NFC Notes: Xavier McKinney, Caleb Williams, Bears, Lions, Packers

Bears

The Bears offense looked more lively in their first game under interim OC Thomas Brown but still failed to score 20 points in their loss to the Packers. Chicago QB Caleb Williams discussed the advantages of increased motion usage, one of Brown’s points of emphasis in his first week.

“They get people displaced for runs and lanes and blocking assignments or if it’s in the passing game … sometimes it gives you leverage,” Williams said, via Adam Jahns of The Athletic. “Then sometimes it also mixes up people’s eyes, safeties, to be able to hit explosives. To be able to gain easy-access throws with maybe (defensive backs) backing off, once you get a motion going their way — maybe a fast motion or a slow motion going their way — they’ll back off and (receivers) get a free access for 5 yards, maybe more, with the type of guys we have. So those motions help us.”

Bears HC Matt Eberflus reviewed Brown’s first game and named the tempo as a difference he was pleased with. 

“I do like the tempo in which we operated in terms of play caller to the quarterback, quarterback to the offense, getting on the line of scrimmage,” Eberflus said. “That was way better in terms of the energy and the timing of it. That’s going to be good going forward, too.”

Lions

Lions DE Za’Darius Smith recorded half a sack in his debut with his new team following the move at the trade deadline. Detroit HC Dan Campbell was pleased with Smith’s first game in the blowout win at Jacksonville.

“I thought he did some things for us, I thought he did some good things for us,” Campbell said, via Tim Twentyman of the team’s website. “It was good to have him out there. I thought, really like we talked about last week, just be a piece of this puzzle and he’s a guy that’s played, he is instinctive, he doesn’t stay blocked long, he’s really good with his hands.”

“Like I said, he can set an edge in the run game and he’s really good at working gains with [Alim McNeill] and [D.J. Reader] and those guys. He’s got a knack for those things. So, I think, first outing with him, I thought it was good. I think he fits right in with us.”

Packers

Green Bay won their 11th in a row against the Bears on a last-second blocked field goal in Week 11. Packers S Xavier McKinney said they saw something on film that they could exploit to get a push and make a play on the ball. 

“We saw something where we could get a great push in the middle, and we saw other teams being able to do the same,” McKinney said, via SI.com’s Albert Breer. “[They] never really corrected it or got it fixed. And I think it was a great play call by Rich. Everybody did their job. The big guys were strong in the middle, they got a great push and got their hands up.”

McKinney explained how they were able to persevere and get enough stops in a close divisional matchup.

“It was just trusting our technique, trusting our DC and him putting us in the right situation to go out there and make plays, him trusting us [with] whatever we see. Going out there and playing freely, it’s been the biggest key for all of us. And we just play as a unit and we show togetherness, and no matter the situation, we’re always able to overcome anything really. All that adversity, that’s on the others, not us.”