NFC North Notes: Bears, Lions, Vikings

Bears

Bears HC Matt Nagy was brought in largely to help mold QB Mitchell Trubisky, who the Bears traded up to select with the No. 2 overall pick in 2017. The results from Nagy’s first year and three games have been uneven, with Trubisky showing flashes but unable to shake stretches of play where he struggles, like the first two games this season.

Nagy and the Bears are hoping Trubisky’s three-touchdown performance on Monday Night Football helps the young passer find a little confidence going forward. 

“So that confidence word is so big,” Nagy said via the Chicago Tribune. “And Mitch knew where we are as an offense and he wants it more than anybody. But that’s sometimes where I think when you want it more than anybody and you care, it can almost get into that paralysis-by-analysis. Because you’re trying it. I really like the fact that how he went into this week and he handled this week of practice, it transferred over to the game. In the game he was just Steady Eddie the whole way. I mean, he was very smooth. He never got rattled, even after the red-zone pick, he came off and knew that he can’t do that. But he didn’t let it affect his game. And that’s where I think he’s growing. And now here we go — all these games are big and now we got to prepare for this next big one.”

Lions

Lions OC Darrell Bevell feels that Detroit’s rushing offense is close to a breakout performance. 

“We just need to get that last little piece to go and I think it’ll really help us,” said Bevell, via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. 

Bevell believes that the Lions’ rushing attack is “one guy away” from being consistent but are improving each week. 

“What I really feel like is that we’re just one guy away,” said Bevell. “I feel like there’s been a lot of instances where we’ve had 10 out of 11 doing the thing that we need them to do, so if we can just get that one last, that last little piece fit in there, then it’s going to start going. But we’ve had a really good opportunity just to consistently work on it and I think we’re improving each and every week and I like the direction that it’s headed.“

Vikings

The Vikings moved on from former first-round WR Laquon Treadwell during final roster cuts this preseason after a disappointing start to the young wideout’s career. However, a second chance for Treadwell presented itself when injuries hit Minnesota’s receiving corps and he was brought back earlier this week. Vikings HC Mike Zimmer says he’s already seen a difference as Treadwell looks to prove he’s not a bust. 

“I talked to him about what he needs to do to prove that this is the thing that he really wants to do, how important this is to him,” Zimmer said via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “I think it’s always been important to him but I think maybe he might have went about it the wrong way. I just tried to give him some insight on what he has to do moving forward and hopefully we’ll see that.”

Treadwell said he reached out to Zimmer and Brandon Marshall after being released to get advice on how to handle it. It was his first time ever being released and Treadwell acknowledged it was difficult mentally. 

“They were just given me perspective on how to take this,” Treadwell said via Andrew Krammer of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “Obviously, it was my first time being released, and actually being released from any team at any level. So, it was just a lot of mental things I was going through trying to figure it out.”

• Per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, Zimmer expects WR Chad Beebe to return off injured reserve from his ankle injury in eight weeks. 
• Vikings G Josh Kline has entered the concussion protocol following Sunday’s game and did not practice. Vikings CB Mackensie Alexander (elbow) and LB Anthony Barr (groin) both returned to practice. (Cronin)