After taking consecutive losses to the Carolina Panthers and Philadelphia Eagles in Weeks 9 and 10, respectively, and then needing a fourth-quarter comeback to take a 27-20 victory over the two-win New York Giants in Week 11, the Green Bay Packers were hoping for—and basically needing—a dominant performance in Week 12 versus the rival Minnesota Vikings.
And that's exactly what the Packers put forth this past Sunday afternoon, earning an easy 23-6 victory to put a stop to a two-game losing streak to the Vikes at Lambeau Field.
Making his first-ever NFL start in place of the injured Josh Jacobs, backup running back Emanuel Wilson led the Packers' offensive attack, rushing for a career-high 107 yards and two touchdowns, while adding another 18 yards on a pair of receptions.
As for the Green Bay defense, Jeff Hafley's unit put on one of its best performances of the year, holding Minnesota to just 145 total yards and sacking Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy five times, with Micah Parsons (who made a little NFL history) and Devonte Wyatt each picking up a pair, while Warren Brinson and Isaiah McDuffie recording a half-sack each. McDuffie also added an interception on McCarthy, as did Evan Williams, with the Packers' special teams also contributing to a season-best three forced turnovers on a bad botched punt-return attempt from the Vikings early in the third quarter.
With the win, the Packers improved to 7-3-1 on the season, thus keeping pace in the NFC North, while also maintaining their position in the wild-card race heading into their high-profile matchup with the Detroit Lions on Thanksgiving Day.
The Packers hold the No. 6 position in the NFC standings heading into Week 13
Here's a look at the entire NFC playoff picture heading into Week 13 of this 2025 NFL regular season.
- Los Angeles Rams (9-2, 1st NFC West)
- Philadelphia Eagles (8-3, 1st NFC East)
- Chicago Bears (8-3, 1st NFC North)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-5, 1st NFC South)
- Seattle Seahawks (8-3, 2nd NFC West)
- Green Bay Packers (7-3-1, 2nd NFC North)
- San Francisco 49ers (8-4, 3rd NFC West)
- Detroit Lions (7-4, 3rd NFC North)
- Carolina Panthers (6-6, 2nd NFC South)
- Dallas Cowboys (5-5-1, 2nd NFC East)
- Atlanta Falcons (4-7, 3rd NFC South)
- Minnesota Vikings (4-7, 4th NFC North)
- Arizona Cardinals (3-8, 4th NFC West)
- Washington Commanders (3-8, 3rd NFC East)
- New Orleans Saints (2-9, 4th NFC South)
- New York Giants (2-10, 4th NFC East) -- Officially eliminated
As you can see, the Packers maintained their position in the No. 6 slot in the overall NFC standings, a position they've held for several weeks now.
For a time this past Sunday, it looked like Green Bay was going to be the only team in the NFC North to earn a Week 12 win, as both the division-leading Chicago Bears and the Lions found themselves in competitive matchups. But both ended up earning victories, with Chicago hanging on for a 31-28 win over the Aaron Rodgers-less Pittsburgh Steelers and Detroit sneaking out of Ford Field with a 34-27 overtime win over the Giants.
Green Bay's trip to Ford Field this Thursday is a crucial contest for both teams, as a loss for the Packers would knock them out of the top seven, with the San Francisco 49ers sliding into the No. 6 slot, and the Lions moving into the No. 7 spot. Of course, the Niners have their own Week 13 game to play on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns. And while that may seem like an easy win, Green Bay knows all too well what can happen when you overlook a team you're supposed to beat, especially that one.
With a win on Turkey Day, the Packers would gain a huge advantage over the Lions, as a victory would complete the season sweep of Detroit, which could come into play if the two teams end up in a tiebreaker situation down the line. And, of course, Green Bay obviously wants a win here, as a victory could very well put them in first place in the division a day later, as the Bears have a Black Friday date with the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles, which is by far Chicago's most challenging game of the season thus far.
The Packers will finally get their first shot at the Bears in Week 14 and then their second just two weeks later, with a high-profile matchup with the Denver Broncos in between. This is a crucial stretch for Green Bay, so a win over the Lions would undoubtedly go a long way.