NFC Notes: Sam Darnold, Dan Campbell, Lions, Packers, Vikings

Lions

Lions HC Dan Campbell said there would be no resting of players despite the team’s injury woes in Week 17 against the 49ers. 

“Yeah, I’ll make this easy for everybody that way all the critics can jump out and start attacking, but that way you don’t have to debate them anymore,” Campbell said via USA Today’s Jeff Risdon. “We’re bringing everything that we have to this game, and we are playing, and I don’t care what it looks like, and where it’s at or who’s this, who’s that, we’re going out to play and win this game out on the west coast. So, there you go.”

Campbell added there’s not any extra motivation for this game from Detroit’s loss to the 49ers last year in the NFC Championship. 

“Anytime we lose, the thought of losing is going to motivate you to not want to lose again, particularly with where you were at,” said Campbell. “So, that’s always going to bring it’s own level of motivation to it, but it’s also, this is where we’re at in the season, we know that we need another win, we understand where we’re at in the division and the NFC, so I think it’s all encompassing. And look, most importantly, it’s the next one. It’s the next one in front of us.”

Packers

Packers HC Matt LaFleur credited their big 34-0 win over the Saints in Week 16 to big contributions from a lot of players. 

“What’s really cool is we’re getting contributions from a lot of different people,” LaFleur said, via Matt Schneidman of The Athletic. “So I think that’s usually the mark of a good team.”

Packers DT Kenny Clark points out they have solid depth throughout the team. 

“The more you look at our depth, we got a lot of guys that can play,” Clark said. “It hasn’t been like that in years past.”

Packers CB Keisean Nixon had high praise for their defense’s pass rush, which has been “complementary” to their secondary. 

“They been playing ball,” Nixon said. “It’s complementary. It’s not just them. It’s us in the back end covering, allowing them to get sacks. And them rushing allows us to cover on the back end. I just think we’ve been playing team defense and complementary and dominating.”

Vikings

Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with an NFL executive about Vikings QB Sam Darnold‘s pending free agency. This particular individual would proceed with caution with Darnold. 

“This season has proved Sam needs Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison, (T.J.) Hockenson, one of the grittiest offensive lines and a top back in Aaron Jones. If you are Minnesota, you wave goodbye to Sam, wish him luck and hope he signs for $50 million with some team that thinks they are a quarterback away, but doesn’t have all those things Minnesota has,” he said. “You get the premium comp pick, you found your next Sam Darnold in Daniel Jones and you already have your draft pick (McCarthy) ready to go. That is what a smart organization does.”

Sando had another executive ask if they could franchise tag Darnold while keeping first-round QB J.J. McCarthy for the future, and an agent had the following response.

“They can afford that. What they can’t afford is turning it over to a rookie coming off a season-ending injury. The only Darnold caveat at this point is the playoffs.”

A coach in the league told Sando that Darnold should monitor 49ers QB Brock Purdy‘s contract situation. 

“If I’m Darnold and the Vikings move on from me, whatever Brock Purdy wants from the 49ers, I want less. If he says to San Francisco, ‘I’ll be your starting quarterback for $15 million a year or whatever and Brock Purdy is asking for $45 million, how does San Francisco sit there and say Brock Purdy is the guy they are going with?”