🔗 Share this article

The twelfth week delivered an epic Dallas Cowboys comeback, or perhaps an epic Eagles collapse?

Postseason Mahomes arrived to salvage the Kansas City's season as the Bears keep to impress as they extend their victorious run.

Did Sanders perform enough on his debut professional outing to earn the starting role in Cleveland?

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

The Breakdown – Dallas Rally or Philly Fail?

The Cowboys found themselves down and out at twenty-one to zero down against the defending championship champions, how exactly did they engineer their equal-largest recovery in history?

Sentiment of a first home fixture since Marshawn Kneeland untimely passing could have been a factor, however it was a mixture of Dak Prescott resolve and a defence that cashed in on rare mistakes by the Eagles.

Prescott eclipsed Tony Romo marks for passing yards (now thirty-four thousand three hundred seventy-eight) and clutch possessions (twenty-five) with an dynamic performance – his diving score personifying his energetic 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 year – the previous being another disappointing NFC East loss at the New York.

In addition to 14 infractions for ninety-six yards, the attacking malaise that affected Hurts after what – for him – was an explosive start was huge. He'd only passed for over two hundred yards in 4 games prior to the weekend, he had over 150 in the first half by himself in Dallas.

Yet from the time Philadelphia went 21-0 up their offense derailed spectacularly – with four straight kicks, a missed field goal and then a fumble giving opportunity after opportunity to the Dallas.

Philadelphia’s defence is excellent, it really is, but an offence that's not eclipsed 21 points in 5 of seven games (3 losses) is now a huge worry, as the components are all there but it's just not clicking.

Sirianni’s approach is all about winning the big moments, the defence maintains them in it and what offence there is manages just about enough – if it can't even do that and now the discipline and ball protection is breaking down, there may be trouble ahead.

In Focus – Postseason Mahomes Appears Early to Rescue Chiefs

It wasn't as dramatic, but the Chiefs’ eleven-point recovery in the fourth quarter against a powerful Indianapolis squad was hugely impressive – and could have just rescued their campaign.

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

It’s no surprise the postseason form of Mahomes arrived, throwing for two hundred thirty-five yards in the second half by itself and guiding three point-scoring drives in their last four series to win it in extra time.

A few huge passes and swashbuckling scrambles are typical for Mahomes in the postseason, but right now the Kansas City are in playoff mode – at 6-5 and just tenth in the conference standings.

That was closer to the former Chiefs though, with a initial close victory of the year after dropping five already – they secured eleven of them last year so, if that confidence comes back, this Chiefs Kingdom might not be done so soon.

Talking Point – Can Bears Become Rulers of the North?

You can no longer overlook the Chicago Bears any longer. A win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, minus Rodgers, kept them first of the division and at eight and three – sharing the same standing as the Philadelphia.

They look threatening on both sides of the ball, with a defense that leads the league in picks and overall turnovers and, in Caleb Williams, a young quarterback now accustomed to winning tight games.

He can at times be inconsistent, surrendering a score after a fumble in his team’s goal area – but he also passed for three touchdowns and, with already five fourth-quarter rallies this season, he knows how to get the job done.

The Green Bay Packers are in hot chase in the NFC North after dominating the Minnesota and Detroit are in contention after overcoming the Giants in overtime with a huge game from Gibbs.

The Bears are strangely the most reliable with eight wins in 9, but as they visit the championship winners on Thanksgiving we'll see just how good they really are.

Look Ahead – Exciting Thanksgiving in Store

This looks one of the best holiday line-ups for years, with every game packed with postseason consequences.

The Lions host the Green Bay in the traditional opener in Michigan, prior to a rare trip return to Texas for the Chiefs, who started out existence as the Dallas Texans long ago in the 1960s before relocating to Missouri.

Sunday's comeback teams are each holding on to postseason hopes but have minimal room for mistakes – so this will have a playoff atmosphere.

What about the Ravens? An unattractive victory over the New York in fact has them leading of the division after beginning one and five and appearing finished.

Holiday and Shopping Day Games (all times GMT)

• Thursday, 27 November: Green Bay Packers @ Lions (18:00)
• Thursday, 27 November: Chiefs @ Dallas Cowboys (9:30 PM)
• Friday, 28 November: Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens (1:20 AM)
• Friday, twenty-eight November: Bears @ Eagles (20:00)

Can Sanders Keep His Starting Role?

Cleveland Browns coach Stefanski dismissed questions on whether Sanders had performed sufficiently in his debut NFL start to maintain the starting job when Gabriel returns.

Yet the question will continue to be asked as Sanders became the first Cleveland signal-caller to win his debut league game since Zeier in 1999 – with 17 additional rookie quarterbacks failing to do so afterward.

It was only the Raiders, and with the assistance of an nearly feral Cleveland defence getting 10 sacks, but Cleveland's offence requires a director, a figurehead to build belief.

And self-belief is something not lacking in Sanders, who informed a CBS {