NFC Notes: Bears, Packers, Vikings

Bears

Bears OL Sam Mustipher said rewatching Sunday’s offensive performance in which he was part of a line that yielded nine sacks was difficult.

“It was like going to the dentist. No one likes going to the dentist. They just give you honest feedback. We had a lot of cavities on Sunday. That’s something you gotta improve on, gotta fix. Gotta floss every day,” he said via the Athletic’s Kevin Fishbain.

Packers

With Elgton Jenkins out and David Bakhtiari still on the PUP list, the Packers were down to their third-string left tackle, Yosh Nijman, in Sunday’s matchup against the 49ers and DE Nick Bosa. On the game’s first series, it looked like it was about to be a long night for Nijman, with Bosa recording a pass defense, a tackle for loss and drawing a penalty against the young tackle.  

“I think I was a little bit crazy, my footwork and everything,” Nijman said via the Athletic’s Matt Schneidman. “I think I just needed the first drive to get the jitterbugs out. I think later on in the game, I kind of settled down a little bit, got in the flow of it and everything. With that mindset, I was trying to stay cool, calm and collected.”

Nijman bounced back in a big way after that first series. He finished the game with no pressures or sacks allowed in a big Packers win. 

“I was talking to Steno (OL coach Adam Stenavich), and I said, ‘Who do you want there?’ And he said, ‘Yosh,’” Rodgers said. “(And I said), ‘Yosh? Really?’ He said, ‘Yeah.’ I said, ‘All right, let’s do it.’ And Yosh, you guys probably haven’t talked to him a whole lot, but he’s a very soft-spoken quiet guy, great young kid. And Dave (Bakhtiari) always talks about how good his feet are. He said he’s got the best feet for any lineman.

“I’m just really proud of the way he battled. I mean, he’s going up against one of the top three premier pass rushers in the game for most of the game. And we gave him some help, because you’ve got to — Bosa’s such a stud. But there were times where he had no help, and I thought he held up real well.”

• Packers HC Matt LaFleur was impressed with first-round CB Eric Stokes, who played every snap for the team against the 49ers on Sunday night. “I thought he competed and did a really nice job. I know he got dinged for the two PIs, I’ll let you use your own judgment and write what you want to on those. But, yeah, I thought he did an outstanding job.” (Ryan Wood)
• According to LaFleur, Packers WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling is set to undergo a scan to determine the severity of the injury he sustained against the 49ers. “Anytime you have a soft-tissue issue, you don’t want it to turn into a long-term deal.” (Wes Hodkiewicz)

Vikings

Vikings HC Mike Zimmer was impressed by the offense in the team’s victory over Seattle.

“I told the team that it’s the best offensive performance that I’ve seen in the eight years that I’ve been here,” Zimmer said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Kirk (Cousins) played outstanding. I thought (Alexander) Mattison ran the ball well, the offensive line blocked great. Tight ends, receivers blocked great in the run game but also in the passing game. Very, very proud of the way that they performed today.”

Zimmer added QB Kirk Cousins has stepped up to another level lately.

“I think he’s playing outstanding,” Zimmer said. “But not only that, he’s playing with a lot of confidence. I really appreciate the leadership that he’s been doing lately. It’s been so much better, something he wanted to work on. He’s done a great job with that. He’s very confident where he’s throwing the football. He’s very confident with these receivers. I think the offensive line has helped him do some of those things as well.