NFC Notes: Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

• The Lions announced that they have hired former Eagles STs coordinator David Fipp to the same position in Detroit. 
• Lions TEs coach Ben Johnson is expected to return to the team. (Dave Birkett)
• Field Yates reports that the Lions are hiring Mark DeLeone as their LBs coach.

Packers

Packers’ DC Mike Pettine‘s decision making in the NFC Championship game was questionable, leaving many to wonder if it will cost him his job. Packers’ HC Matt LaFleur commented on the situation, including other miscues after their loss to Tampa Bay on Sunday night.

“It was man coverage. Definitely not the right call for the situation, and you can’t do stuff like that against a good football team and expect to win,” LaFleur said, via Jason Wilde of Wisconsin State Journal. “When you look at it, there were 120 some-odd plays on both sides of the ball plus all the special teams. There were a lot of plays in that game that could have been made, that could have changed the outcome of the game. But the ones that really hurt us the most were that play, and then to come out to start the second half, [Aaron Jones] had the fumble and they score to make it 28-10. That really was the big difference in the football game. You just can’t do that stuff. I blame us as coaches for putting our guys in that situation. That’s inexcusable. That should not have happened. So we’ve got to take a look at it, do some self-reflection, and try to figure out ways on how that can’t happen again.”

• Rob Demovsky reports that Pettine opted to not sign a contract extension with the Packers last year, which means he’s set to be a free agent this offseason. 
• According to Demovsky, there’s currently no word regarding his status with the team. 

Vikings

Vikings TE Kyle Rudolph is pragmatic about what the coming offseason will likely bring. He has one of the higher cap hits on the team, has been converted into primarily a blocking tight end in Minnesota’s new offensive philosophy and a younger option behind him in Irv Smith. Rudolph can see a future coming away from the only team he’s ever known soon, but the silver lining for him is it hopefully will be a chance to showcase talents that haven’t been at the forefront recently. 

“I’m realistic,” Rudolph said via KFAN’s Aj Mansour. “I see both sides. I’m looking at this situation like hey we’re paying this guy a lot of money and you’re not using him so why are we paying him a lot of money? . . . I think I’m worth every dime of my contract, that doesn’t mean that I’m used to my potential and I’m used to do what I do well.”

• Over The Cap’s Jason Fitzgerald notes Vikings QB Kirk Cousins is tradable from a contractual perspective this year but making that move would mean Minnesota is rebuilding which it seems to want to avoid. 
• Fitzgerald adds if the Vikings want to trade Cousins next year they’ll face a challenge of getting a team to take his $35 million salary in 2022 unless he plays dramatically better.