NFC North Teams’ Paths to Playoffs Seem Clear
We’ve all seen the meme: “How it started … How it’s going.” With the halfway point of the NFL 2025 season approaching, we have seen some teams go from a great feeling in the preseason to a dumpster fire by the midway point.
The NFC North playoff paths are becoming clear at midseason, with the Vikings fighting through injuries as the Lions, Packers, and Bears jockey for position.
Others are still right where they should be, while others are doing better than anticipated. It started with the Vikings coming off a comeback win against the Bears, a game most thought signaled a young quarterback taking his lumps but overcoming them, and a team still finding its identity.
The defense was strong and had some great numbers, signaling a dominant run. How it’s going is that we are approaching the midway point of the season, and the story has been much different.
After losing to a Falcons team that is better than most thought at the beginning of the season, the Vikings lost a good portion of their offense to injuries, and Carson Wentz had to jump in for the injured JJ McCarthy.
For the five games after week two, the team has limped along, trying to steal wins and keep their hopes alive for the postseason. The defense also suffered injuries and has struggled during this stretch. They haven’t been able to stop or even contain teams using 12 Personnel (two tight ends, two receivers, one running back) on offense in those games.
While Weintz went to injured reserve this week with a banged-up shoulder, the Vikings are slowly getting players back off of injury at key positions. Is it too little, too late? It might be as we look at the paths the NFC North teams have in front of them and where they could end up, from easiest to hardest.
Lions Following The Yellow Brick Road in the NFC North
While the Yellow Brick Road had some challenges along the way, it was very easy to see. Even on the horizon, you could see it stretching on for miles in the countryside of Oz. Sure, it looked long, but if you have all your friends with you, it can make it seem shorter and happier, and maybe you can sing a few songs. Fitting that the Lions are where they are, all their friends back together after a 2024 season filled with injuries. Here’s where they’re skipping off to for the rest of the journey.
- Home vs Vikings
- At Commanders
- At Eagles
- Home vs Giants
- Home vs Packers
- Home vs Cowboys
- At Rams
- Home vs Steelers
- At Vikings
- At Bears
All the teams that they play have either glaring issues or have stumbled along the way. Unless you have some major injuries to key players or teams find their spark, the Lions’ path is mostly uncluttered all the way to The Emerald City. We know the Vikings’ current troubles, and the Lions get to face them twice.
While Minnesota could steal the game at US Bank, it doesn’t look good for that right now. The Commanders have been up and down, losing their last three games. They barely lost to the Bears but were trounced by the Chiefs and the Cowboys.
The Eagles aren’t as good as their record reflects. Had the Vikings scored touchdowns instead of field goals, they might have embarrassingly lost that game. In their game against the Giants, they didn’t look sharp and got some help from the guys wearing stripes, and Cam Skattebo went out with an injury. There has been some disharmony in Philly’s locker room as well, and Saquon Barkley hasn’t been as dominant as in years past.
The Packers beat the Lions once this year, but that was before they found their groove, and they get them at home on Thanksgiving. This could go either way, really, but it should be fun to watch. The Cowboys are an average team that they get at home after a mini bye. The Rams are another team that has been up and down to this point and could be beatable even in their own stadium.
The Steelers are an average team, and they get to play at home, so they should actually dominate with their pass rush against a slow Aaron Rodgers.
The best-case scenario is they go undefeated, but 8-2 wouldn’t be out of the question with the Packers, Eagles, and Rams as the biggest challenges. I see the Lions skipping into the playoffs and maybe even resting some players by the end of the season.
Days of Thunder For The Packers
“Rubbin’ is racin'” is the famous quote from crew chief Harry Hogge, played by Robert Duvall, in Days of Thunder. The Tom Cruise movie is where the Packers find themselves, racing more than the others to keep pace with the Lions. There will be bumps along the way, but they will need to get back on the track and keep their foot down on the floorboards. Here’s who joins them on the track.
