Everything you need to know from NFL Week 12: Concern for the Vikings and Bills?

Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season began Thursday night between the Bills and Texans. Houston's defense suffocated the Bills offense, forcing three turnovers to help backup quarterback Davis Mills seal the victory.

In the early window Sunday, Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons finished with two sacks in an easy win over the Vikings. Overall, Minnesota quarterback J.J. McCarthy was sacked five times and threw two interceptions.

Our NFL Nation reporters reacted to all the action, answering lingering questions coming out of each game and detailing everything else you need to know for every team. Let's get to it.

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MIN-GB | BUF-HOU

Green Bay 23, Minnesota 6

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Packers

How impressive was edge rusher Micah Parsons? Considering how he tossed aside the Vikings' $113 million left tackle Christian Darrisaw, Parsons' two-sack day fits that description. Parsons became the first Packers player with double-digit sacks in a season since 2020 (Za'Darius Smith, 12.5). At 10 sacks through 11 games, Parsons has his fifth straight double-digit sack season, which is now the second-longest streak by any player (behind Reggie White's nine) to begin a career since sacks were first tracked in 1982. It wasn't just Parsons, though. The Packers sacked Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy five times and recorded a total of 10 quarterback hits.

What to make of the QB performance: The shoulder injury Jordan Love sustained in last week's win over the Giants wasn't discussed much because it was his left (non-throwing) shoulder and he was listed as a full participant in practice. But it was problematic enough that Love used only his right hand on all handoffs instead of using both hands based on the direction of the run. It didn't seem to bother running back Emanuel Wilson, who recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game and first career two-touchdown game filling in for the injured Josh Jacobs (knee). Love finished 14-of-21 for 139 yards with 0 TDs and 0 INTs. -- Rob Demovsky

Next game: at Lions (Thursday, 1 p.m. ET)

Vikings

What do the Vikings do with McCarthy now? As painful as it sounds, there is no realistic way out of this box. The Vikings have to continue playing McCarthy and accumulate data for their offseason decision-making. Perhaps they'll learn that they can't count on him to be their 2026 starter, but they have to find out. At 4-7, their already slim postseason chances are now miniscule. In the short-term, the problem is that McCarthy is regressing. His past two starts have been his worst of the season. Coach Kevin O'Connell called as conservative a game as could be expected, and running backs Aaron Jones Sr. and Jordan Mason combined for 83 yards on 17 carries. McCarthy never looked comfortable in the pocket. Under a heavy Packers pass rush, he managed only 87 passing yards and threw two interceptions.

Turning point: Trailing 10-6 at halftime, the Vikings forced a punt on the Packers' opening possession of the third quarter. But rookie returner Myles Price failed to move away from a kick that went over his head, and the Packers' Zayne Anderson pushed him into the ball for a muff. The Packers recovered at the Vikings' 5-yard line and, two plays later, scored a touchdown to take a two-score lead. It was a crushing moment for a team struggling to generate points. -- Kevin Seifert

Next game: at Seahawks (Sunday, 4:05 p.m. ET)

Houston 23, Buffalo 19

Catch up on the action: Box score | Recap

Texans

Is Houston's defense the best in the NFL? I think that goes without saying. They're leading the league in fewest points (16.3) and yards allowed (258.1) per game. They make life on opposing quarterbacks tough, as Bills quarterback Josh Allen was sacked eight times and picked off twice. Allen was pressured on 33% of his dropbacks and completed only two passes in those situations. This defense is why Houston is firmly back in the playoff race.

Stat to know: Quarterback Davis Mills had a passer rating of 143.8 when targeting wideout Christian Kirk. The duo connected for huge plays, including a touchdown and a 33-yard reception that helped Houston score another TD before halftime. -- DJ Bien-Aime

Next game: at Colts (Sunday, 1 p.m. ET)

Bills

Can this Bills offense pull itself together to make a run? Right now, the only reason to believe the answer is "yes" is Allen. There will always be a chance with Allen, even though he hasn't played his best in certain losses this season. But the reality is that the offense is running out of time to figure it out, and there's no season-changing receiver walking through the door to fix some of the issues.