Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates after he scored a rushing touchdown against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on Oct. 17, 2021. (Mike De Sisti/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Week 11 is in the books, and for the first time since 2018, the Chicago Bears are at the top of the NFC North, but will it remain that way?

The NFC North is a dogfight. To kick things off, you have the already mentioned Bears, who are 7-3, in second you have the 6-3-1 Green Bay Packers, in third you have the defending NFC North champion 6-4 Detroit Lions and in last you have the 4-6 Minnesota Vikings. There is still a lot of football left to play, so come playoff time this could be–and likely will be–different. 

For Week 12, the games covered include a former Packers quarterback as he makes his return to a familiar stadium and two potential NFC wild card teams battle it out on primetime. The uniform matchup of the week follows two teams in one color all-around under “Thursday Night Football” in Houston, Texas.

Aaron Rodgers makes his return to Soldier Field as the Pittsburgh Steelers visit the Bears

“The season of inconsistencies”: that is the term most Steelers fans have probably said when asked about how this season has gone. After a strong start of 4-1, the team has lost three out of their last five. 

The defense has been solid but not the powerhouse many fans have seen regularly in recent years. The team ranks 26th in total yards allowed (3,681) and 14th in points allowed (232). Superstar defensive end T.J. Watt has had a down year with just six sacks and ranks 27th in pressures (35) among fellow defensive ends, per Pro Football Focus. 

As mentioned though, while the defense has not been elite, they have had some positives to make note of. The team ranks fourth in forced turnovers (18) with nine interceptions and nine fumbles recovered. While Watt has slumped, third-year defensive end Nick Herbig has found a spark, as he has already recorded a career single-season high six and a half sacks and 31 pressures. The biggest factor is how Herbig has yet to record a game with less than at least two pressures. 

At the helm of the offense has been veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers statistically has looked fine this year with 19 touchdown passes to just seven interceptions, but if one were to watch the games, you could tell he is not the same player he once was–though that is not necessarily a negative when you consider where he is at in his career. Rodgers is notably battling a wrist injury he suffered in Week 11 versus the Cincinnati Bengals.

After a strong 18-year run with the Packers, Rodgers moved on. In that span, though, it would be rude to not mention his dominance of the Bears. In 29 games versus the Bears, Rodgers had a record of 24 wins to just five losses–with the most recent loss in 2018. Now, Rodgers returns to Soldier Field and looks to add to that win total. Things may not come easy though.

The Bears defense has had the simple bend-but-do-not-break mentality, of course outside of Week 2 where the team allowed 52 points to the Lions. On the defense, they feature the number one, two and three league interception leaders. 

Veteran safety Kevin Byard III leads the way at five interceptions in what has been a turn-back-the-clock year for him. In his first season with the Bears in 2024, he recorded a career single-season high in tackles (80). Now in his second year with the team, Byard is now on pace to surpass his career single-season high in interceptions (eight) from the 2017 season with the Tennessee Titans. 

From a technical standpoint, second through fourth place for the league interception leaders are all at four, but that is beside the point. 

After cornerback Nahshon Wright was traded from the Dallas Cowboys in August of 2024 to the Vikings, he was then released by the Vikings that following offseason and signed with the Bears in 2025. Wright has made the most of his situation with the Bears and found a nice spot in a secondary riddled with injuries.

After a “down year” in 2024, another veteran Bear has turned back the clock: linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Edmunds played at the MIKE linebacker position–the middle spot/play  caller of the defense–in 2023 and 2024, and the tape showed a player clearly not playing where he is needed. When defensive coordinator Dennis Allen came to the team, he made it known that Edmunds would make the switch to a WILL linebacker–a more blitz-heavy and move-around-the-field-more position. 

Both Wright and Edmunds have seen great success with the Bears this season with four interceptions recorded each, and they will look to add to that total come game time of Week 12. 

In this game, the Bears defense will once again show up when needed most and intercept Rodgers three times.