- Home vs Panthers
- Home vs Eagles
- At Giants
- Home vs Vikings
- At Li0ns
- Home vs Bears
- At Broncos
- At Bears
- Home vs Ravens
- At Vikings
The Panthers have been a mess most of the year. Other than a shutout win at home against the Falcons and barely overcoming the Cowboys, they have looked like the Panthers we all know. They should be an easy win at home. As stated before, the Eagles are not running as they have in the past.
Getting them at Lambeau Field only increases the chance the Packers beat them. This would solidify them as the team to beat to reach the Super Bowl, unless Philly gets its act together. Going to New York looked a bit more daunting a few weeks ago as the Giants’ young crew seemed to be finding new life with Jaxson Dart and Cam Skattebo. The latter would have bullied his way down the field against a Green Bay defense that has struggled against the run. He’s out for the season, though, and that changes a lot.
The Vikings have won at Lambeau twice in the last three meetings and have a 6-4 record against them since 2020. They swept them last year. This game may be a loss for the Packers simply because of the rivalry, and sometimes teams get caught in a bad pattern. Looking at it today, the Packers should get a win based on the Vikings’ performance.
They finish the season in Minneapolis, where they have struggled, and the Vikings may have nothing to play for, but so might the Packers, and they could be playing backups. Playing the Lions in Detroit on Thanksgiving will be a tough matchup, and the Lions are back on track. They may have to hammer out the fenders after this one and move on.
The Pack then gets the Bears twice in the next three weeks, and those should both be wins, regardless of the rivalry, unless the Bears sneak one out like they did last year at Green Bay. In the middle of that Bears sandwich is the Broncos, who have a strong defense and efficient offense, and they play them in Denver. This will be a test for both teams, but the Broncos should pull this one off. Before that last game against Minnesota, they have to face the Ravens at home.
They’ll have homefield advantage, and today this looks like an easy win. However, Lamar Jackson returns this week, and if they’re making a last-minute run to the playoffs, they might beat the Pack and damage their chances to win the North.
The Packers could go 7-3 in this run just because of opponents and where or when they face them. The Eagles, Lions, Broncos, and Ravens will all be challenging opponents mixed in with the struggling Bears and Vikings. They could also go 5-4 because they play so many intra-conference teams and rivalries that can throw current records and struggles out the door. They’re going to need to drive through that crash on the corner and keep their confidence to stay with the Lions.
The Bears Got a Full Tank of Gas, Half Pack Of Cigarettes, It’s Dark, and They’re Wearing Sunglasses
They aren’t exactly “on a mission from God,” but the ride for Chicago is full of crazy driving and crashes along the way as the 2025 season comes to an end.
The Bears went on a four-game winning streak that was halted by the Ravens and their backup quarterback, meaning they aren’t in the same league as Detroit and Green Bay. They have shown improvement, but are headed to the couch and ordering Orange Whips come January. Here’s who they have to get past to deliver the playoffs’ satchel before the police, national guard, and other groups catch them in the end.
- At Bengals
- Home vs Giants
- At Vikings
- Home Steelers
- At Eagles
- At Packers
- Home vs Browns
- Home vs Packers
- At 49er’s
- Home vs Lions
First off is the Bengals, who the Bears might be catching at the right time. Joe Flacco has brought some new life to the Bengals, but he is dealing with a shoulder injury that has him day-to-day, and Trey Hendrickson is in the same boat with a hip injury.
If they end up being out or ineffective, that would be good for the Bears. This game could go either way. The Giants looked more daunting a few weeks ago, and Dart may be the catalyst in this game, along with a strong defense, but I think the Bears pull it off. Will the Bears get revenge against the Vikings at US Bank Stadium? No. The Vikings get this one for the season sweep.
Chicago gets the Steelers at home, but they bring Aaron Rodgers with them, and we know that he owns Soldier Field and rent-free space in the Bears fans’ heads. The Bears then travel to the Eagles for a loss and then to Green Bay for another one.
