🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week delivered an epic Cowboys comeback, or was it an epic Eagles collapse?

Playoff Patrick Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' season while the Chicago Bears continue to surprise as they continue their victorious run.

Did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his first professional start to earn the starting role in Cleveland?

Let's take a look at the best of the action in the NFL.

The Breakdown – Dallas Rally or Philly Fail?

Dallas were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero behind against the defending Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest comeback in history?

The emotions of a initial home fixture since a teammate’s tragic death may have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that pounced on rare errors by the Philadelphia.

Prescott eclipsed Romo’s marks for yards thrown (now 34,378) and game-winning drives (twenty-five) with an dynamic display – his plunging score embodying his all-action showing.

Philly squandered a advantage of twenty-one points or more for the first time after 1999, with just their second game with several giveaways this year – the previous being a disappointing division loss at the New York.

In addition to 14 infractions for 96 yards, the offensive malaise that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was huge. He'd only thrown for over two hundred yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had more than 150 in the first half by himself in Dallas.

However from the time Philadelphia went twenty-one to zero up their offense fell apart spectacularly – with four straight punts, a failed field goal and then a turnover handing opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.

The Eagles defense is brilliant, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one 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 approach is all about winning the key moments, the defence maintains them in it and what offense there is does barely enough – if it cannot even do that and now the composure and possession security is failing, there may be trouble ahead.

Spotlight – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Prematurely to Save Kansas City

It wasn't quite 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 season.

How significant was it? Well, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent probability of reaching the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have reduced that figure to 28%.

It’s no surprise the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, throwing for 235 yards in the second half alone and leading three point-scoring drives in their last four series to win it in overtime.

A few huge passes and daring runs are commonplace 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 conference standings.

That was closer to the former Chiefs though, with a first one-score win of the season after dropping five previously – they won 11 of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be finished just yet.

Talking Point – Are Chicago Become Rulers of the North?

You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears any longer. A victory over the Steelers, minus Rodgers, maintained them top of the NFC North and at eight and three – holding the identical record as the Eagles.

They appear threatening on each side of the ball, with a defense that leads the league in picks and total takeaways and, in Williams, a young player now accustomed to securing tight games.

He may at times be shaky, surrendering a score after a turnover in his team’s end zone – but he also passed for 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 final period comebacks this season, he knows how to get the job done.

The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the division after dominating the Minnesota and Detroit are right there after overcoming the New York in extra time with a huge game from Gibbs.

The Bears are interestingly the most consistent with eight victories in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl winners on Thanksgiving we'll see just how good they truly are.

Preview – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store

It appears one of the best Thanksgiving schedules for a long time, with every game loaded with playoff consequences.

The Lions welcome the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Detroit, before a unusual visit return to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out existence as the Texans long ago in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.

Sunday's rally teams are each clinging to postseason aspirations but have minimal room for error – so this will have a playoff feel.

And how about the Ravens? An ugly victory over the New York in fact has them leading of the division after starting 1-5 and looking dead and buried.

Holiday and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
• Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)

Can Sanders Retain His Job?

Browns head coach Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had done sufficiently in his first professional start to maintain the first-team position when Gabriel comes back.

But the issue will keep being asked as Shedeur became the first Cleveland signal-caller to secure his first NFL game after Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with seventeen additional rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost feral Cleveland defense recording ten sacks, but the Browns’ offense requires a leader, a figurehead to build confidence.

Moreover self-belief is something not missing in Sanders, who told a network {