I was in Chicago for a fantastic game between the Bears and the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I will get to that shortly. But, the story of the day was in Dallas, where the Cowboys tied the club record for the biggest ever comeback to beat the Philadelphia Eagles.
Dallas looked dead and buried, went down 21-0, but they played with great spirit, great fight, and bags and bags of energy and determination. The final result? A 24-21 victory for the Cowboys secured by a Brandon Aubrey field goal as time expired.
Dak Prescott was excellent once again, throwing for 354 yards and two touchdowns, he scored on a spectacular rushing touchdown. George Pickens is making a case to be considered one of the very best wide receivers in the NFL. He had nine catches for 146 yards and one touchdown, and the Philadelphia Eagles had no answer for the Dallas attack as it gained momentum throughout the game.
The Eagles also had no answer for the Dallas defense, which is normally much maligned. That side of the ball has shown great improvement in the past two weeks. The Eagles failed to put another point on the board after establishing a 21-0 lead. They couldn't run the football, and they ended the game with their final eight drives going punt, end of half, punt, punt, punt, missed field goal, fumble, punt. It was an incredible failure from the Eagles, but a massive victory for the Cowboys.
This can serve as rocket fuel for the rest of their season and what a game we have coming up on Thanksgiving Day. The Cowboys at home having dug themselves out of a hole against a Kansas City Chiefs team that also had a massive comeback in Week 12 to head into Turkey Day with a huge victory.
Thursday's Chiefs-Cowboys clash is being discussed at length already over here in the United States, with many suggesting it might be the most-watched regular season game of all time.
Who's Hot…
The Chicago Bears… There was a playoff atmosphere in Chicago on Sunday and the Bears looked perfectly at home in that cauldron as they recorded a 31-28 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers and it was a complete performance. Yes, the defense gave up some points but they made big plays inside the final three minutes time and again to secure the win and Caleb Williams looked sharp. His physical skills are impressive especially when you see them up close. He threw three touchdown passes and led the Bears to an 8-3 record, their best start since 2018. Chicago have now proven they can win close game after close game. In their last six one-score games, they've won them all. Ben Johnson has something special going on here and his team is believing.
Myles Garrett… After winning his first NFL start, Cleveland Browns quarterback Shedeur Sanders couldn't wait to tell the world how good he was and how promising his future might be. But this 24-10 win over the Las Vegas Raiders was all about Myles Garrett. He added another three sacks to his tally, taking his season total to 18 in 11 games. He is chasing down the single season record of 22 ½ sacks shared by Michael Strahan and TJ Watt. And what is incredible is the fact that these Browns, who are a poor team, don't often lead in games. So defensive players can't pin their ears back and get after quarterbacks who are chasing the scoreboard. Myles Garrett is sensational, he is the star in Cleveland and he is the Defensive Player of the Year.
Jahmyr Gibbs… The Detroit Lions had little room for error as they headed into Week 12 with a 6-4 record. They simply had to take care of business at home against the New York Giants. But the Lions trailed 17-7 and then 27-7, but Jahmyr Gibbs rescued them. He was pivotal in their comeback and he secured the win in overtime on a 69-yard touchdown run. Gibbs rushed for an incredible 219 yards and two touchdowns and added 11 catches and another score through the air. He was a reminder of the explosive power of the Lions when they are playing at the top of their game. But finding that top gear has proven to be a hard assignment for this talented but inconsistent team.
Who's Not…
JJ McCarthy… JJ McCarthy looks completely lost at quarterback as the wheels are coming off this 2025 season for the Minnesota Vikings. In Sunday's 23-6 loss to the Green Bay Packers, McCarthy threw for just 87 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He wasn't helped by an offensive line that allowed him to be sacked five times. But sacks can also be a quarterback problem as well. This is a real issue for the Minnesota Vikings because they have no one to turn to now. They have to ride it out with McCarthy, who faces a tough test at Seattle next week. But is he the long-term answer? It looks like they're facing 12 or 13 players on defense when he's under center and he's wasting a generational talent in WR Justin Jefferson. This team was 14-3 last year. Now the Vikings are 4-7.
The Las Vegas Raiders… The Las Vegas Raiders lost their fifth game in a row in defeat to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday, falling to 2-9 on the season. These Raiders might now be the worst team in football. They cannot get anything going on offense and they fired offensive coordinator Chip Kelly after this game. The defense shows no desire and very little effort outside of pass rush sensation Maxx Crosby. He needs to be freed from this team and go and play for a champion. I don't know if Pete Carroll is the long-term answer, but nothing gets turned around in Las Vegas until the Raiders find themselves a franchise quarterback, and they don't have that in Geno Smith.
The Fast Five…
- The burden of being the Super Bowl favourite does not weigh heavy on the Los Angeles Rams. They absolutely dominated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a 34-7 win on Sunday Night Football, and it was 31-7 at the half. The Rams took the last 30 minutes of this game off. Matthew Stafford continues to play at the most incredible level and his receivers are making plays left, right, and centre. And that defense? That defense is elite. The Rams are for real and the team to beat.
- The Chiefs, at 5-5, had to win this game at home against the Indianapolis Colts and it didn't start well. They trailed 20-9 and were kicking too many field goals instead of touchdowns. But as the Colts got bogged down on offense on a poor day for Jonathan Taylor, it was the Chiefs who rallied to win 27-24 in overtime. They are not going away. They will not go quietly into the night. The Chiefs are still alive as we head to Thanksgiving.
- The good thing for the Jacksonville Jaguars is that they emerged from their game against the Arizona Cardinals with a 27-24 overtime win. But Liam Coen has to be worried about Trevor Lawrence and his inability to protect the football. The quarterback did throw three touchdown passes, but he also tossed three interceptions and lost a fumble, making this game a much harder proposition than it needed to be in the desert.
- For the first time this season, the Baltimore Ravens are top of the AFC North following a 23-10 win over the New York Jets. The Ravens have been far from spectacular in winning five in a row, but John Harbaugh will take that after a 1-5 start. And impressively, the defense has come to life. That will help the Ravens down the stretch.
- I didn't think I would be saying or writing this in the pre-season, but the New England Patriots are the first team to 10 wins in this 2025 campaign. Sunday's 26-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals was not perfect, and it required a great deal of effort and sacrifice as the Patriots lost rookie left tackle Will Campbell to a serious-looking knee injury. But this team is playoff-bound in Mike Vrabel's first season in charge.
Fact of the Week
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has thrown 27 consecutive touchdown passes since his last interception. That is the longest streak in NFL history in a single season. Stafford has also guided the Rams to six straight victories – the longest winning streak of his career.
Final Thought…
I'm packing up my bags and heading on the road to Dallas today… in preparation for our live Sky Sports show from AT&T Stadium in Texas. And what a game that promises to be between the hometown Cowboys and the Chiefs. There will be similarly-huge games being played before (Green Bay at Detroit) and after (Cincinnati at Baltimore). The games feel bigger once the weather turns colder across America and we get into this Thanksgiving week. I felt it on Sunday at historic Soldier Field. There was an edge to proceedings and an extra level or two of volume coming from the fans in the stands. It felt like a playoff game. There are going to be many more of those across the league before the postseason knockout tournament even begins. We are officially at the business end of the 2025 season and the race to the finish line is going to be simply fantastic. Buckle up and enjoy the ride. And keep your seat belts fastened at all times… because there will be turbulence!
