🔗 Share this article

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

Playoff Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' campaign while the Bears continue to surprise as they extend their winning streak.

Did Sanders do sufficiently on his first professional start to earn the full-time job in Ohio?

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

Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?

The Cowboys were trailing badly at 21-0 down against the reigning Super Bowl winners, how exactly did they produce their equal-largest recovery ever?

The emotions of a first home game after a teammate’s untimely passing may have played a part, however it was a combination of Prescott’s resolve and a defensive unit that pounced on rare mistakes by the Eagles.

Prescott eclipsed Romo’s marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and game-winning possessions (twenty-five) with an all-action performance – his diving score personifying his energetic showing.

Philly wasted a advantage of 21 points or more for the initial time after 1999, with just their second game with multiple turnovers this season – the other being a bad NFC East defeat at the New York.

In addition to 14 infractions for ninety-six yards, the attacking malaise that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was huge. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games before Sunday, he had more than 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 fell apart dramatically – with four consecutive punts, a missed field goal and then a fumble giving opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.

The Eagles defence is excellent, it really is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of 7 games (3 losses) is now a huge concern, because the components are all there but it's simply not working.

Sirianni’s game is all about securing the big situations, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is does just about enough – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and possession security is failing, there may be trouble ahead.

In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Early to Rescue Chiefs

It wasn't quite as extreme, but Kansas City's 11-point recovery in the final period against a strong Indianapolis team was hugely notable – and could have only rescued their season.

How big was it? Well, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of making the postseason, whereas a loss on the weekend would have dropped that figure to twenty-eight percent.

No wonder the playoff form of Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and guiding 3 scoring possessions in their last 4 possessions to win it in overtime.

Some big passes and swashbuckling runs are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season mode – at six and five and just tenth in the conference rankings.

This was closer to the former Chiefs however, with a initial close victory of the year after dropping five previously – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful may not be done so soon.

Discussion – Can Bears Be Kings of the Division?

You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at eight and three – holding the identical record as the Eagles.

They appear dangerous on both sides of the field, with a defense that tops the NFL in interceptions and total takeaways and, in Williams, a young quarterback now accustomed to winning tight games.

He may at times be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a fumble in his own end zone – but he additionally passed for three touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter comebacks this season, he understands how to finish the game.

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

Chicago are interestingly the most consistent with 8 victories in 9, but as they visit the Super Bowl winners on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how good they really are.

Preview – Thrilling Holiday in Store

This looks one of the best holiday schedules for a long time, with each game packed with playoff consequences.

Detroit host the Green Bay in the traditional opener in Detroit, prior to a rare visit return to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the 1960s before moving to Missouri.

The weekend’s comeback teams are each clinging to playoff aspirations but have minimal room for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.

What about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly win over the Jets actually has them top of the AFC North after beginning one and five and appearing dead and buried.

Holiday and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, 27 November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
• Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
• Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (8:00 PM)

Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Job?

Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his first NFL start to keep the starting job when Dillon Gabriel comes back.

But the issue will continue to be asked as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to win his debut league start since Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen other first-year signal callers unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Las Vegas, and with the assistance of an almost aggressive Cleveland defense getting 10 sacks, but the Browns’ offence needs a leader, a presence to build belief.

Moreover self-belief is something not missing in Shedeur, who told a CBS {