Things couldn’t be closer in the NFL as we hit Week 14, with 2025 marking just the fifth time since realignment in 2002 that at least five divisions are separated by one-or-fewer games.

It’s also the fifth time since 2002 that four divisions — AFC South, AFC West, NFC North and NFC West — had three teams with a .500-or-better record entering the final few weeks of a campaign. Things are particularly tight in the NFC, with the prospective seventh-seed San Francisco 49ers just half a game behind the current top seed Chicago Bears!

With Thanksgiving now in the rear view, Week 14 presents the first of the now-traditional divisional games that close out the regular season and, while some teams still find themselves having to sit out a bye week, the rest of the league will quickly take on its final form ahead of the playoffs.

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GAME OF THE WEEK

Chicago Bears (9-3) @ Green Bay Packers (8-3-1)

It’s probably the most important clash between these two old rivals in years, as the NFC’s top-seeded Bears travel to Wisconsin to take on a Packers side making a concerted push for the postseason.

This will be the first of two meetings between the sides in the next three weeks, and the stakes could not be higher. The Bears currently own a half-game lead on their hosts, who would be the sixth seed if the playoffs started today. The Bears are 5-2 on the road this season, while the Packers are 3-2 at Lambeau.

Both teams are masters of a particular craft, with the Bears leading the NFL in takeaways (26) and the Packers turning the ball over less than any other side (seven). The Bears ran all over the Philadelphia Eagles last week, with Kyle Monangai and D’Andre Swift each rushing for more than 125 yards and a TD in the game. They became the first running back duo with 125+ rush yards and a rushing TD in the same game since 2008, not to mention only the fifth pair to do so in the last 50 seasons.

Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love, meanwhile, put up a career-high four touchdown passes in the Packers’ Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions last week, and has at least one touchdown pass in three of his last four meetings with the Bears. Micah Parsons, fully justifying the trade that brought him to Green Bay, had 2.5 sacks and three tackles for loss against the Lions, giving him 12.5 sacks for the year and making him the first player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, with at least 12 sacks in each of his first five seasons.

The Packers lead the overall series between these two giants of the NFL 108-96-6 and have taken four of the last five meetings between the two.

PREDICTION: The Packers claim a crucial victory and blow the NFC playoff race wide open.

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WELL WORTH A WATCH

Indianapolis Colts (8-4) @ Jacksonville Jaguars (8-4)

An AFC South that looked all but wrapped up a few weeks ago is now wide open, as the Colts have lost two in a row and travel to take on a Jaguars team that has won their last three and now leads the division.

The Colts take a 2-3 road record to Florida while the Jaguars have a 4-2 ‘home’ balance this season, going 4-1 at EverBank Stadium either side of their annual trip to London. The Colts lead the NFL in scoring offense (29.8 points per game), including a league-best 22 rushing touchdowns, while the Jaguars have the league’s top rushing defense (82.4 rushing yards allowed) and are the only AFC team to allow 10-or-fewer points in four games this season.

Daniel Jones passed for 201 yards and two touchdowns with a 101.0 rating in last weekend’s loss to the Texans, despite playing with a fractured fibula. It was his ninth game this season with a passer rating above 100, tied for the third most through nine games of a season in NFL history, and is third in the AFC with 3,041 passing yards. Jaguars counterpart Trevor Lawrence has passed for at least 225 yards and two touchdowns in each of his last two games.

Colts running back Jonathan Taylor has been one of the stars of the 2025 season, racking up 1,586 yards from scrimmage with at least 110 yards from scrimmage in each of his last six games against AFC South opposition. The Colts will need to be wary of Jaguars pass rusher Josh Hines-Allen, however, as the veteran has six sacks and 10 TfLs this season — and the Jaguars have won their last seven games in which Hines-Allen has taken down the opposing quarterback.

The Colts own a 28-20 record in matches between these two sides, although the Jaguars have won three of the last five games.

PREDICTION: The Colts just about see off the Jags to take a crucial advantage in the race for the AFC South title.

Pittsburgh Steelers (6-6) @ Baltimore Ravens (6-6)

The AFC North looks like a division no one wants to win but, for the first time this season, the Steelers are looking up at a different team, with the Ravens’ 6-6 good enough for a seat atop the pack.

This is the first of two meetings between these two sides in the final five weeks of the season, and the Steelers have won eight of the past 10 regular season matchups, with nine of the 10 games decided by seven-or-fewer points. The Steelers are 2-3 on the road this season, but the Ravens are 3-4 at home, so records tell us nothing.

Ravens running back Derrick Henry scored his tenth rushing touchdown of the season last week and became the second player ever with at least 10 rushing touchdowns in eight consecutive seasons, joining LaDainian Tomlinson.

Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers, by no means the player he once was, has completed at least 65 percent of his passes and thrown at least two touchdown passes in three of his four games on road this season. He put up 268 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions in his last game vs. the Ravens, back in 2021. Ravens counterpart Lamar Jackson is, like Rodgers, not exactly at his best at present. He does have 225+ passing yards in three of his four home games this season, and at least 205 pass yards in 11 of his past 12 against AFC North opposition.

This will be the 41st time the Steelers have played the Ravens under Mike Tomlin, while John Harbaugh will be heading into his 40th clash. The Steelers own a 33-25 advantage in this rivalry, but have not scored more than 18 points in any of the last five meetings.

PREDICTION: The Ravens take a crucial match to get a leg up on their old rivals in the playoff push.

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ALSO ON IN WEEK 14

Dallas Cowboys (6-5-1) @ Detroit Lions (7-5)

The Cowboys have won three in a row and are still alive in the NFC East. The Lions dropped a close one to the Packers on Thanksgiving and currently look like missing the playoffs for the first time since 2022. Can the Cowboys offense stay hot, or will the beat-up Lions ruin the party for Dak Prescott and his gang of playmakers?

Seattle Seahawks (9-3) @ Atlanta Falcons (4-8)

The Seahawks have won two in a row and are keeping up the pressure on the Los Angeles Rams in the NFC West. The Falcons lost at the final buzzer to the New York Jets and the first round pick they’ll be sending to the Rams in 2026 looks like being a top ten selection. Can the Seahawks stay hot, or will the Falcons clip their wings?

Cincinnati Bengals (4-8) @ Buffalo Bills (8-4)

The Bengals got back to winning ways against the Ravens and have Joe Burrow back at quarterback, while the Bills took care of the Steelers and remain firmly in the Wild Card race. Can the Bengals, who are just two games adrift in the AFC North, somehow stay alive in the playoff push, or will the Bills take care of business and stay on the Patriots heels?

Tennessee Titans (1-11) @ Cleveland Browns (3-9)

The Titans have lost seven in a row and allowed more sacks than any other team in the NFL this season. The Browns lost to the San Francisco 49ers but have Myles Garrett just 3.5 sacks away from a new single season record. Can Tennessee keep him at bay and claim a second win of the season, or will Garrett and the Browns heap more misery on hapless Titans?

Washington Commanders (3-9) @ Minnesota Vikings (4-8)

The Commanders pushed the Denver Broncos close on Sunday night, but still dropped their seventh straight game. The Vikings did not enjoy any benefits from a J.J. McCarthy-less offense against the Seahawks and have now lost four in a row. Which side will come out on top in the Kirk Cousins Bowl?

Miami Dolphins (5-7) @ New York Jets (3-9)

It’s five wins from six for the Dolphins, though not always convincingly, and they are still somehow in the hunt for a Wild Card berth. The Jets left it late to beat the Falcons but have already clinched a tenth straight losing season. Can the Dolphins keep up their late season revival, or will the Jets finally give Aaron Glenn a winning streak?

New Orleans Saints (2-10) @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5)

The Saints pushed the Dolphins all the way, but couldn’t prevent falling to a second-straight double-digit loss season. The Buccaneers got back to winning ways against the Arizona Cardinals, but look a long way off their best. Can the Saints put a dent in the Bucs’ playoff hopes, or will Tampa take care of business against their old rivals?

Denver Broncos (10-2) @ Las Vegas Raiders (2-10)

The Broncos have won nine straight games and currently own the AFC’s top seed. The Raiders have lost six in a row and are just one game back in the race to ‘earn’ the first overall pick in 2026. Can the Broncos make it ten in a row, or can the listing Raiders spring a surprise?

Los Angeles Rams (9-3) @ Arizona Cardinals (3-9)

The Rams lost to a feisty Carolina Panthers side last week, and also lost their grip on the NFC’s top seed. The Cardinals, however, have lost four games in a row despite pushing the Buccaneers close in Week 13. Will the Rams get back to winning ways, or will the Cardinals take the honours in the ‘We Left St Louis’ Bowl?

Houston Texans (7-5) @ Kansas City Chiefs (6-6)

The Texans have won four games in a row and are still alive in the AFC South, while the Chiefs lost on Thanksgiving and have equalled their largest number of losses in a season since Patrick Mahomes became the starting quarterback. With both sides needing to produce ‘playoff football’ from here on out, can Andy Reid’s offense overhaul DeMeco Ryans’ defense?

Philadelphia Eagles (8-4) @ Los Angeles Chargers (8-4)

The Eagles have lost two in a row and are looking over their shoulders as the Cowboys begin to flex their muscles. The Chargers came back from their bye with a win over the Raiders, but the team’s injury bug now seems to have spread to Justin Herbert, who underwent surgery on a broken hand in an effort to face Philly on Monday night. Can the Eagles get back to winning ways, or will the Chargers extend the current misery for the Super Bowl champions?

 

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