Philly fail in Dallas & Mahomes saves Chiefs – best of NFL week 12

Was the Dallas Cowboys’ comeback in Week 12 an epic success, or was the Philadelphia Eagles’?

The Chicago Bears continue to surprise with their win as the playoffs come to an end, while the Chiefs’ season is saved by Play-Off Patrick Mahomes.

And did Shedeur Sanders’ first NFL start result in a full-time position in Cleveland?

How on earth did Dallas turn in their best comeback ever when they were trailing by 1 point against the reigning Super Bowl champions?

Although Dak Prescott’s determination and a defense that pounced on rare errors by the Eagles may have contributed to the emotional impact of the first home game since Marshawn Kneeland’s tragic death.

With an all-action display, Prescott’s diving touchdown personifies his all-action display, surpassing Tony Romo’s previous records for passing yards (now 34 and 378) and game-winning drives (now 34).

With only their second game of the season, which included another poor NFC East loss at the Giants, Philly wasted a 21-point lead or more for the first time since 1999.

Jalen Hurts’ offensive malaise after what was an explosive start, along with 14 penalties for 96 yards, was devastating. Prior to Sunday, he had more than 150 yards in Dallas alone, compared to his 200-plus yards in his previous four games.

However, Philadelphia’s offense spectacularly failed after going up by one point with four straight punts, a field goal that was missed, and then a fumble handing chance after chance to the Cowboys.

The Eagles’ defense is excellent, it is, but a team that hasn’t scored 21 points in five of their seven games (three losses) is now a major concern because the pieces are all there but just aren’t moving.

Although it wasn’t quite as extreme, Kansas City’s 11-point victory over a strong Colts team in the fourth quarter may have saved their season.

What size was it? The Chiefs now have a 58% chance of making the play-offs, compared to 28% if the NFL’s Next Gen Stats had predicted.

No wonder Patrick Mahomes made it to the play-off version, who threw for 235 yards on the final four possessions before winning in overtime and leading three more.

Mahomes frequently makes big plays and swashbuckling scrambles in the play-offs, but the Chiefs are currently in post-season mode, standing at 6-5 and only 10th overall.

The Chicago Bears are simply too difficult to ignore. With Aaron Rodgers out, the Pittsburgh Steelers moved into the top 8-3 position in the NFC North, which is identical to the Eagles’ record.

With a defense that ranks first in the league for interceptions and total turnovers and a youngster Caleb Williams, who is already accustomed to winning tight games, they appear dangerous on both sides of the ball.

He still can be shaky, giving up a touchdown after a fumble in his own end zone, but he also has three touchdowns and has already scored five fourth-quarter touchdowns this year.

After defeating the Vikings in overtime, the Green Bay Packers are in hot pursuit of division dominance, and Detroit is there in that position. Jahmyr Gibbs scored a monster game to win the division.

With every game packed with play-off implications, this appears to be one of the best Thanksgiving lineups in a long time.

The Lions take on the Packers in Detroit’s traditional curtain-raiser, before the Chiefs, who were originally known as the Dallas Texans before moving to Kansas City, make a special return to Dallas.

This will have a post-season vibe because both Sunday’s comeback kings are clinging to play-off hopes but have little margin for error.

What about the Baltimore Ravens, then? After starting at 1-5 and appearing to be dead and buried, the Jets are actually top of the AFC North with an ugly win.

Games for Thanksgiving and Black Friday (all times GMT)

Shedeur Sanders made his first NFL start, but Cleveland Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski rebuffed questions about whether Dillon Gabriel will start in place of him.

The question will continue to be posed, with 17 other rookie signal callers failing to do so since Eric Zeier in 1999 making his first NFL start.

Cleveland’s offense needs a leader, a figurehead to inspire confidence, but it was only the Raiders, who managed to get 10 sacks from an almost feral Browns defense.

And Sanders, who admitted to being “who they’ve been looking for” before the game, is certainly one to be confident in.

There was a respectable stature with some highlight throws that showed promise and potential, but there was a certain persona that seemed to lift both his team and the fans.

After the game, he continued, “Many people want to see me fail.” And it won’t occur, they say.

The New England Patriots won nine straight games, leading them in the AFC standings, and their 23-20 victory in Cincinnati made them the only team to have won at least 23 games while allowing under 23 in each of those games.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Seahawks’ receiver, received 167 receiving yards and two touchdowns in their victory over the Titans, breaking the team record for single-season yards with 1,313 yards already.

Additionally, he’s projected to have the NFL’s first ever season with 2, 000 receiving yards.

Myles Garrett is now 18 this year and well on course to surpass the 21.75-season mark of just three sacks with three of the Browns in Las Vegas.

After a surgical performance by the Rams against the struggling Buccaneers, Matthew Stafford is still in the MVP conversation. The Bucs could lose their divisional lead after a third straight defeat, even though LA is 9-2 and the NFC standings.