NFC North

Minnesota Vikings running back Dalvin Cook suffered a shoulder injury in the second half of Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions and did not return.

Cook appeared to suffer the injury when he ran into Ezra Cleveland and fumbled before a number of Lions players tackled him in pursuit of the loose football. He had 17 carries for 97 yards and one touchdown before exiting.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported Cook's "shoulder dislocated again today, as it has in the past and he'll be OK."

#Vikings RB Dalvin Cook’s shoulder dislocated again today, as it has in the past, and he'll be OK, per sources.

Cook has an unrepaired labral tear and wasn't wearing a harness. As @ProFootballTalk said, the hope is Cook will harness up and play next Sunday vs. the #Saints.

— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 25, 2022

After the game, Vikings head coach Kevin O'Connell told reporters Cook is "day-to-day" and that the running back told him he would "be out there next week."

Cook appeared in just 13 games during the 2021 season after spending time on the COVID-19 list, dislocating his left shoulder and tearing his labrum.

The 27-year-old still had a solid season despite the injuries. He rushed for 1,159 yards and six touchdowns. It was his third straight season with at least 1,000 yards on the ground.

If Cook is unable to play next week, Alexander Mattison would take over in the backfield. He rushed for 491 yards and three scores in 16 games last season, in addition to catching 32 passes for 228 yards and a touchdown.

Kene Nwangwu also sees more playing time in Cook's absence.

Minnesota's passing attack typically has more of an impact when Cook is sidelined. Adam Thielen, Irv Smith Jr. and K.J. Osborn are more involved, in addition to Justin Jefferson, who has been the team's best receiver.

Chicago Bears running back David Montgomery is day-to-day after exiting Sunday's 23-20 victory over the Houston Texans because of ankle and knee injuries, head coach Matt Eberflus told reporters.

Montgomery had 11 rushing yards on three carries before leaving in the first quarter. He entered the day with 148 rushing yards, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

The 25-year-old missed four games in 2021 after suffering a knee sprain when he had to be helped off the field in the fourth quarter of the Bears' Week 4 win over the Detroit Lions. At the time of his injury, Montgomery had the fifth-most rushing yards in the NFL. He finished the season with 225 carries for 849 yards and seven touchdowns.

Montgomery is in the final season of his four-year rookie deal. If the Bears don't give him an extension before the new league year begins in March 2023, he will become an unrestricted free agent.

Montgomery was a third-round pick out of Iowa State in the 2019 draft. He ran for 889 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie and followed up with 1,070 yards and eight scores in his second season.

Should Montgomery miss time, second-year running back Khalil Herbert would once again take the role of lead back. He ranked second on the team last season with 103 carries for 433 yards and two scores. Rookie quarterback Justin Fields will also likely remain active in Chicago's rushing attack after finishing with 420 rushing yards and two touchdowns in 2021.

Three-time Pro Bowl offensive tackle David Bakhtiari will make his season debut for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Bakhtiari is expected to play in Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after missing the previous two games because of a knee injury.

There have been growing concerns about Bakhtiari's knee because of his limited playing time over the past two seasons. He originally suffered a torn ACL in practice leading up to the Packers' regular-season finale during the 2020 season.

After sitting out most of the 2021 season, the Packers activated Bakhtiari from injured reserve prior to their Week 18 matchup with the Detroit Lions. He played 40 percent of the offensive snaps in the game and was made inactive for the divisional-round playoff matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

General manager Brian Gutekunst told reporters at the start of training camp in July he had a third operation on his knee done during the offseason.

Bakhtiari said at the same time the situation has been "my nightmare that I have to live with and I don't know how many days it's been." He went on to say the third surgery wasn't related to his ACL.

"It's just there's other issues that we're navigating around, things I'm learning and it's been like I said, it's been my nightmare, so it's something that I have to live with," he explained.

The Packers placed Bakhtiari on the physically unable to perform list at the start of camp. He was activated on Aug. 21, but head coach Matt LaFleur said the team wasn't going to rush him back.

