We are approaching the business end of the 2025 NFL regular season with Thanksgiving Day – the start point to the race for the playoffs – just one week away.
Here are three games I'll be keeping a close eye on during the Week 12 action, beginning with a personal opportunity to tick another NFL stadium off my 'must-visit' list.
Historic teams battle in Chicago
I cannot wait to be at Soldier Field on Sunday as two first-placed teams do battle with the Pittsburgh Steelers, top of the AFC North, taking on the NFC North-leading Chicago Bears. The history of the NFL is going to be on full display on Sunday evening with two of the most iconic and oldest franchises in the NFL.
And then we've got the greatness of Aaron Rodgers to be considered in this game. Is he going to play against a team that he has owned for much of his NFL career? Or will it be Mason Rudolph? That is going to be key as Rodgers attempts to practice and then play with a fractured bone in his left wrist.
The Steelers have shown defensive improvement recently, but the Bears have been on a real tear. They've won seven of their last eight games and they've won five contests this year in which they've trailed inside the final two minutes. That is an NFL record and it speaks to the belief and confidence being instilled in this team by a rookie head coach Ben Johnson. So, we wait for Rodgers and that injury news but this one's going to be fantastic either way at Soldier Field.
Divisional foes clash in Big D
There is a huge clash in the NFC East as the Dallas Cowboys look to keep their season alive with a home victory against the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles who have won four in a row.
This contest comes down to Dallas and their free-scoring attack taking on a Philadelphia defense that has allowed just one touchdown in each of the last two games against Green Bay and Detroit.
I think Dak Prescott can continue his fine form from Monday night when he threw four touchdown passes against the Las Vegas Raiders. It will be a real challenge, of course, going up against Philadelphia's defense. But what of Jalen Hurts and that Eagles attack? Can they score enough points to keep pace with the Cowboys? Or can Dallas spring the upset at home? For what it's worth, I'm picking the Cowboys.
Sunday night showdown
The tough games keep coming for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the past month, they've faced Detroit, New England, and Buffalo. They've lost three of their last four, and next up is a trip to LA to face the Rams, who have been installed as the new favourites to win Super Bowl 60.
The Rams are led by Matthew Stafford, the new favourite to be named the NFL's Most Valuable Player, but he is not a one-man team. They are complete, with a running game, star wide receivers, and a bruising and opportunistic defense, all pulled together by an excellent head coach in Sean McVay.
The Bucs do have easier challenges coming down the stretch, with games against Arizona, New Orleans, Atlanta, Carolina twice, and Miami. So, they can get right, but it's going to be a tough road for them on Sunday night against the Rams.
