🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week provided an incredible Cowboys rally, or perhaps an epic Eagles implosion?

Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to salvage the Kansas City's season while the Bears continue to surprise as they extend their victorious run.

And did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his debut professional outing to earn the full-time job in Cleveland?

Let's take a look at the pick of the week in the league.

Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?

Dallas were trailing badly at 21-0 down versus the defending Super Bowl winners, how exactly did they produce their equal-largest comeback in history?

Sentiment of a initial home fixture after a teammate’s untimely passing may have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott resolve and a defensive unit that cashed in on rare errors by the Philadelphia.

Dak eclipsed Romo’s records for yards thrown (now 34,378) and clutch drives (twenty-five) with an all-action display – his diving score personifying his energetic showing.

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

In addition to 14 penalties for 96 yards, the offensive struggles that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast start was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to Sunday, he had more than one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Texas.

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

Philadelphia’s defense is excellent, it truly is, but an offence that's not surpassed 21 points in 5 of seven games (3 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 situations, the defence keeps them in it and what offense there is manages barely sufficient – if it cannot even do that and now the composure and ball protection is failing, there could be trouble in the future.

In Focus – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Prematurely to Save Chiefs

It wasn't quite as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ 11-point comeback in the final period versus a strong Colts squad was very notable – and could have only saved their campaign.

How big was it? Indeed, the league’s advanced analytics now give the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the playoffs, when a defeat on the weekend would have dropped that number to 28%.

No wonder the postseason version of Patrick Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half alone and guiding three point-scoring possessions in their final four possessions to win it in overtime.

A few big throws and daring runs are commonplace for Mahomes in the postseason, but right now the Chiefs are in playoff mode – at 6-5 and only tenth in the conference rankings.

That was closer to the former Kansas City however, with a first close win of the year after losing 5 previously – they secured 11 of them last year so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be finished just yet.

Talking Point – Can Bears Become Rulers of the North?

You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears now. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Aaron Rodgers, kept them top of the NFC North and at 8-3 – holding the identical standing as the Eagles.

They look dangerous on both sides of the ball, with a defence that tops the NFL in interceptions and overall takeaways and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging player now used to securing close games.

He can at times be inconsistent, giving away a score after a turnover in his own goal area – but he also threw 3 scores and, with already five fourth-quarter rallies this season, he knows how to finish the game.

Green Bay are in hot pursuit in the NFC North after dominating the Vikings and the Lions are right there after beating the Giants in extra time with a monster game from Gibbs.

The Bears are interestingly the most reliable with eight victories in 9, but as they visit the championship champs on the holiday we'll discover exactly how good they really are.

Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store

It appears among the most exciting Thanksgiving schedules for years, with each game packed with postseason consequences.

Detroit host the Green Bay in the classic curtain-raiser in Detroit, prior to a unusual visit back to Dallas for the Kansas City, who began life as the Dallas Texans long ago in the 1960s before moving to Kansas City.

The weekend’s rally kings are both clinging to postseason aspirations but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.

What about the Baltimore Ravens? An ugly victory over the New York actually has them top of the AFC North after beginning one and five and looking finished.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)

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

Will Shedeur Sanders Keep His Starting Role?

Cleveland Browns coach Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Sanders had done enough in his first NFL start to maintain the first-team job when Dillon Gabriel comes back.

Yet the issue will continue to be raised as Shedeur became the first Cleveland signal-caller to secure his debut NFL game after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen additional first-year quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so afterward.

It came just the Raiders, and with the assistance of an almost feral Cleveland defence getting 10 sacks, but the Browns’ offence needs a leader, a figurehead to build confidence.

And self-belief is something not missing in Shedeur, who informed a CBS {