It was a quiet weekend on the field for the NFC North, with the Lions, Packers, and Bears all on their byes. The Vikings will take next week off, but headed into their bye on a positive note, with a dramatic 29-26 comeback win over Washington. Here’s more from around the NFC North:
- Lions defensive tackle C.J. Mosley was suspended last week and sent home early from London without explanation, but sources tell Chris Mortenson of ESPN that the incident stemmed from the team finding Mosley with marijuana. Head coach Jim Caldwell suspended Mosley for two weeks for conduct detrimental to the team. The 31-year-old is set to return to the team for its Week 10 game against the Dolphins this Sunday.
- The Vikings have done a tremendous job maneuvering the draft over the past three years, adding seven first-round picks to their roster over that time span. Developing those players will be key to the team’s success as they attempt to complete the turnaround after a disappointing few seasons, writes Matt Vensel of the Minnesota Star-Tribune.
- The Packers joined the Patriots as one of the marquee teams in terms of utilizing multiple tight ends in their offense a few seasons ago, with Jermichael Finley at the peak of his powers as a receiver. After a career-threatening neck injury, Finley is no longer on the roster, but Andrew Quarless has filled in admirably as the lead tight end, writes Tom Silverstein of the Wisconsin Journal-Sentinel. Along with Brandon Bostick and rookie Richard Rodgers, tight ends have accumulated 23 catches on 35 targets for 248 yards and two touchdowns this season, and have been a key part of the offense for Aaron Rodgers.