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NFL Team Reports: NFC North

SportingNews Nov 19, 8:13 am EST

Several times a week, The Trenches will present team reports from Sporting News’ 32 NFL correspondents. Check back each day for the latest news on your team.

Chicago Bears

The offense’s struggles in the red zone have led QB Jay Cutler(notes) to call for more playing time for WR Devin Aromashodu(notes).

He was a favorite of Cutler’s in preseason, but a quadriceps injury before the opener kept him on the sideline and rookie WR Johnny Knox(notes) stepped in. Now, with Cutler throwing interceptions at an alarming rate in the red zone, the team will will give the 6-2 Aromashodu some snaps after he made his first catch last game. The other regulars at wideout are 6 feet or shorter, and none has a TD catch the past three games.

Aromashodu’s long arms and good vertical leap could help him complement TEs Greg Olsen(notes), Kellen Davis(notes) and Desmond Clark(notes) as an red-zone receiving threat. Aromashodu, however, doesn’t have ideal speed. And if the Bears go to four-wideout sets, it could mean less playing time for Olsen, who has averaged 12.4 yards a catch the past four weeks. —Gene Chamberlain

Detroit Lions

Veteran S Marquand Manuel(notes) (shoulder), who started six games this season, was placed on injured reserve. The Lions signed DeAngelo Smith(notes) off the Bears’ practice squad, and he will provide depth at safety.

Smith is the eighth defensive back to be signed by the Lions since Sept. 4. The Lions have not only been hit by a series of injuries in the secondary, but ineffective play has forced the team to keep changing the lineup. Though a weak line is also to blame, the team¹s vulnerability to the big pass has allowed opponents to average 29 points per game. …

WLB Ernie Sims(notes) (hamstring) and RG Stephen Peterman(notes) (ankle) did not practice Wednesday and are not expected to play Sunday against the Browns. Rookie DeAndre Levy(notes), who will replace Sims for the second straight week, is an emerging talent who is a solid tackler and has a good feel for coverage. He¹s good in short zones but needs work on his deep drops and in man coverage. —Tom Kowalski

Green Bay Packers

Tom Silverstein says the team is getting healthy at the right time.

Minnesota Vikings

Reports circulated Wednesday that coach Brad Childress was close to a contract extension, but Rick Alonzo says nothing has been finalized.
More from Sporting News: NFL Team Reports: NFC East

Updated Nov 19, 8:13 am EST
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209 Comments

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  1. <i>swope_p</i>
    209. Posted by swope_p Tue Nov 17 1:38am EST

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    being from Forida and not liking the teams here since 1976, i've been a vikes fan and had to see them lose year after year. But not this year, they have a good chance of going all the way and I will be here watching. Like them or hate them you will watch them, for their time has come.

    GO VIKINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  2. me me me
    208. Posted by me me me Tue Nov 17 12:41am EST

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    i was watchin the vikings game, and i heard the announcers start crying that rice pushed off...but they didnt show a good angle of it and the DB that was covering rice wasn't crying for a flag...did anybody else see the push off that those announcers were talking about?
  3. DEN
    207. Posted by DEN Mon Nov 16 7:47pm EST

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    Hey Jeremiah ARE you Blinde Im a Lions Fan and never liked Favre Thought he was overated But he is having an MVP year and A.P. is riding him if not for Favre A.P. would not have near the season he is having nor would the VICKIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  4. DEN
    206. Posted by DEN Mon Nov 16 7:47pm EST

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    Hey Jeremiah ARE you Blinde Im a Lions Fan and never liked Favre Thought he was overated But he is having an MVP year and A.P. is riding him if not for Favre A.P. would not have near the season he is having nor would the VICKIES !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  5. DEN
    205. Posted by DEN Mon Nov 16 7:43pm EST

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    Hey I saw a lot of very bad sportmanship from Minn when they booed emphatically when a flag was thrown for the herlmet to helmet hit opn Stafford ! What do you Vickies fans think that your team can do anything Legal or not and thats O.K.? COME ON MAN !!!!!
  6. B-man
    204. Posted by B-man Mon Nov 16 2:09pm EST

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    Any true Packer fan who chastises Favre is just like a bitter ex-girlfriend. Calling Favre a choker after all he has done for your team is just straight being ungrateful loser. Call him a betrayer if you want for joining the Vikings. He deserves that. But if you call him a bad QB, that's just plain ridiculous.

    Oh, and what's that with holding a mock funeral for him? How can you be so low and rude? You don't hold a funeral for someone who is still alive. That's like wishing him dead. Anyone who's wishing someone dead just because of sport competition needs to go see a shrink and have his/her head examined.
  7. Allen
    203. Posted by Allen Thu Nov 12 7:54pm EST

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    As a packer fan since the 70's, I've seen more bad than good- and I see Thompson - McCarthy - Capers firings being tossed around as potential problem solving... The players ALL have a gut-check coming Sunday. I hope they ALL show up, 'cause it ain't gonna be pretty if they ALL don't. (good luck Rodgers)
  8. average joe
    202. Posted by average joe Thu Nov 12 5:34pm EST

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    hey big nate on post 198
    Sorry but it wasn't bad luck that did in the pack. the game was an embarassment. They played with their tail between their legs.
  9. g mack
    201. Posted by g mack Thu Nov 12 1:02pm EST

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    i think the lions have a better change than the bears.....go lions
  10. Joel
    200. Posted by Joel Thu Nov 12 12:51pm EST

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    Bears are toast.
  11. cm
    199. Posted by cm Wed Nov 11 2:31pm EST

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    "Rodgers is a great QB. But with the o-line he has, it's not clicking. Imagine Favre with that o-line, he'd already be injured."

