🔗 Share this article

Week 12 delivered an epic Cowboys rally, or perhaps an epic Eagles collapse?

Postseason Patrick Mahomes arrived to salvage the Chiefs' campaign as the Bears keep to surprise as they extend their victorious streak.

And did Shedeur Sanders perform enough on his debut professional outing to earn the starting job in Ohio?

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

The Breakdown – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?

The Cowboys were down and out at 21-0 down versus the defending Super Bowl winners, so how on earth did they produce their joint-best comeback in history?

The emotions of a initial home fixture after a teammate’s tragic passing could have played a part, however it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defensive unit that pounced on uncommon errors by the Eagles.

Prescott surpassed Romo’s marks for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch drives (25) with an all-action performance – his plunging score embodying his all-action showing.

Philadelphia squandered a lead of twenty-one points or more for the initial time since nineteen ninety-nine, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the previous being a bad NFC East defeat at the Giants.

In addition to fourteen infractions for ninety-six yards, the attacking struggles that hit Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was huge. He had only passed for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had more than one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Dallas.

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

The Eagles defence is brilliant, it truly is, but an offense that's not eclipsed 21 points in 5 of seven games (three losses) is now a huge concern, because the pieces are all there but it's simply not working.

Sirianni’s game is all about winning the big moments, the defense maintains them in it and what offence there is manages barely sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is failing, there may be trouble ahead.

Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Shows Up Early to Save Chiefs

It wasn’t quite as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point comeback in the final period versus a powerful Indianapolis team was hugely impressive – and could have only saved their campaign.

How significant was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent probability of reaching the postseason, when a defeat on Sunday would have dropped that number to twenty-eight percent.

No wonder the postseason form of Mahomes turned up, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half alone and leading three point-scoring drives in their last four series to seal it in overtime.

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

That was closer to the former Chiefs however, with a initial close victory of the year after losing 5 previously – they secured eleven of them last year so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be finished just yet.

Discussion – Can Bears Be Rulers of the North?

You can no longer ignore the Bears now. A victory over the Steelers, without Rodgers, maintained them first of the NFC North and at 8-3 – holding the identical standing as the Eagles.

They appear threatening on each side of the ball, with a defence that tops the NFL in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young quarterback now used to securing close games.

He may still be inconsistent, surrendering a touchdown after a fumble in his own end zone – but he also threw 3 touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter rallies this season, he knows how to finish the game.

Green Bay are in hot chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Minnesota and the Lions are in contention after beating the Giants in overtime with a huge game from Jahmyr Gibbs.

Chicago are interestingly the most consistent with eight victories in 9, but as they visit the championship champs on the holiday we'll see exactly how strong they truly are.

Preview – Thrilling Thanksgiving in Store

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

Detroit welcome the Packers in the classic opener in Michigan, prior to a rare trip back to Texas for the Chiefs, who started out life as the Texans way back in the sixties before moving to Kansas City.

Sunday's rally kings are each holding on to postseason hopes but have very little margin for mistakes – so this will have a post-season feel.

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

Thanksgiving and Shopping Day Fixtures (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Ravens (1:20 AM)
• Friday, 28 November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)

Can Sanders Retain His Starting Role?

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away inquiries on whether Shedeur Sanders had performed enough in his first professional outing to maintain the starting job when Dillon Gabriel comes back.

Yet the question will continue to be raised as Sanders became the first Cleveland quarterback to secure his first NFL start after Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional rookie signal callers unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Raiders, and with the help of an nearly aggressive Cleveland defense recording 10 sacks, but Cleveland's offense requires a director, a presence to build confidence.

And self-belief is something not missing in Sanders, who told a CBS {