🔗 Share this article

Week 12 provided an epic Cowboys rally, or perhaps an massive Eagles implosion?

Postseason Patrick Mahomes showed up to salvage the Kansas City's season as the Bears keep to impress while they extend their victorious run.

And did Shedeur Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut NFL outing to secure the full-time job in Cleveland?

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

The Breakdown – Dallas Rally or Philly Fail?

The Cowboys were trailing badly at twenty-one to zero behind versus the defending championship winners, so how on earth did they produce their equal-largest recovery ever?

Sentiment of a first home game after Marshawn Kneeland tragic passing could have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that pounced on rare mistakes by the Philadelphia.

Dak eclipsed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now 34,378) and clutch drives (25) with an all-action performance – his plunging touchdown personifying his energetic display.

Philadelphia squandered a advantage of 21 points or more for the initial time since nineteen ninety-nine, with just their second game with multiple turnovers this year – the other being another bad NFC East loss at the Giants.

In addition to fourteen penalties for ninety-six yards, the attacking struggles that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was huge. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in four games before the weekend, he had more than one hundred fifty in the first half by himself in Dallas.

However from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offense fell apart dramatically – with four consecutive punts, a missed field goal and then a fumble handing opportunity after chance to the Cowboys.

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

Sirianni’s game is all about securing the key moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offense there is does barely sufficient – if it can't even do that and now the composure and possession security is failing, there could be problems in the future.

In Focus – Playoff Patrick Appears Prematurely to Save Kansas City

It wasn’t as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a strong Indianapolis squad was hugely impressive – and could have only rescued their campaign.

How big was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent probability of making the playoffs, when a loss on Sunday would have reduced that number to twenty-eight percent.

It’s no surprise the postseason version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half alone and leading 3 scoring drives in their final four series to seal it in extra time.

A few huge passes and daring runs are commonplace for Patrick in the playoffs, but currently the Chiefs are in playoff form – at six and five and only tenth in the AFC rankings.

This was more like the former Chiefs though, with a first close victory of the year after dropping 5 previously – they secured 11 of them the previous season so, if that confidence returns, this Kansas City faithful might not be finished so soon.

Talking Point – Are Chicago Be Rulers of the North?

You just can't overlook the Bears now. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, maintained them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – sharing the identical standing as the Philadelphia.

They appear threatening on each side of the field, with a defense that tops the NFL in interceptions and total turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now used to securing tight games.

He may still be inconsistent, surrendering a touchdown after a fumble in his own end zone – but he also threw three scores and, with already five final period comebacks this year, he understands how to finish the game.

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

Chicago are interestingly the most consistent with 8 victories in 9, but as they travel to the championship winners on Thanksgiving we'll discover just how strong they truly are.

Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store

This looks among the best Thanksgiving schedules for years, with every game loaded with postseason consequences.

Detroit host the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Detroit, before a rare visit return to Dallas for the Chiefs, who started out life as the Texans long ago in the sixties before moving to Kansas City.

The weekend’s comeback kings are both clinging to playoff hopes but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a post-season feel.

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

Holiday and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)

• Thursday, 27 November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (18:00)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
• Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)

Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Starting Role?

Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had done sufficiently in his first NFL start to maintain the starting position when Dillon Gabriel comes back.

But the issue will keep being raised as Sanders became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his first league game since Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 other first-year quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Raiders, and with the help of an almost aggressive Cleveland defence recording 10 sacks, but Cleveland's offense needs a director, a presence to inspire belief.

Moreover self-belief is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who informed a CBS {