    What a ridiculous statement! Favre as well as any other season professional quarterback knows how to read a defense and AUDIBLE! Or check down! Favre would be just fine.

    I'm not hating on Rodgers but to see you people chant that he is the second coming is just wrong!

    At least be honest and objective. He needs to learn and grow. He may get to an elite status, but that takes time.
  12. Big Nate
    198. Posted by Big Nate Tue Nov 10 5:25pm EST

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    What is it with the Packers bad luck in TB. I had a bad feeling going into the game because their luck is never right in TB. I hoped that would change after Sapp left but it has not. GB needs a winning season or we can start the curse talks like the Chicago Cubs endure. Not to give the offensive line any credit, but Rodgers did hold on to the ball a long time in the second half. Three seconds and the ball should be gone or he should be moving his feet up field. I did think that the pass interference call against Hawk that negated his interception was pathetic and that would have probably kept TB from winning, but the Packers should not have given up the lead to begin with.
  13. Bill
    197. Posted by Bill Tue Nov 10 4:56pm EST

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    Too bad for the packers that they are playing Dallas this weekend. Looks like another week of hell and drinking for them. Dallas's D will eat Rodgers for lunch all day long. He should load up on the Vicodan BEFORE the game like Brett used to do.
  14. Bill
    196. Posted by Bill Tue Nov 10 4:56pm EST

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    Too bad for the packers that they are playing Dallas this weekend. Looks like another week of hell and drinking for them. Dallas's D will eat Rodgers for lunch all day long. He should load up on the Vicodan BEFORE the game like Brett used to do.
  15. <i>nicholashdez82</i>
    195. Posted by nicholashdez82 Tue Nov 10 3:32pm EST

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    It's time to clean house...McCarthy and Thompson need to go..........We have talent all over the team but the coaches cant put it all together. Oh and not to mention some horrible draft choices in the past few years........lets get some new faces in the front office and on the sideline.......please........
  16. Earl of Funk
    194. Posted by Earl of Funk Tue Nov 10 9:15am EST

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    Can't wait to the other shoe drops for the Vikings.......man, they talk alot of sh!t and haven't won anything yet.
  17. <i>keck43</i>
    193. Posted by keck43 Mon Nov 9 10:29pm EST

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    Anyone ever heard of the curse of the bambino??? Looks as if the Pack are going to have to endure the curse of Farve!!! Let hope it doesn't last 100 years.
  18. Larry W
    192. Posted by Larry W Mon Nov 9 9:26pm EST

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    There are some really stupid posts here, congratulations!

    It's nice to be a Vikings fan this year. I guess the sun shines on a dog's ass every now and then.
  19. Jeremiah
    191. Posted by Jeremiah Mon Nov 9 8:51pm EST

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    i love living in wisconsin now that the packers suck so bad....it's fun watching favre ride a.p. all the way to the super bowl...
  20. packman
    190. Posted by packman Mon Nov 9 6:55pm EST

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    Rodgers is a great QB. But with the o-line he has, it's not clicking. Imagine Favre with that o-line, he'd already be injured. There still is 8 games left and it is possible for the Packers to get a wildcard.. They need a new coach and GM. And in case people didn't notice GB doesn't really play good in Tampa for some reason :(. Oh well.
  21. GMizzle
    189. Posted by GMizzle Mon Nov 9 4:26pm EST

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    Macatator - "Rodgers has 16 more years to do what Favre did..."

    There is no way he lasts even half that long, especially the way GB's powder-puff O-Line is right now.

    Go Vikes.
  22. Bill
    188. Posted by Bill Mon Nov 9 4:06pm EST

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    Green Bay fans on this board that stick up for McCarthy and Thompson are either - retarted or they are MM and TT themselves trying to save face and argue their own points. No GB fan in their right mind would stick up for those two losers. I know for a fact that that girley Thompson was on a fox sports blog because he basically admitted it and then dissapeared never to come on again. Make you wonder?
  23. Bill
    187. Posted by Bill Mon Nov 9 4:06pm EST

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    Green Bay fans on this board that stick up for McCarthy and Thompson are either - retarted or they are MM and TT themselves trying to save face and argue their own points. No GB fan in their right mind would stick up for those two losers. I know for a fact that that girley Thompson was on a fox sports blog because he basically admitted it and then dissapeared never to come on again. Make you wonder?
  24. clinton p
    186. Posted by clinton p Mon Nov 9 3:18pm EST

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    you idiots 3 ints through 8 games what else does he need to do.and you npacker fans are just bitter because were gonna win a sb and until he retires you won't make the playoffs you screwed a legend,he wouldn't of lost to the bucs like your boy rodgers.go vikings
  25. Mactator
    185. Posted by Mactator Mon Nov 9 2:39pm EST

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    Give Favre time, he'll find a way to lose the big games. That's his legacy and it will never change. Rodgers has 16 more years to do what Favre did... win 1 SB. I'll reserve judgment until then.

    Favre wanted out of GB. If he really wanted to stay, he wouldn't have pulled all that crap in the off season and would have returned as per the agreement between TT, MM and Favre. Those are facts! In true character, he chose to "stick it" to the Packers and their fans. To look at it any other way is just plain clueless.

    It's no big deal, those who love him are now Queens fans. The true Packer fans know what happened and can live with it. Too bad they suffer from "fire TT and MM retardation disorder." Get over it it, the King of INT is gone. We're better off, just look at our SB's for the past 17 years. How many does Tom Brady have?
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