Week 12 NFL Preview: NFC North IDentity Crisis

By Noah Mason

Noah Martin brings you four things to keep an eye on this weekend as the 2025 NFL season hits Week 12:

NFC North Identity Crisis

There isn’t a single team in the NFC North that knows who they truly are, and these two (The Green Bay Packers and The Minnesota Vikings) might be the most confused of the bunch. The Packers keep oscillating between looking like a playoff-caliber unit and looking like a team that forgot the forward pass exists. Jordan Love has moments of brilliance, followed immediately by moments that make Packers fans stare at the TV like they’re watching a malfunctioning robot attempt CPR. The Minnesota Vikings aren’t exactly stable either, but they do have a knack for finding explosive plays when everything seems lost.

Minnesota’s biggest issue is their inconsistency. One drive, they look unstoppable; the next, they look like they’re allergic to first downs. Their defense is better than advertised, but they give up huge plays at the worst possible times. Lambeau in late November is always a headache, and if they start slow, they might find themselves stuck in a game script they absolutely do not want.

For Green Bay, this matchup is a gut check. Their fanbase is demanding answers, and Matt LaFleur desperately needs to put together a game plan that doesn’t feel like it was written on a napkin three minutes before kickoff. The silver lining is that the Vikings defense can be exploited if Love avoids the usual self-inflicted wounds. But that’s a big ask right now. I think Minnesota finds enough big plays to escape with a win, though it will be messy, chaotic, and incredibly on brand for both teams.

NFC East Soap Opera Continues

No divisional rivalry swings between hope and heartbreak quite like Eagles vs Cowboys. Philadelphia enter the week looking like a team that’s good enough to beat anyone but inconsistent enough to lose to anyone too. Their offense still has elite potential, but they go through stretches of bizarre decision-making that leave fans wondering if the playbook was replaced with a series of dares. Dallas, meanwhile, have mastered the art of bullying bad teams but shrinking in big moments. This game will tell us which version of the Cowboys we’re getting.

The Eagles have the better roster on paper, but their secondary has been giving up far too many explosive plays. That’s a problem when facing a Dallas offense that thrives when it can push the ball vertically and stay ahead of the sticks. If the Cowboys offensive line holds up, the Eagles could be dealing with a long night. But the flipside is equally true: if Philadelphia’s pass rush gets home, the Cowboys tend to collapse.

This feels like the type of game that comes down to one or two chaotic swings. A deep shot. A sack-fumble. A questionable coaching decision on 4th and 2 that gets talked about for a week straight. The stakes are massive, and the tension will match it. I’ll take the Eagles by a razor-thin margin, mostly because their ceiling is higher and their mistakes are usually less self-destructive than Dallas’.

Sam Darnold Redemption Tour Rolls On

The Seahawks are one of the most entertaining teams in football right now, and a big reason for that is Sam Darnold deciding to have a career revival that nobody saw coming. Seattle’s offense is humming, their receivers are roasting defenses, and their run game is doing just enough to keep things balanced. The Titans, on the other hand, are trapped in a transitional phase that feels like it’s lasted eight years. They’re competitive, sure, but they lack the explosiveness needed to keep up with the Seahawks if the game becomes a shootout.

Tennessee’s best hope is to drag this game into the mud. Slow it down. Run the ball. Limit possessions. Shorten the game. The problem is that their defense hasn’t been nearly as stingy this season as the past few years. They’ve given up chunk plays at an alarming rate, and the Seahawks are the type of team that cashes in on those lapses instantly. If the Titans don’t find consistent pressure early, Darnold and JSN will make them pay all afternoon.

The Titans can make this competitive for a while, especially at home, but Seattle just has too much firepower and too much confidence right now. Their defense is also quietly improving, especially against the run, which plays directly into Tennessee’s weaknesses. I expect the Seahawks to control the second half and leave Nashville with a convincing win.

One Team Is Elite, One Team Just Likes Causing Problems

The Rams are playing like one of the best teams in the league. Matthew Stafford is dealing, the offense looks polished, and the defense is opportunistic. This is a group that expects to win every week, and that confidence shows in their tempo and play design. The Buccaneers, meanwhile, have become the NFL’s official disruptor team. They rarely win comfortably, they rarely lose comfortably, and they make every opponent uncomfortable in the process.

Tampa Bay’s offense has been struggling with rhythm this season. They move the ball in spurts, then suddenly forget how to stay ahead of the chains. Against an aggressive Rams defense, that’s a recipe for long third downs and stalled drives. But the Bucs defense is gritty enough to keep them hanging around. They disguise looks well, they hit hard, and they always force at least one or two high-leverage mistakes out of opposing offenses.

The Rams should win this game, and if they play clean, they will. But Tampa Bay’s talent for dragging better teams into ugly, low-scoring, stressful games means this won’t be a walkover. I expect the Bucs to linger far longer than they should before LA finally pulls away in the fourth quarter. Stafford in crunch time is simply too sharp.

Noah Mason

NFL/CFB Writer

Noah is an aspiring journalist who shares some interesting takes on this great game, whether it be College or the NFL. Born and based in London, but developed a love for American Football in the States, follow Noah on Twitter @NoahMasONN

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