The Lions have a lot going on as they prepare to face the Jets this Sunday, but the rest of the NFC North teams are not just waiting for their games. The Packers and Bears have a huge divisional matchup coming up, and the Vikings are ready to usher in a new era, with Teddy Bridgewater‘s first start against the Falcons.
Here are some links to some stories from NFC North teams:
- Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel spoke with Packers‘ safety Morgan Burnett for an in-depth look at the man behind the facemask.
- Dunn’s colleague at the Journal-Sentinel applauds Packers‘ general manager Ted Thompson‘s cap management, noting that his prudent spending has given the team a cushion to improve during the season.
- The Bears cut defensive end Julius Peppers and signed defensive end Lamarr Houston on the same day this offseason, but Houston is far from a replacement, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Houston, along with Willie Young, have been part of turning a team that ranked 32nd against the run in 2013 into a league-average run stopping unit.
- Adam Jahns of the Sun-Times answers some frequently asked questions about the Bears–Packers matchup.
- John Mullin of CSNChicago.com has his own matchup preview, focusing on the health of the Bears‘ top receivers.
- Vikings‘ guard Vlad Ducasse is in line to start for the injured Brandon Fusco, and Master Tesfatsion of the Star Tribune chronicles the former Jet’s NFL journey.
- Vikings‘ linebacker Chad Greenway has been ruled out for this weekend’s matchup, and is one of the keys Matt Vensel of the Star-Tribune focuses on during his preview.
- Another injured Viking, tight end Kyle Rudolph, will force the team to ask for more from the backups at the position, writes Dane Mizutanii of the St. Paul Pioneer-Press.
- Matt Cassel has undergone surgery on his foot, and Chris Tomasson of TwinCities.com took a look on Cassel’s place in the future plans of the Vikings.
Go Bears!