🔗 Share this article

Week 12 provided an incredible Dallas Cowboys rally, or was it an epic Eagles collapse?

Postseason Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' season as the Bears keep to impress as they extend their winning run.

And did Sanders do sufficiently on his debut professional outing to secure the full-time role in Ohio?

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

Analysis – Dallas Rally or Philly Fail?

Dallas found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero behind versus the defending Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they produce their joint-best recovery in history?

The emotions of a first home fixture after Marshawn Kneeland tragic passing could have played a part, however it was a combination of Prescott’s determination and a defensive unit that cashed in on rare errors by the Philadelphia.

Dak surpassed Romo’s marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and clutch drives (25) with an all-action display – his plunging touchdown embodying his all-action display.

Philly squandered a lead of twenty-one points or more for the initial time since nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with multiple turnovers this season – the previous being another bad NFC East loss at the New York.

Along with fourteen penalties for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was huge. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in four games prior to Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters by himself in Dallas.

However from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offense fell apart spectacularly – with four straight kicks, a failed field goal and then a fumble giving chance after opportunity to the Cowboys.

The Eagles defense is brilliant, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of seven games (3 losses) is now a major concern, because the components are all there but it's simply not working.

Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the key moments, the defence keeps them in it and what offense there is manages just about sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is failing, there could be trouble ahead.

In Focus – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Rescue Chiefs

It wasn't quite as extreme, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter against a powerful Colts squad was very notable – and may have only saved their season.

How significant was it? Well, the league’s Next Gen Stats now give the Kansas City a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the postseason, when a defeat on Sunday would have reduced that number to twenty-eight percent.

No wonder the playoff version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for 235 yards in the latter half alone and guiding 3 scoring possessions in their final 4 series to win it in overtime.

Some big throws and swashbuckling scrambles are typical for Patrick in the postseason, but currently the Chiefs are in playoff mode – at six and five and just 10th in the AFC rankings.

This was more like the old Kansas City however, with a first one-score win of the season after dropping five already – they secured eleven of them last year so, if that confidence returns, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be done so soon.

Discussion – Are Chicago Become Kings of the North?

You can no longer ignore the Chicago Bears any longer. A win over the Steelers, without Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at eight and three – sharing the identical record as the Philadelphia.

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

He can still be shaky, surrendering a score after a turnover in his own end zone – but he also threw three touchdowns and, with already 5 final period comebacks this year, he knows how to get the job done.

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

The Bears are strangely the most consistent with 8 wins in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on the holiday we'll see exactly how good they really are.

Preview – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store

This looks among the most exciting Thanksgiving schedules for years, with each game loaded with playoff consequences.

Detroit welcome the Green Bay in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a rare visit return to Dallas for the Kansas City, who started out life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the sixties before moving to Missouri.

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

What about the Baltimore Ravens? An unattractive victory over the Jets in fact has them top of the AFC North after beginning 1-5 and appearing dead and buried.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
• Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)

Can Sanders Retain His Starting Role?

Browns coach Kevin Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed sufficiently in his debut professional start to maintain the starting position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.

But the issue will keep being raised as Shedeur became the first Browns quarterback to secure his first league start after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 other rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Las Vegas, and with the help of an almost feral Browns defence getting ten sacks, but the Browns’ offence requires a director, a presence to inspire belief.

And confidence is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who informed a network {