The Browns have been on the roller coaster all year, too, and beat the Packers earlier this year with a staunch defense, but they also lost to the Vikings. Then, playing the Packers again at home within three weeks may give them an advantage, and they might pull off the win here. However, the Bears most likely pile up losses like cop cars in the climactic high-speed chase of Blues Brothers.
I think the best they can do is 6-4 with some luck, but I mostly see them finishing 4-6 based on who and where they play. Could the rivalry games go for them? Sure, but they’re more likely to have the cuffs slapped on them just as they hand in the money bag and play the last game or two with nothing but pride on the line.
The Vikings Are Headed Straight Into Mordor
While the other three teams will have some challenges and possibly comedic missteps along the way, the Vikings’ path is dark, filled with razor-sharp rock mazes, stinking bogs, and nothing at the end but fire and doom.
What was once a promising season has gone off the rails for the most part, as the fellowship that started the season has lost members and had to fight through injuries. Just when you think they are on the right path to recovery, a new injury pops up, slowing them down.
Getting that all-powerful ring won’t be easy, and they may burn up trying to get there. There are many creatures that they will have to fend off to get the one true ring where it needs to be.
- At Lions
- Home vs Ravens
- Home vs Bears
- At Packers
- At Seahawks
- Home vs Commanders
- At Cowboys
- At Giants
- Home vs Lions
- Home vs Packers
The Vikings end the season facing almost entirely conference and division foes, and none of them is a given. The Lions will be the first game in which possibly all the defensive starters play, with Andrew Van Ginkel returning from a neck injury, unless Johnathan Greenard is out with a leg injury from the last game.
J.J. McCarthy will also be starting behind most of the starting offensive line since Carson Wentz (aka Boromir) got put on IR with his damaged shoulder.
The Lions smell blood and will handle the Vikings at their den. While the Vikings get to host the Ravens, they will have Lamar Jackson back at the helm, and the Vikings haven’t played very well against the run this year or running quarterbacks. Lamar and Travis Henry go wild on a Sunday noon game. The Bears will come to town seeking redemption for the last quarter loss that started their season, and they may get it with D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai leading the charge.
This is the only team the Vikings might sweep if they improve their play. Traveling to Green Bay, I don’t see the Vikings getting a win, as the Packers are just too strong for most teams right now. Jordan Love will pass all over them, and Micah Parsons will feast on McCarthy having to drop back and pass a lot. One of the fanbase’s favorite trips is the annual trip to Seattle, where things never go right —except last year, when Sam Darnold saved the day. Well, he now plays for the Seahawks, and he’ll either save the day for them or the Vikings might expose him, knowing all his tendencies.
That game could be a 50/50 by the time we get there. While the Vikings face the Commanders at home, it may be too little, too late, and we may be secretly hoping for more losses at this point to improve the team’s overall draft status if the playoffs aren’t an option. The following two trips won’t be “Happy Trails” either: a Sunday Night Football battle in Dallas, then they battle the Giants the following week.
If they can get out of Jerry’s House and the Meadowlands with wins, it would be surprising at this point. When the Lions come to Minneapolis on Christmas Day, they may rest players, allowing the Vikings to get a win or ascend further up the 2026 draft charts.
The Packers come back to Minnesota for the last game of the season and may also be resting players for the playoffs, giving the Vikings a mercy win.
Unless the Vikings drop the Ring of Power into Mount Doom this weekend, they could finish the season without another win. Their only hope of getting to the playoffs is to start winning with the incredible talent on the team, and it has to start this weekend.
Going by their current performances, they may finish 2-8 in this final stretch and end the season with a 5-12 record. If the Packers and Lions are still in a tight race at the end of the season, they might not get any mercy. The worst part is that there are so many bad teams this year that the Vikings could finish 3-14 and still be out of the top 10 draft picks. They’re at the 8th spot right now, according to ESPN.
If the season goes this badly, the only thing to concentrate on is how well McCarthy plays and if we see glimmers of hope for a franchise quarterback, win or lose. That won’t make anyone feel great with preseason hopes so high, but it gives us a brighter path to look forward to next year.
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