NFC North

Detroit Lions running back D'Andre Swift is unlikely to play in the team's Week 4 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks because of a shoulder injury.

Lions coach Dan Campbell said Swift would have to improve "significantly" over the next three days to suit up.

"We knew it would be this hard to get through a full season with him healthy," Campbell told reporters Wednesday. "That's the nature of the position."

Swift was injured in Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings. He was limited to just seven carries for 31 yards while adding three receptions for 15 yards.

Jamaal Williams took over the bulk of the work, rushing for 87 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries and adding 20 more yards on two receptions. Williams will get the majority of the snap total in Week 4 if Swift can't go and is a must-start in nearly every fantasy format against a shaky Seattle front seven.

Craig Reynolds will likely slide into the backup role after receiving six carries in spell of Williams last week. Justin Jackson is the Lions' fourth running back but has not gotten a touch this season.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has never been hesitant to speak his mind, and on Tuesday, he railed against what he feels is an unnecessary rule.

During his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the reigning NFL MVP expressed his distaste for the targeting rule in college football.

"We just gotta be careful going too far with some of these rules. It's like what college did with targeting. Are you s--tin' me? Like, it's absolutely ridiculous," Rodgers said. "You're ruining these kids' and teams' opportunities by subjective calls..."

Rodgers further explained that most instances of targeting occur because of "weird movements" by offensive and defensive players that result in helmet-to-helmet hits. He believes ejections aren't warranted for those types of plays because it can cost a player a full game or half of the next game.

"The punishment doesn't fit the crime at all, it's ridiculous," he said. "So we gotta be careful with how far we go on some of these rules."

Rodgers said he feels that intent should be a determining factor to calling the targeting penalty.

"I think you can, especially with the help of replay, look at intent," Rodgers said. "If a guy is spearing, eyes closed, cheap-shottin' a guy ... kick him out of the game, for sure, kick him out of the game. But if a guy is making a head-up tackle and the offensive player lowers his head or does a weird thing and it becomes helmet-to-helmet, that shouldn't be grounds for an ejection. It's ridiculous, you're impacting these kids' lives on a grand scheme, and I don't think it's right."

Before pivoting to his dislike of the targeting rule, Rodgers was addressing the taunting penalty by Kansas City Chiefs defensive tackle Chris Jones that eventually led to a game-winning touchdown for the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday.

Jones stood over Colts quarterback Matt Ryan after recording a sack and was called for unsportsmanlike conduct. Referee Shawn Smith explained the penalty was for "abusive language." The call kept the Colts' final drive alive, and they took full advantage when Ryan found rookie receiver Jelani Woods for a 12-yard touchdown with 24 seconds remaining.

"Again, I don't know what was said between Chris and Matt, but that's what happens, you know? These calls, they're 15-yarders, which severely impacts a game, especially late in the game like that," Rodgers said.

Aaron Rodgers made his weekly appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Tuesday and said the sports world overreacted to his comments that he noticed something on the Jumbotron during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' final drive in Green Bay's 14-12 win on Sunday, and that the information he relayed had nothing to do with the decisive failed two-point conversion attempt.

Rodgers said (1:40 mark):

"It was well before the two-point conversion. I did see something on the Jumbotron that I went down and relayed to [head coach Matt LaFleur]. I'm not going to get into exactly what I saw, or if it even had a real impact on the play. I think that's kind of inconsequential. But I thought I saw something. I walked down and relayed that to Matt. Whether that got really to [defensive coordinator Joe Barry] or not, I'm not sure. Either way, it had nothing to do with the two-point conversion. There was not an image of a Microsoft Surface or anything on there. That would have been pretty funny, though."

Rodgers had the internet buzzing after he made his Jumbotron remarks on the Fox broadcast following the game.

"Sometimes, you see things in the game," he said, in part. "Sometimes the Jumbotron shows things they probably shouldn't show, even at home. I saw something. I just passed on the information."

Among the conspiracy theories that floated around online after those comments were made was that perhaps Rodgers saw the team's play on a loose tablet on the sideline that was shown on the Jumbotron, or saw a close-up of Brady calling the play in the huddle.

