Week 12 of the NFL season was cinema. There were so many great games, particularly in the early and afternoon windows on Sunday, and it led to quite a few individuals having standout performances. There were some usual suspects, such as Jahmyr Gibbs and Myles Garrett, but there were also some lesser-known individuals who made an impression.

Today, I’ll be counting down the 10 best players from Week 12 of the 2025 NFL season.

1. Jahmyr Gibbs, RB, Detroit Lions

What a day for Jahmyr Gibbs. The Detroit Lions’ RB1 had a MASSIVE game on Sunday, rushing for 219 yards and two scores while adding 45 receiving yards and a touchdown on 11 receptions. If I told you Gibbs did that, and you didn’t watch the game, you probably thought the Lions won by three scores, but they went to overtime despite his performance. He’s basically the only reason they won this game, so he deserves the top spot on this list.

Stat Line: 219 rushing yards (14.6 average), 45 receiving yards, 3 total TD

2. Calen Bullock, S, Houston Texans

The Houston Texans pulled off the upset against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football, and their defense – more specifically Calen Bullock – was a huge reason why. The Texans’ safety picked off two passes and forced a fumble while not allowing a single reception against one of the best offenses in football. If it weren’t for a historic game from Gibbs, this would’ve been the top performance of the week.

Stat Line: 5 tackles, 2 PBU, 2 INT, forced fumble, 0 receptions allowed

3. Myles Garrett, DE, Cleveland Browns

Myles Garrett is unreal. He has 13 sacks in his last FOUR games, including three on Sunday. Shedeur Sanders will get all the hype, but don’t let that distract you from Garrett’s (and the rest of the Browns’ pass rush) huge game. As a team, they sacked Geno Smith 10 times and completely shut down Vegas’ offense.

Stat Line: 11 pressures, 6 QB hits, 5 tackles, 4 TFL, 3 sacks

4. Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Seattle Seahawks

I don’t get how defenses let Jaxon Smith-Njigba beat them every week. I know it’s not completely feasible, but why don’t you just double him every play? They haven’t proven they have anyone else in their offense capable of going off and beating you, so I’d dedicate whatever it takes to slow him down. He’s playing like the best receiver in football right now, and to further prove just how good he’s been this year, he set Seattle’s franchise record for receiving yards in a single season, and we’re just 11 games in.

Stat Line: 8 receptions, 167 yards, 2 TD

5. Will Anderson Jr., DE, Houston Texans

Bullock may have been the main reason the Texans’ defense shut down the Bills on Thursday, but Will Anderson Jr. made a massive impact as well. He was all over Josh Allen, pressuring him nine times and sacking him 2.5 times. He also recorded five run stops. I also wanted to put Danielle Hunter on this list with 10 pressures and two sacks, but there were some other players who deserved the love too, so he gets an honorable mention here.

Stat Line: 9 pressures, 5 run stops, 3 QB hits, 2.5 sacks, 2 TFL

6. Wan’Dale Robinson, WR, New York Giants

Wan’Dale Robinson was on fire on Sunday. He got off to a massive start, catching a 39-yard touchdown to get the scoring started, and never really cooled off, finishing the day with nine catches for 156 yards and a score. I want to take credit for this one. I benched him in fantasy in favor of Rome Odunze with probably 10 minutes until kick off, so if I had started him, he probably would’ve had two catches. So Wan’Dale, if you’re reading this, you’re welcome.

Stat Line: 9 rec, 156 yards, 1 TD

7. George Pickens, WR, Dallas Cowboys

George Pickens had a near-identical stat line to Robinson on Sunday. He was 10 yards off Robinson’s total, and I was tempted to give him the nod over Robinson, because he was the best player on Dallas’ offense, and they actually won their game, but without Robinson, New York doesn’t go to OT with Detroit. Still, great performances from both guys.

Stat Line: 9 rec, 146 yards, TD

8. Matthew Stafford, QB, Los Angeles Rams

Matthew Stafford should be the odds-on favorite to win the NFL MVP award right now. He has the Los Angeles Rams’ offense firing on all cylinders. Stafford has now thrown 25 straight touchdowns without an interception (eight straight games). He leads the league in touchdowns and is fifth in yards. He is balling out right now, and the only reason he isn’t higher on this list is that he played a not-so-great defense and never really had any pressure. Still, an incredible performance, though.

Stat Line: 25-for-35, 273 yards, 3 TD

9. Geno Stone, S, Cincinnati Bengals

It’s not often a Cincinnati defensive player makes his way onto this list, but Geno Stone had a standout performance on Sunday in their loss to New England. Stone racked up 13 tackles, but also picked off a pass and returned it for a touchdown, which, at the time, gave Cincy a 10-0 lead over the 1-seed in the AFC. Obviously, their defense fell apart a bit, but it was not because of Stone.

Stat Line: 13 tackles, 6 solo, INT, 1 TD

10. Emanuel Wilson, RB, Green Bay Packers

With Aaron Jones out, there was a big question mark around the Green Bay Packers’ run game. Would Emanuel Wilson be able to pick up the slack against a solid Minnesota defense? The answer was yes, he would. He ran for 107 yards and two scores while adding 18 yards as a receiver. He stepped in and was able to match Jacobs’ production, which helped lift Green Bay past Minnesota.

Stat Line: 107 rushing yards, 18 receiving yards, 2 TD