing tight games.

He can at times be shaky, giving away a touchdown after a fumble in his team’s end zone – but he also passed for 3 scores and, with already 5 fourth-quarter rallies this season, he understands how to get the job done.

Green Bay are in close chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Vikings and the Lions are right there after beating the New York in overtime with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.

Chicago are strangely the most reliable with eight wins in 9, but as they travel to the Super Bowl winners on Thanksgiving we'll see just how strong they truly are.

Preview – Thrilling Holiday in Store

This looks one of the most exciting Thanksgiving schedules for a long time, with every game packed with playoff implications.

The Lions welcome the Packers in the traditional curtain-raiser in Detroit, prior to a unusual visit return to Dallas for the Chiefs, who began life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the sixties before moving to Kansas City.

Sunday's rally teams are each holding on to playoff aspirations but have minimal margin for mistakes – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.

And how about the Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York actually has them top of the division after starting one and five and looking finished.

Holiday 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 @ Ravens (1:20 AM)
• Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Eagles (20:00)

Can Sanders Retain His Starting Role?

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed enough in his first professional outing to maintain the first-team job when Dillon Gabriel comes back.

Yet the issue will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to secure his debut league start after Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen additional first-year quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so afterward.

It was only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an almost feral Browns defence getting 10 tackles, but Cleveland's offence requires a leader, a presence to build confidence.

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