NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

Despite Chicago’s 4-1 record and the switch to veteran QB Nick Foles, the Bears offense continues to stall out. While it’s been enough to get wins, HC Matt Nagy remains justifiably unsatisfied with the product and says part of the problem is players not paying enough attention to detail.

“When you try to make plays go and when you coach plays schematically, us as coaches and them as players, you need to do everything exactly the way it is supposed to be done,” Nagy said Frida via Larry Meyer of the team website. “So if that means running a route at five steps and not three steps, or if that means running a route at three steps and not seven steps, that has to happen. If it means to set a certain way and block somebody, that’s what that means. If it means to throw on a certain time with your feet, do that. If it means to make the right play call at the right time, then do that as coaches — meaning myself….

“I think everybody should be fired up about that,” Bears WR Allen Robinson said. “That’s what also makes the players that we have in this locker room special, is we don’t have any complacency. None of our quarterbacks are complacent. Our receivers aren’t complacent. Nobody is walking around here satisfied. Yeah, we fortunately have started 4-1. It’s tough to win in this league. But at the end of the day, we’re not sitting back waiting on praise or thinking that we have arrived or anything like that. We know we have a long way to go, and we also know the capability [of the offense] if we reach that point and if we are the offense we say we want to be. So again, everyone should be fired up around the offense.”

• Per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, if Cowboys QB Dak Prescott were to hit free agency, the Colts and Bears stand out as teams who would likely make a hard run at him. 
• Nagy’s offense with its reliance on RPO’s would be a good schematic fit for Prescott if the Bears decide to move on from Foles, per some executives. 

Lions

• Per Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Lions OC Darrell Bevell said he was surprised at former sixth-round WR Travis Fulgham‘s breakout with the Eagles: “I would say, yes, a little bit surprised. … Travis did OK while he was here. I don’t want to get into all the reasons behind what happened but we’re happy for his success.” 
• Detroit waived Fulgham coming out of camp and after a brief stint with the Packers, he was claimed by the Eagles. He has 12 catches for 209 yards and two touchdowns the past two weeks. 
• The Athletic’s Chris Burke says any potential trade involving QB Matthew Stafford this offseason would likely have to entail Detroit getting one, if not two, first-round picks. 
• As far as potential GM candidates, Burke mentions Chiefs director of football operations Mike Borgonzi, former NFL GM Scott Pioli and former Falcons GM Thomas Dimitroff as some possible candidates for the Lions if they pull the plug on the current regime. 

Packers

• Per ESPN’s Rob Demovsky, the Packers got back WR Davante Adams, OLB Rashan Gary, CB Chandon Sullivan and TE Marcedes Lewis at practice Monday. 
• Despite the mini-controversy last year, Packers HC Matt LaFleur says QB Aaron Rodgers has full audible powers to change the play: “He definitely has free rein. So, if he sees something and can get us out of a bad play, yeah, he will get us out of a bad play. And he’s done a great job of it.” (Mike Silver)
• The Green Bay Packers brought in veteran K Giorgio Tavecchio for a workout on Monday. (Aaron Wilson)

Vikings

• Tom Pelissero reports Vikings’ RB Dalvin Cook likely avoided a more severe issue when he left Sunday night’s game against the Seahawks following a groin injury, with a source adding: “He’s good.”
  
• Vikings’ HC Mike Zimmer told the media about Cook’s MRI: “It went pretty well so we’ll see how he does this week.” (Chris Tomasson)
• Cook is not expected to play this week with what’s being termed an adductor strain. Minnesota plans to re-evaluate Cook after the bye. (Chad Graff)