🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week provided an epic Cowboys rally, or was it an epic Eagles implosion?

Postseason Patrick Mahomes showed up to rescue the Chiefs' campaign as the Chicago Bears keep to impress as they extend their winning run.

And did Shedeur Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut professional start to secure the full-time role in Ohio?

Let's take a look at the pick of the action in the NFL.

Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Philly Fail?

The Cowboys found themselves trailing badly at twenty-one to zero down against the reigning Super Bowl champions, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?

The emotions of a first home game after Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing may have played a part, however it was a combination of Prescott’s resolve and a defence that pounced on uncommon mistakes by the Eagles.

Prescott surpassed Tony Romo records for yards thrown (now 34,378) and clutch possessions (twenty-five) with an all-action display – his plunging touchdown personifying his all-action display.

Philly squandered a lead of twenty-one points or more for the initial time after 1999, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this year – the previous being a bad NFC East defeat at the New York.

Along with fourteen infractions for ninety-six yards, the offensive struggles that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an fast beginning was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in four games before Sunday, he had more than one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Texas.

However from the time the Eagles went 21-0 up their offense derailed dramatically – with four straight punts, a missed field goal and then a turnover handing opportunity after opportunity to the Cowboys.

The Eagles defence is brilliant, it truly is, but an offense that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of seven games (3 losses) is now a major worry, because the pieces are all there but it's simply not clicking.

Nick Sirianni game is all about securing the key situations, the defence keeps them in it and what offense there is does barely enough – if it can't even do that and now the composure and ball protection is failing, there could be problems ahead.

Spotlight – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Chiefs

It wasn't as extreme, but Kansas City's eleven-point comeback in the fourth quarter versus a powerful Colts team was very impressive – and could have only saved their season.

How significant was it? Well, the league’s advanced analytics now assign the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the playoffs, when a loss on the weekend would have reduced that number to twenty-eight percent.

No wonder the postseason version of Patrick Mahomes arrived, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the latter half by itself and guiding three scoring possessions in their last four series to seal it in overtime.

Some big throws and swashbuckling runs are typical for Patrick in the playoffs, but right now the Kansas City are in playoff form – at six and five and just tenth in the conference standings.

That was more like the old Kansas City though, with a initial close victory of the year after dropping 5 previously – they won 11 of them last year so, if that belief comes back, this Kansas City faithful might not be finished just yet.

Discussion – Are Chicago Become Kings of the North?

You just can't overlook the Bears any longer. A victory over the Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them top of the NFC North and at eight and three – holding the identical standing as the Philadelphia.

They look dangerous on each side of the field, with a defence that tops the NFL in picks and overall takeaways and, in Williams, a young player now accustomed to securing close games.

He can still be inconsistent, giving away a touchdown after a fumble in his own end zone – but he additionally passed for three scores and, with already five fourth-quarter rallies this year, he knows how to finish the game.

The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the division after overpowering the Minnesota and Detroit are right there after overcoming the Giants in overtime with a monster game from Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Bears are interestingly the most reliable with 8 victories in nine, but as they visit the championship winners on the holiday we'll discover just how strong they really are.

Preview – Thrilling Holiday in Prospect

It appears among the most exciting holiday line-ups for a long time, with every game packed with playoff implications.

Detroit welcome the Packers in the classic curtain-raiser in Michigan, prior to a unusual visit return to Texas for the Chiefs, who began existence as the Texans long ago in the 1960s before moving to Missouri.

The weekend’s rally teams are each clinging to playoff aspirations but have minimal room for error – so this will have a playoff feel.

What about the Ravens? An unattractive win over the New York actually has them top of the AFC North after beginning one and five and appearing dead and buried.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday Games (all times GMT)

• Thursday, 27 November: Packers @ Lions (18:00)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (21:30)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Chicago Bears @ Philadelphia Eagles (20:00)

Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?

Browns coach Stefanski dismissed inquiries on whether Sanders had done enough in his first professional start to maintain the starting job when Gabriel comes back.

But the issue will continue to be asked as Sanders became the first Browns signal-caller to secure his first league start after Eric Zeier in 1999 – with seventeen other first-year signal callers unsuccessful to do so since.

It came only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an nearly feral Cleveland defence recording ten sacks, but the Browns’ offence needs a leader, a presence to inspire belief.

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