LaFleur was just as cagey as his quarterback about what information Rodgers passed along:

The situation was serious enough to catch the attention of Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, however:

Rodgers, who has been cryptic to the point of controversy in the past, probably won't ever reveal what was passed along. It will remain a mystery, albeit one the Bucs probably would like to solve in the event it actually was impactful information during the game's pivotal drive.

Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown reportedly isn't expected to miss significant time with an ankle injury suffered during Sunday's loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, tests on St. Brown's ankle were "encouraging," and if he does have to miss some time, "it shouldn't be anything long-term."

St. Brown suffered the injury during the second quarter and attempted to gut it out the rest of the way, making six receptions for 73 yards and playing 73 percent of the team's offensive snaps.

St. Brown, who is in the midst of his second NFL season after going in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft, has been one of the top wideouts in the league thus far.

Through three games, the USC product has recorded 23 receptions for 253 yards and three touchdowns, plus he has rushed two times for 68 yards.

The 22-year-old receiver has simply carried over his strong play from last season, when he delivered 90 catches for 912 yards and five touchdowns as a rookie.

St. Brown was especially strong down the stretch last season, catching eight or more passes in each of his final six games and finishing with 51 grabs for 560 yards and five scores during that stretch.

He has once again been quarterback Jared Goff's favorite target this season, and he is a big reason why the Lions are averaging 31.6 points per game and have been in every game this season despite their 1-2 record.

St. Brown's status for Sunday's Week 4 game against the Seattle Seahawks isn't yet clear, but if he isn't healthy enough to go, the Lions could potentially be inclined to sit him the next two weeks, as they have a Week 6 bye.

Lions head coach Dan Campbell has already admitted that the team is considering sitting running back D'Andre Swift the next two weeks so he can rest his injured shoulder, per Benjamin Raven of MLive.com.

If St. Brown misses any time, it would represent a huge hit to Detroit's offense, especially if Swift lands on the shelf as well.

In terms of wide receivers, veteran DJ Chark would likely step into the No. 1 role, and he could be worth a speculative pickup in fantasy football leagues in case St. Brown doesn't play in Week 4 or 5.

Josh Reynolds is in the same boat, as he is second on the team in both receptions and receiving yardage, plus tight end T.J. Hockenson would undoubtedly see an uptick in usage.

Late in the Green Bay Packers' 14-12 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, before the Bucs attempted and failed to tie the game on a two-point conversion attempt, Aaron Rodgers saw something on the Jumbotron at Raymond James Stadium that offered him insight into the Bucs' offense.

"Well, they showed it on the previous play, too,” he said on the Fox broadcast after the win. "It was a delay on both plays. But sometimes, you see things in the game. Sometimes the Jumbotron shows things they probably shouldn't show, even at home. I saw something. I just passed on the information."

It's unclear what Rodgers might have seen or passed along to the coaching staff. Perhaps he recognized a personnel grouping from a previous play, or a particular formation or alignment.

Whatever the case may be, the team's defense got a key stop and the Packers moved to 2-1 on the season, escaping a major test in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers suffered their first loss of the year, moving to 2-1 as well.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick knows he has his hands full preparing for the Green Bay Packers and quarterback Aaron Rodgers this week.

"Really no weaknesses with the player at all," Belichick said of Rodgers Monday on The Greg Hill Show on Audacy's WEEI 93.7 (Boston).

Rodgers has put together an impressive career, including 10 Pro Bowl selections and four MVP awards, including each of the past two years. The 38-year-old has started only two games against the Patriots in his career, but he had four total touchdowns with zero interceptions in those matchups.

Next Sunday will be the quarterback's third start against Belichick, as the Patriots head to Lambeau Field.

The Packers have struggled offensively this season, averaging just 16 points per game to rank 27th in the NFL. Injuries on the offensive line and changes at receiver have slowed down Rodgers to begin the year.

The Patriots will still need to work hard to limit Rodgers in Week 4.

In a battle of two of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, Aaron Rodgers came out on top, defeating Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 14-12 at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday.

