NFC Notes: Josh Dobbs, Jared Goff, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

Lions QB Jared Goff said everyone is turning up their intensity entering Week 14 given teams are still in the playoff race.

“Know that everyone is kind of in that mode that you have to win these games, and everyone has things that they’re going for. No one’s out of it,” Goff said, via Eric Woodyard of ESPN. “And everyone’s trying to win a game, so knowing that you have [to] turn your urgency up a little bit and stay process oriented and trust what you’re doing daily in practice. But, yeah, your intensity turns up a little bit this late in the year.”

Lions DE Aidan Hutchinson wants to see more consistency in their defense given there’s been times they allowed long touchdown drives. 

“Just executing and being all on the same page. It’s the inconsistency,” Hutchinson said. “Sometimes it feels like we’re three-and-out and just playing at such a high level and sometimes those drives are just 15-play, touchdowns that we let up, and right now it feels like it’s one or the other so we’ve just gotta be overall more consistent.”

As for their upcoming game against the Bears, HC Dan Campbell said they are putting a lot of attention on limiting QB Justin Fields. 

“Listen, he’s dangerous,” Campbell said. “He’s one of these rare, dangerous players and I’ll tell you what he’s done a really good job of — from last year to this year — is if it’s a pass and he starts to move, he’s still moving with eyes down the field much more than I felt like he had previously and that’s extremely dangerous because even in Minnesota, he had two or three receivers wide open after he had kind of run, found a way through, broke contain and all of a sudden he gets an explosive pass off of it. But he is dangerous, and everything starts with him, for us defensively, and containing these guys.”

Packers

• The Athletic’s Matt Schneidman notes what the Packers do at running back might be the most interesting question of the offseason. Veteran RB Aaron Jones will be in the final year of his deal in 2024 and could be a cap cut candidates, while RB AJ Dillon is finishing out the last year of his contract. 
• Jones has struggled with injuries this year, so Schneidman says the Packers could choose to move on with a younger, cheaper and hopefully healthier option, perhaps pairing him with Dillon if he takes a one-year deal to come back. 
• However, Schneidman isn’t sure Dillon will take just a one-year deal, so the Packers could choose to keep Jones and pair him with a rookie. Or the Packers could just start clean at the position altogether. 
• Other major needs for the Packers this offseason, per Schneidman, include a new left tackle and help at safety. Schneidman expects the team to release veteran LT David Bakhtiari, and their rotation of OTs Rasheed Walker and Yosh Nijman suggests they’re not confident in either. 
• Packers LB De’Vondre Campbell is another likely cap cut, per Schneidman.
• Packers WR Christian Watson doesn’t think his hamstring injury is as severe as the he suffered one earlier this season that kept him out for three weeks. However, he’s unsure if he’ll be able to play in Monday’s game, via Rob Demovsky. 
• Packers HC Matt LaFleur is hopeful that Watson (hamstring) will return sooner rather than later: “He’s getting the treatment and hopefully it’ll be sooner rather than later,” via Wes Hodkiewicz. 

Vikings

Regarding Vikings QB Joshua Dobbs committing six turnovers, HC Kevin O’Connell said they’ve been providing Dobbs “clarity” on what they are looking for but is pleased with the quarterback’s work ethic. 

“We’ve been in a process of trying to provide him with clarity on what we’re doing offensively and then we’re learning a lot about each other as we go,” O’Connell said, via Kevin Seifert of ESPN. “That’s why I love having him here — his work ethic, spending a lot of time with him, getting to know him, and continuing to dive deeper into what helps him be the best version of himself. That’s what I know that we pride ourselves on around here, is helping our players do that. So whether it’s schematically, fundamentally, what are we asking him to do in what situation or phase of the game? That’s where we can continue to all elevate our ability to help each other but, more importantly, elevate Josh’s ability to sustain success.”

Dobbs doesn’t think there is reason to overhaul their offense. 

“I think you can always over speculate based on a previous performance, both good and bad,” Dobbs said. “There’s no reason to blow it up, man. We’ve just got to do what we’re good at, protect the football and make the routine plays when we’re out there. If we do that, we’ll play good football. It’s very simple.”