Bakhtiari has been a limited participant in practice since the start of the regular season, though he has missed one day in each of the past two weeks. The 30-year-old is officially listed as questionable on the injury report.

Since being selected in the fourth round of the 2013 NFL draft by the Packers, Bakhtiari has been one of the league's best left tackles. He was named to the Pro Bowl in 2016, 2019 and 2020 and All-Pro first team in 2018 and 2020.

The Green Bay Packers announced they've placed wide receiver Sammy Watkins on injured reserve ahead of Sunday's Week 3 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Watkins was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice because of a hamstring injury before getting held out of the Thursday and Friday sessions. He'll miss at least four games after Saturday's placement on IR.

The Packers elevated fellow wideout Juwann Winfree from the practice squad in one of their corresponding roster moves.

Watkins' career has been hampered by injuries since the Buffalo Bills selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2014 draft. A variety of ailments have prevented him from ever reaching his game-breaking potential in the NFL.

The 29-year-old Clemson alum signed a one-year contract with Green Bay in April, and he was off to a solid start with six catches for a team-high 111 yards through two games.

He received praise from Packers head coach Matt LaFleur after the team's Week 2 win over the Chicago Bears.

"I definitely don't see him just as a possession-type receiver. I think that was pretty evident [against the Bears]," LaFleur told reporters. "He still has an unbelievable acceleration. He's so strong. He can run through a ball. It was great to create some explosive plays with him."

Watkins will be eligible to return from IR for an Oct. 23 home game against the Washington Commanders, but the Packers didn't provide an immediate timetable for his recovery.

Winfree, a 2019 sixth-round pick of the Denver Broncos, has recorded nine catches in eight appearances for the Packers since first joining the team's practice squad in October 2020.

If he's active for Week 3, he'll likely be no better than fourth or fifth in the pecking order for targets from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Green Bay's trip to Raymond James Stadium on Sunday to face the Bucs is scheduled for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff on Fox.

Green Bay Police Chief Chris Davis apologized to AJ Dillon on Friday following an investigation into an interaction the Green Bay Packers running back had with with an officer during a soccer game at Lambeau Field in July.

Davis said in a statement, per ESPN's Rob Demovsky:

"I have sustained two allegations of GBPD policy violations by the officer involved and directed appropriate corrective action to be taken. We do not provide further detail on personnel matters out of respect for the employee's due process rights.

"I apologize to Mr. Dillon for the way he was treated. We appreciate the strong relationship we have with the Packers organization, and the GBPD remains committed to working with them along with the entire Green Bay community to provide the best and most professional police service possible."

During a game between the Premier League's Manchester City and Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich on July 23, an officer was caught on video grabbing Dillon from behind by his shirt as he tried to jump into the stands to do the iconic Lambeau Leap during a rain delay.

After being grabbed by the officer, Dillon was eventually allowed to leap into the stands.

The 24-year-old shared more about his interaction with the officer on Twitter, explaining that there was a "miscommunication" between the two.

Two security told me and helped me come down to the field during the 30 minute rain delay, so I could do a lambeau leap and hype up the crowd… I’m assuming he missed them telling me to come down. https://t.co/fxbKKtfhUW

— AJ Dillon (@ajdillon7) July 24, 2022

Just miscommunication between parties, the @GBPolice are great people and I’m glad we have them down there for our games to keep us safe. Standing there in the pouring rain with all those people it’s hard to know what’s going on with just one. All good 🤝🫶🏽 https://t.co/xCKPhoJlWK

— AJ Dillon (@ajdillon7) July 24, 2022

The Packers also released a statement on Friday addressing the Green Bay Police Department's investigation into the incident:

"We appreciate the Green Bay Police Department's follow-up to the interaction that occurred at the soccer match, July 23, at Lambeau Field. We respect their process in reviewing the situation and its conclusions. We value our partnership with the Department and appreciate all they do in working with the Packers to ensure public safety at Lambeau Field events, including gamedays.

"Additionally, we appreciate AJ Dillon's professionalism in handling the matter."