Final Score: Steelers 17, Bears 30

The Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers face off on Monday Night Football with playoff implications

The Panthers have certainly been a nice surprise to the 2025-26 season. While many did say they could take the next step, there was also still a common thought of them needing another season to develop. Now at 6-5 on the season, the team has notably beaten the Green Bay Packers, the Dallas Cowboys and swept the division rival Atlanta Falcons for the first time since 2013. 

In the Panthers most recent 30-27 overtime win over the Falcons in Week 11, third-year quarterback Bryce Young had a much-needed career day. To kick things off, Young’s stats were great as he passed for a career single-game high 45 pass attempts with 31 completed for a career single-game high 448 passing yards for three touchdowns to zero turnovers–this is big. Before this game, Young had only recorded three games without a thrown interception out of a possible nine games. 

The other big note of this game for Young was how the team won. The team was down 21-10 at halftime and ended up with the win–outscoring the Falcons 20-6 after that point.

The other “surprise” is how the 49ers have somehow won seven games. It comes as a surprise due to the normal injury bug the team suffers. The team suffered that same injury bug in 2024 and finished 5-12. 

The following 49ers players have missed time this season or were ruled out for the season at some point: defensive end Nick Bosa, out for the season due to an ACL tear, rookie first-round pick defensive end Mykel Williams, out for the season due to an ACL tear, Yetur Gross-Matos, out for the season due to a knee injury, linebacker Fred Warner, out for the season due to an ankle injury, quarterback Brock Purdy, missed weeks five through 10 due to a toe injury, wide receiver Ricky Pearsall, missed weeks five through 10 due to a knee injury, wide receiver Brandon Ayuik, who has yet to play a game this season due to a knee injury suffered in 2024 and kicker Eddie Pineiro is expected to miss time and considered week-to-week due to a hamstring injury suffered in Week 11 against the Arizona Cardinals. 

Despite all of those injuries, the injury-prone superstar running back Christian McCaffery has yet to miss a game this season. McCaffery has been a key reason to the team’s success as not only is he their rushing yard leader (707 yards and six touchdowns) but also the receiving yard leader (732 yards and five touchdowns). 

In a game with multiple playoff implications, the Panthers come through on the road and start to scare the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South crown. 

Final Score: Panthers 24, 49ers 21 

UMOTW: White and red monochromatic jerseys on Thursday Night Football between the Buffalo Bills and Houston Texans

Week 12 might be one of the weaker weeks for uniforms, but the Bills and Texans manage to save some of it. 

The Bills will wear nothing fancy and will keep it clean and simple. The uniforms are an all-white combo that features a base color of white with accents of red and blue. 

The Texans, on the other hand, is where things get fun. The team will wear their Battle-Red alternates for the first time this season. The uniforms are an all-red combo with a base color of red and accents of deep steel blue and white. What makes the helmet so interesting is the prominent horns that come out of the side of the facemasks. 

Even without quarterback C.J. Stroud, the Texans still pull off the upset win thanks to their elite defense.

Final Score: Bills 19, Texans 22

Remaining Games:

Indianapolis Colts at Kansas City Chiefs: After rough back-to-back losses, the Chiefs bounce back with a clean win over the Colts. Final Score: Colts 20, Chiefs 23

Seattle Seahawks at Titans: To no one’s surprise, the Seahawks destroy the Titans. Final Score: Seahawks 41, Titans 14

Vikings at Packers: “Nine” once again struggles against a divisional opponent. Final Score: Vikings 17, Packers 27

New York Jets at Baltimore Ravens: Tyrod Taylor gives the Jets offense some life, but they still lose. Final Score: Jets 21, Ravens 33

New York Giants at Lions: The Lions take out some built up anger and drop 40 on the Giants. Final Score: Giants 17, Lions 38

New England Patriots at Bengals: After weeks and weeks of wins, the Patriots fun run comes to an end. Final Score: Patriots 24, Bengals 27

