🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week provided an incredible Dallas Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an massive Philadelphia Eagles implosion?

Playoff Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Chiefs' season as the Bears keep to impress while they continue their winning streak.

Did Shedeur Sanders do sufficiently on his first professional outing to earn the full-time role in Ohio?

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

Analysis – Dallas Rally or Eagles Collapse?

The Cowboys were down and out at twenty-one to zero down versus the defending Super Bowl champions, so how on earth did they engineer their equal-largest comeback ever?

The emotions of a initial home fixture after a teammate’s tragic death may have been a factor, but technically it was a mixture of Dak Prescott determination and a defensive unit that pounced on rare mistakes by the Eagles.

Dak surpassed Romo’s records for yards thrown (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch drives (25) with an dynamic display – his plunging touchdown personifying his all-action display.

Philly wasted a lead of twenty-one points or more for the first time after 1999, with only their second game with several turnovers this year – the other being a disappointing NFC East defeat at the Giants.

Along with fourteen infractions for 96 yards, the attacking malaise that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive start was huge. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games before the weekend, he had over 150 in the first half alone in Texas.

However from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offense fell apart dramatically – with four straight punts, a failed three-point attempt and then a fumble handing chance after chance to the Cowboys.

The Eagles defense is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed 21 points in 5 of 7 games (three losses) is now a huge worry, as the pieces are all there but it's just not clicking.

Nick Sirianni approach is all about securing the key situations, the defence maintains them in it and what offense there is does just about enough – if it cannot even do that and now the discipline and possession security is breaking down, there could be problems in the future.

In Focus – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Prematurely to Save Chiefs

It wasn't quite as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ 11-point recovery in the final period versus a powerful Indianapolis team was very notable – and may have just saved their campaign.

How big was it? Well, the league’s Next Gen Stats now assign the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of making the postseason, whereas a defeat on the weekend would have reduced that figure to twenty-eight percent.

No wonder the playoff form of Mahomes arrived, passing for 235 yards in the second half alone and guiding 3 scoring drives in their last four series to win it in overtime.

A few big throws and daring runs are typical for Mahomes in the playoffs, but right now the Chiefs are in post-season form – at six and five and only 10th in the AFC standings.

This was closer to the old Chiefs however, with a first close victory of the year after losing 5 already – they secured eleven of them the previous season so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful may not be finished just yet.

Talking Point – Can Bears Become Kings of the North?

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 – sharing the same record as the Philadelphia.

They appear dangerous on each side of the ball, with a defence that leads the NFL in interceptions and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young player now accustomed to securing close games.

He may still be shaky, giving away a touchdown after a fumble in his team’s end zone – but he additionally passed for 3 scores and, with already 5 final period comebacks this year, he understands how to finish the game.

Green Bay are in hot chase in the NFC North after overpowering the Minnesota and Detroit are right there after overcoming the New York in overtime with a huge game from Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Bears are strangely the most reliable with 8 victories in nine, but as they visit the Super Bowl champs on Thanksgiving we'll discover exactly how strong they really are.

Preview – Exciting Holiday in Prospect

It appears among the most exciting holiday line-ups for years, with each game packed with playoff consequences.

The Lions welcome the Green Bay in the traditional curtain-raiser in Detroit, prior to a unusual trip return to Texas for the Kansas City, who started out existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before relocating to Kansas City.

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

And how about the Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York in fact has them top of the AFC North after beginning 1-5 and looking dead and buried.

Holiday and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Chiefs @ Cowboys (21:30)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Bengals @ Ravens (01:20)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)

Will Shedeur Sanders Retain His Job?

Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski batted away questions on whether Sanders had done enough in his first professional outing to keep the first-team position when Gabriel returns.

Yet the issue will continue to be raised as Sanders became the first Browns quarterback to secure his debut league game since Eric Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an nearly aggressive Cleveland defense getting 10 tackles, but Cleveland's offense needs a leader, a presence to build belief.

Moreover confidence is something not missing in Shedeur, who told a network {