NFC Notes: Pete Carroll, Bears, Packers, Vikings

Bears 

• Eric Williams of FoxSports thinks the Bears should hire former Seahawks HC Pete Carroll as their next head coach after missing out on Jim Harbaugh last offseason. 
• Williams writes that Chicago needs a coach with a “championship pedigree” to fix its organization’s dysfunction after having five coaches over the last decade and no playoff wins since 2010.  
• Although Carroll is known as a defensive coach, Williams points out he’s been able to get the most out of his quarterbacks like with Russell Wilson and Geno Smith while he helped develop players like Carson Palmer, Mark Sanchez, and Matt Leinart at USC. 
• Bears QB Caleb Williams claimed responsibility for a fair amount of sacks despite their offensive line’s struggles this season: “The connotation behind my offensive line has been annoying and frustrating because they work their tail off to go out there. … I’ve taken sacks, yes. A good amount have been on me.” (Kevin Fishbain)
• Bears interim HC Thomas Brown stated “there was no thought” of shutting Williams down for the final games of the year and added all healthy starters will play in Week 18. (Courtney Cronin)

Packers

• Tom Silverstein reports Packers CB Jaire Alexander underwent arthroscopic knee surgery to figure out what was causing him issues but it’s not considered a major operation.

Vikings

The Vikings are in great shape heading into the postseason with 14 wins and possibly the No. 1 seed if they beat the Lions in Week 18. But one potential point of concern is sixth-round K Will Reichard, who made his first 14 kicks of the season but has been spottier since a quad injury in early November. Three of his five misses have come in the past four games. Vikings ST coordinator Matt Daniels says they want the rookie to be “poised through the noise.”

“As we get into these more tighter games, as you’re building to it, every point is gonna truly start to matter here . . . so when he does miss that type of kick, he understands what the result is and how it can kind of effect the turnout of the game,” Daniels said, via Emily Leiker of the Minneapolis Star Tribune. “It doesn’t weigh on him from a mental standpoint, but he does kind of feel it.”