6. Green Bay Packers
The Green Bay Packers held the fort down at home and beat the Minnesota Vikings, a team struggling to get anything going on offense with JJ McCarthy at quarterback, and the Vikings are honestly turning into a ‘get right’ game for many teams, as the second-year McCarthy has been horrendous thus far.
The Packers moved to 7-3-1 with the win, and that tie against the Dallas Cowboys earlier this year can really make things interesting in the NFC North, as they are above the 7-4 Detroit Lions, even with their win in Week 12.
Green Bay still does not feel like a great team, though, and that is what we’ve been waiting for. They made a run in 2023 and won 11 games in 2024, so the logical next step was vaulting into contention.
Despite the great record, I do not have the feeling that this team can hang around deep in the NFC playoffs, so that’s where I am at.
Still, though, a win is a win, and the Packers are still in a good spot to win the NFC North if the Chicago Bears can slip up here in the coming weeks.
5. Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears keep ownership of that top spot in the NFC North with a huge win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, and this win really makes me believe in this team, as the defense was missing multiple starters, and things looked rough at first.
But, it’s another one-score victory for Ben Johnson’s team, and you can just tell that the Bears have it.
Sure, the Bears might not win the Super Bowl this year, but they are still in first place 12 weeks into the season, so it goes to show you just how much the right coaching can help a team. Even with the Lions and Packers winning, the Bears are holding firm.
I do have some concerns about this defense down the stretch, as it’s not been a very good unit overall, but Chicago keeps the win streak alive and can surely figure something out on that side of the ball down, as Dennis Allen is a veteran coordinator, and his defense forces a ton of takeaways.
The Bears continue to be among the better teams in the NFL with yet another win. Chicago moves to 8-3 on the season with this win over the Pittsburgh Steelers.