🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys rally, or perhaps an massive Eagles implosion?

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

Did Shedeur Sanders perform sufficiently on his debut professional start to secure the starting role in Cleveland?

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

Analysis – Cowboys Comeback or Eagles Collapse?

Dallas found themselves trailing badly at 21-0 behind against the reigning championship winners, so how on earth did they produce their equal-largest comeback ever?

The emotions of a first home game since Marshawn Kneeland tragic passing may have played a part, but technically it was a combination of Dak Prescott determination and a defence 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 game-winning drives (25) with an all-action performance – his plunging score embodying his all-action showing.

Philadelphia squandered a lead of 21 points or more for the first time after 1999, with only their second game with multiple giveaways this season – the previous being another bad division defeat at the New York.

In addition to 14 infractions for ninety-six yards, the offensive struggles that hit Jalen Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive beginning was significant. He had only thrown for 200-plus yards in 4 games prior to Sunday, he had over one hundred fifty in the opening two quarters alone in Texas.

However from the time the Eagles went twenty-one to zero up their offence derailed dramatically – with four straight kicks, a missed field goal and then a fumble giving opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.

Philadelphia’s defence is brilliant, it really is, but an offence that's not surpassed twenty-one points in five of 7 games (three losses) is now a major worry, because the components are all there but it's simply not working.

Nick Sirianni game is all about winning the key moments, the defence 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 breaking down, there may be trouble ahead.

In Focus – Playoff Patrick Shows Up Early to Rescue Chiefs

It wasn’t as extreme, but Kansas City's eleven-point recovery in the final period against a strong Indianapolis squad was hugely impressive – and may have only saved their campaign.

How big was it? Well, the NFL's advanced analytics now give the Chiefs a fifty-eight percent chance of reaching the playoffs, when a defeat on Sunday would have reduced that figure to 28%.

It’s no surprise the playoff form of Mahomes turned up, passing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half by itself and leading three scoring drives in their last four possessions to win it in overtime.

A few huge passes and swashbuckling runs are typical for Patrick in the playoffs, but currently the Kansas City are in post-season mode – at six and five and only tenth in the AFC standings.

This was more like the old Kansas City though, with a first close victory of the year after losing 5 already – they won 11 of them the previous season so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom may not be done just yet.

Discussion – Are Chicago Be Kings of the Division?

You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears any longer. A victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers, without Rodgers, kept them first of the NFC North and at 8-3 – sharing the same standing as the Eagles.

They appear dangerous on each side of the field, with a defence that tops the league in picks and total turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a emerging quarterback now accustomed to winning close games.

He may at times be shaky, surrendering a touchdown after a turnover in his team’s end zone – but he additionally threw three touchdowns and, with already 5 fourth-quarter comebacks this season, he understands how to get the job done.

The Green Bay Packers are in close pursuit in the division after overpowering the Vikings and Detroit are in contention after overcoming the Giants in extra time with a huge game from Jahmyr Gibbs.

The Bears are strangely the most consistent with eight wins in 9, but as they travel to the championship champs on Thanksgiving we'll discover exactly how strong they really are.

Look Ahead – Thrilling Holiday in Prospect

This looks among the best holiday line-ups for a long time, with every game loaded with playoff implications.

Detroit host the Packers in the traditional curtain-raiser in Michigan, before a rare trip return to Texas for the Kansas City, who began existence as the Dallas Texans way back in the sixties before relocating to Missouri.

Sunday's rally teams are each holding on to postseason hopes but have minimal margin for error – so this will have a post-season atmosphere.

What about the Ravens? An ugly win over the Jets in fact has them top of the division after starting 1-5 and looking dead and buried.

Holiday and Black Friday Fixtures (all times GMT)

• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Green Bay Packers @ Detroit Lions (6:00 PM)
• Thursday, twenty-seven November: Kansas City Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
• Friday, 28 November: Bears @ Eagles (8:00 PM)

Can Sanders Keep His Job?

Browns head coach Stefanski batted away questions on whether Sanders had performed enough in his debut NFL start to maintain the starting position when Gabriel comes back.

Yet the question will continue to be raised as Sanders became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his debut NFL game after Zeier in nineteen ninety-nine – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks failing to do so since.

It was only the Raiders, and with the help of an nearly feral Cleveland defence recording 10 sacks, but Cleveland's offence needs a director, a presence to build confidence.

And confidence is one thing not lacking in Sanders, who told a network {