NFC Notes: Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

Before the season began, Lions interim HC Darrell Bevell said he wanted to see WR Kenny Golladay take the next step into becoming a bonafide No. 1 receiver in the NFL, especially given his contract status. Instead, Golladay has been sidelined by a variety of maladies and won’t return for the final week of the season. Bevell said that makes it harder to assess Golladay’s true value and potential as the two sides go into negotiations. 

“It’s a very hard season to assess what he was able to do,” Bevell said via ESPN’s Michael Rothstein. “He wasn’t about to be out there enough for us this year to really, I think, make those steps that I was hoping that he’d be able to make. So right now, obviously he’s not there. Does he have the ability to be there? I think he does, and obviously that’s what we’re looking for from him. But the most important thing for him is to get healthy, get his body right and then be able to handle the rigors of a 16-game plus season.”

• Lions RB Adrian Peterson said he’s not interested in coming back to Detroit if they’re going to be rebuilding next year: “Yeah, that’s not something that’s appealing to me.” (Kyle Meinke)

Packers

• Per the Athletic’s Matt Schneidman, Packers HC Matt LaFleur was jazzed about the addition of DT Damon Harrison: “Hopefully he can get acclimated pretty quickly. What we’ve seen and what we’ve heard is he’s a pretty intelligent guy … I think he can give us a lot in terms of playing the nose.”
• LaFleur added it would be a “tough ask” for Harrison to play against the Bears this week but he didn’t rule it out. (Ryan Wood)
• Current starting nose tackle Kenny Clark said he’s excited to see how the coaching staff utilizes both him and Harrison: “I’m excited to see what (the coaches) have planned, if they’re going to move me around a little bit more or have him spell me.” (Wood)

Vikings

Vikings OC Gary Kubiak took a step back from his job as a head coach a few years ago to focus on his health, which had declined. But he was convinced to come out of retirement by the Vikings to take a consultative, lower stress role, and when the offensive coordinator position became available coming into this season, Minnesota convinced Kubiak to take that one too. Kubiak said that while he’s not sure how long he’ll keep coaching, he’s really enjoyed his job this season. 

“I’ve enjoyed it. I’m kind of a year to year at this stage of my life, I think, as a football coach,” Kubiak said via Ben Goessling of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “But I really enjoyed it, I enjoyed working with the players, I love calling games. That’s the way I grew up. I’ve had my opportunity to be a head coach and I enjoyed that, but it was really fun to be one of the guys again, if that makes any sense. Back in that room teaching and being one of the fellas, so I appreciate Zim and Rick giving me a chance to do that.”

Asked about if his year-to-year approach included 2021, Kubiak didn’t take the cheese. 

“Well, I’m not through with this year yet. Let me finish up this week and let’s go have some fun and play well and we’ll see what happens,” he said. 

• Per Chris Tomasson of the Pioneer Press, the Vikings plan to start OT Rashod Hill at left tackle this week if Riley Reiff can’t play instead of moving second-round OL Ezra Cleveland out from guard.