Cleveland Browns at Las Vegas Raiders: In Shedeur Sanders first career start, things look up and down, but ultimately he leads the Browns to victory. Final Score: Browns 23, Raiders 21

Jacksonville Jaguars at Cardinals: The Jaguars defense keeps rolling with another dominant showing. Final Score: Jaguars 30, Cardinals 16

Philadelphia Eagles at Cowboys: Just like Week 1, this game comes down to the wire. Final Score: Eagles 34, Cowboys 31

Falcons at New Orleans Saints: The Falcons continue to slide down as they fall to the bottom of the division. Final Score: Falcons 21, Saints 24

“Sunday Night Football” | Buccaneers at Los Angeles Rams: The Buccaneers fall in another offensive shootout. Final Score: Buccaneers 35, Rams 41

Teams on bye:

Miami Dolphins | next host the New Orleans Saints

Denver Broncos | next visit the Washington Commanders on Sunday Night Football

Los Angeles Chargers | next host the Las Vegas Raiders

Washington Commanders | next host the Denver Broncos on Sunday Night Football

Standings after Week 11: Conference | Overall | Divisional

AFC West

1 Broncos 9-2 | 2-1

6 Chargers 7-4 | 3-0

9 Chiefs 5-5 | 1-2

13 Raiders 2-8 | 0-3

AFC East

2 Patriots 9-2 | 3-0

5 Bills 7-3 | 2-2

11 Dolphins 4-7 | 2-2

14 Jets 2-8 | 0-3

AFC South

3 Colts 8-2 | 2-0

7 Jaguars 6-4 | 1-1

8 Texans 5-5 | 3-1

16 Titans 1-9 | 0-4

AFC North

4 Steelers 6-4 | 2-1

10 Ravens 5-5 | 2-0

12 Bengals 3-7 | 2-1

15 Browns 2-8 | 0-4

NFC East

1 Eagles 8-2 | 2-1

10 Cowboys 4-5-1 | 2-1

14 Commanders 3-8 | 1-1

16 Giants 2-9 | 1-3

NFC West

2 Rams 8-2 | 2-1

5 Seahawks 7-3 | 2-2

7 49ers 7-4 | 4-1

12 Cardinals 3-7 | 0-4

NFC North

3 Bears 7-3 | 1-2

6 Packers 6-3-1 | 1-0

8 Lions 6-4 | 1-2

11 Vikings 4-6 | 2-1

NFC South

4 Buccaneers 6-4 | 2-0

9 Panthers 6-5 | 2-1

13 Falcons 3-7 | 0-3

15 Saints 2-8 | 1-1

Team(s) that face playoff elimination in Week 12:

Giants face playoff elimination this week through the following scenarios:

1. Giants loss + Cowboys win
2. Giants loss + Vikings win
3. Giants loss + Seahawks win or tie

Power Rankings after Week 11:

1. Rams | +1 9. Bears | +2 17. Chiefs | -5 25. Giants | +4
2. Colts | +1 10. Ravens | -2 18. Panthers | +1 26. Bengals | N/C
3. Seahawks | -2 11. 49ers | -3 19. Buccaneers | -6 27. Jets | -2
4. Eagles | +1 12. Texans | +3 20. Dolphins | -1 28. Raiders | N/C
5. Patriots | +1 13. Jaguars | +8 21. Cowboys | +2 29. Commanders | -2
6. Broncos | +4 14. Chargers | -5 22. Vikings | -4 30. Saints | N/C
7. Bills | N/C 15. Steelers | -1 23. Cardinals | +1 31. Browns | N/C
8. Lions | -4 16. Packers | +1 24. Falcons | -2 32. Titans | N/C 

N/C: No Change

Biggest Risers: Jaguars 21 → 13 | Broncos 10 → 6 | Giants 29 → 25

Biggest Fallers: Buccaneers 13 → 19 | Chargers 9 → 14 | Chiefs 12 → 17