NFC Notes: Bears, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Bears

Bears HC Matt Nagy didn’t hold back when criticizing his team’s ugly lack of effort in a blowout loss to the Packers on Monday, Chicago’s fifth straight after a 5-1 start. To some, it looked like the signs of a final meltdown with the Bears beginning to turn on each other internally. But Nagy said his players felt the same way about their performance. 

“I know that can come off that way to outsiders or people that aren’t in the building,” Nagy said via Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “But I’ll just say there was zero concerns of any of us [that] there’s divisiveness or anything with me versus [the players]. There is none of that. We’re all in this together. We’re in a great spot for that part of it. And we just talked through, ‘OK, why did that happen?’ And I think our defensive guys, they’ve got a lot of pride. They’re angry at how that went down. I think they respect and understand where I’m coming from because they believe the same thing. That’s what we talked about. That’s where it’s at. And they’re motivated to get back out there.”

Nagy said QB Nick Foles (hip) was not “where he needs to be” in Wednesday’s practice.

“Is the 100 percent of where he needs to be (physically and mentally)? I would venture to say that no he’s not,” said Foles, via Dan Wiederer. 

• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune says that although everything could be up for review inside the building as the Bears struggles continue, he doesn’t think team president Ted Phillips‘ job is in danger. 
• Biggs adds that regardless of what happens the Bears will likely keep Nagy and GM Ryan Pace through the end of the season, then make a decision on their future. 
• Biggs would be surprised if TE Jimmy Graham is back with the Bears in 2021 and shocked if he stays at his current $7 million salary. 
• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry notes it will cost the Bears $17.88 million to franchise tag WR Allen Robinson because of the 120 percent of his previous salary provision. 

Lions

One of the reasons it didn’t work out for former Lions HC Matt Patricia is that for a supposed defensive guru, Detroit has been awful on defense with him in charge. Now the job of trying to turn things around the final few games of the season falls even more on the shoulders of DC Cory Undlin. However, he said not to expect things to look drastically different right away. 

“You can’t change an entire defense in three days,” Undlin said via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press. “We’ll see what it looks like after the five weeks. We’ve got a lot of work, a lot of effort into the stuff that we’ve been doing. Obviously we haven’t been doing great all the time. . . . So we’ll try to just tighten some of that stuff up and see if we can execute better than we have.”

• CBS Sports analyst and former agent Joel Corry notes it will cost the Lions a projected $15.326 million to franchise tag WR Kenny Golladay.
• We have him included in our Top 50 – 2021 Free Agents list.
• Lions second-round RB D’Andre Swift was cleared from the concussion protocol. However, he missed practice Thursday with a non-COVID-19 illness. (Dave Birkett)
• Lions RB Adrian Peterson said Swift has had a hard time with his concussion. He said he hasn’t been himself and his energy level has been different. (Birkett)
• Peterson said he told Swift: “It’s not anything to take lightly… The most important thing for you is to make sure you’re back and you’re ready and you’re good… Like I told him, only you know (when that is).” (Birkett)

Packers

Packers QB Aaron Rodgers, in the midst of what could be another MVP season, took a moment to reflect this past week after turning 37 on all the good times he’s had in Green Bay since being drafted at 21. He added that he hopes there’s still more to come — first-round QB Jordan Love has been out of sight, out of mind this year, but still represents a ticking clock on Rodgers’ tenure with the Packers. 

“I’ve really enjoyed all the special moments here, so many of them,” Rodgers said via Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. “I just feel really fortunate to have grown up here and just have a lot of great memories that I’ve made here that I’ll take with me one day. Hopefully, that day isn’t too soon.”

Vikings

• Per the Athletic’s Chad Graff, Vikings OC Gary Kubiak is optimistic second-round G Ezra Cleveland (ankle) can return after missing the past two games: “It sure looks like Ezra has a chance to be back at full force.”
• Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press points out that Vikings RB Dalvin Cook is currently averaging 24.8 attempts per game, compared to former RB Chuck Foreman‘s 25.2 attempt average back in 1975 and Adrian Peterson‘s 24 carries per game in 2008.
• According to NJ.com’s Mike Kaye, the Vikings and 49ers also put in waiver claims for Broncos S Will Parks, recently claimed from the Eagles.
• The Vikings are bringing in G Zack Bailey for a workout this week. (Aaron Wilson)