Rodgers completed 27 of 35 passes for 255 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, finding Romeo Doubs and Allen Lazard in the end zone.

Brady, meanwhile, completed 31 of 42 passes for 271 yards and one touchdown to Russell Gage, which came in the final seconds of the game. While the seven-time Super Bowl champion was without his best receivers in Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Julio Jones, it was still a two-point game.

Still, fans on Twitter were quick to declare Rodgers the true greatest of all time.

Brady has won seven Super Bowl titles and three MVP awards. Rodgers has won one Super Bowl and four MVP awards.

Brady now owns a 3-2 record all-time against Rodgers, including a win in the NFC Championship Game during the 2020 season. Two of those wins came when he was with the New England Patriots.

The Packers moved to 2-1 on the season with the win. They'll face the New England Patriots next weekend.

Despite Sunday's 23-20 win against the Houston Texans, Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields was not happy with himself after the game.

Fields was brutally honest when discussing his individual performance, telling reporters: "I just played like trash. Played terrible. Really, just have to be better."

Fields completed just eight of his 17 passes for 106 yards, no touchdowns and two interceptions. He rushed for 47 yards on eight carries, but he fumbled the ball twice and Chicago recovered both times.

Through three games this season, Fields has not been called upon to carry the Bears offense. He has yet to attempt over 20 passes in a game, and his season high in passing yards is 121 in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers. It appears that Chicago is taking a conservative approach with its second-year signal-caller.

The Bears managed to improve to 2-1 on Sunday thanks to a late interception by linebacker Roquan Smith deep in Texans territory, which set up a game-winning 30-yard field goal by Cairo Santos as time expired.

Second-year running back Khalil Herbert rushed for a career-high 157 yards and two touchdowns on 20 carries, spearheading a Chicago rushing attack that totaled 281 yards on the ground. Starting running back David Montgomery exited the game early with knee and ankle injuries.

While Fields' lackluster play is concerning, Chicago has to be happy with its record. The Bears have the opportunity to move to 3-1 next Sunday when they visit the New York Giants.

Fantasy managers are going to keep a close eye on Alexander Mattison after Dalvin Cook's injury Sunday.

The Minnesota Vikings announced their Pro Bowl running back would miss the rest of the game against the Detroit Lions with a shoulder injury. After the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Cook is day-to-day and that the running back expects to be in the lineup for a Week 4 matchup with the New Orleans Saints.

Cook was excellent before the injury with 96 rushing yards and one touchdown on 17 carries.

The six-year veteran is one of the most reliable and productive running backs in the real world and fantasy. He has averaged 1,652 yards from scrimmage and 12 total touchdowns per season since the start of 2019.

Fantasy managers are well aware of that consistent level of production. Cook had an average draft position of 6.0 coming into this season, per FantasyPros.

Durability has been a bit of an issue for Cook throughout his career. The 27-year-old has missed at least two games in each of his first five seasons.

Depth at running back is always important for fantasy managers, but especially with a player who has a long injury history.

Mattison is a quality option to target if you are in need of a potential replacement. He has been a consistent part of Minnesota's offense since being selected in the third round of the 2019 NFL draft.

Mattison had seven carries for 28 yards and a touchdown, along with one catch for 16 yards in the win.

Depending on your fantasy league, Mattison might be readily available on the waiver wire. He's rostered in 53 percent of Yahoo leagues but only 38 percent of ESPN leagues, per FantasyPros.

A big part of Mattison's value last season came from how much of a factor he was in the passing game. The Boise State alum had more targets (39) and receptions (32) in 2021 than in the previous two years combined (23 receptions on 27 targets).

Of course, Mattison has also proved himself to be a productive runner when he gets the opportunity to be the No. 1 guy for the Vikings. In three starts last season, he averaged 105 rushing yards and 24.3 carries per game.

Given how often Kirk Cousins tends to throw to his checkdown options, Mattison should have no problem being a big factor in Minnesota's passing game with Cook out of the lineup.

When Mattison is getting starter snaps, he has the upside of a No. 1 fantasy running back each week. He proved that last season in a three-game sample when Cook was unavailable.