Dillon was selected by the Packers in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft out of Boston College. In 30 games with the franchise across three seasons, he has rushed for 1,151 yards and eight touchdowns, in addition to catching 42 passes for 386 yards and two scores.

Dillon serves as Green Bay's backup running back behind Aaron Jones. He's under contract with the franchise through the 2023 campaign.

Green Bay Packers guard Jon Runyan Jr. said his father, former NFL offensive lineman Jon Runyan Sr., was "just doing his job" when he gave Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans a one-game suspension.

The elder Runyan serves as the NFL's vice president of policy and rules administration. His decision to suspend Evans for a confrontation with New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore comes as the Packers and Bucs are set to face off in a Week 3 game Sunday.

"He was just doing his job," Runyan Jr. told reporters Wednesday. "He's been doing that job for over a half-decade now. It just so happens that we're playing the Buccaneers this week. Everybody's trying to make it this conspiracy theory, which it's not."

Former NFL wide receiver James Thrash, a jointly appointed appeals officer for the league and the Players Association, upheld Evans' one-game ban.

"My dad's doing his job," Runyan Jr. said. "[It was a] lapse in judgment on the field. Sometimes, that stuff happens. There's a whole conspiracy theory going down, and it's not true. That's just how it goes. You can't be running 15 yards trying to head-hunt somebody when the play's over. It is funny, though, how stuff works out sometimes."

Runyan Sr., who played for the Houston Texans, Tennessee Titans, Philadelphia Eagles and San Diego Chargers during a 14-year on-field career, has served in the rules administration role since 2016.

In 2020, while discussing an incident involving then-Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz and then-Seattle Seahawks defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, he shed some light on the process that goes into disciplinary decisions.

Runyan explained there isn't typically much leeway in his decision-making process, and it's usually a clear interpretation of the rules.

"You guys watch how I played, I kind of know where the line is and that's kind of why I have this job. It's right on the line," he said. "It's like proving a legal case. I have to have one of these rules violated blatantly to rise to that level."

Here's the statement from Runyan on the Evans suspension:

Mike Evans Suspended One Game: https://t.co/5skOxbD6gi pic.twitter.com/odqoGSI1xY

— NFL345 (@NFL345) September 19, 2022

Meanwhile, Runyan Jr. is in his third season with the Packers since being selected in the sixth round of the 2020 draft.

He's served as the team's starting left guard since last year, a role he should once again assume Sunday when the Packers visit Raymond James Stadium to face the Bucs.

Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields suggested that games mean more to the players who risk their health and put in the physical and mental work needed to compete at the highest level than they do to the fans who watch, but he had to clarify what he meant after social media reaction to said comments.

ESPN's Courtney Cronin shared the clarification Fields made during a Wednesday press conference:

"What I meant by that is I'm talking about work regarding the game on Sunday, winning the game. I don't know any fans. I don't know what they're doing in their personal lives. I respect every fan that we have. I'm glad that we have fans. I would never disrespect anybody on what they do or what they love to do. It came off like that. Some social media outlets, they quoted my quote and they got a big buzz out of it. So, of course they did a great job doing that. Of course social media is going to do that. But I just wanted to clear that up."

Chicago lost to the rival Green Bay Packers on Sunday, and Fields was asked if it was more painful than a typical loss because of how much that matchup means to Bears fans.

"It hurts more in the locker room than the Bears fans," he said Sunday. "At the end of the day, they aren't putting in any work. I see the guys in the locker room every day. I see how much work they put in. Coming out of a disappointing loss like this, it hurts."

As Cronin explained, "video of those comments that did not contain the question that was presented to Fields circulated on Twitter," leading to some criticism that the quarterback didn't care about the fans.

From a football perspective, Sunday's loss was a disappointing development for the Bears for multiple reasons.

They were unable to build on their Week 1 upset victory over the San Francisco 49ers and fell to an ugly 3-22 in their last 25 matchups with the rival Packers. Fields attempted just 11 passes in the loss after he threw 17 in the win over the 49ers.

There is some necessary context to the low number of passing attempts, as the season opener was played in torrential rains that soaked the field and limited the ability to throw downfield. And Chicago found success on the ground against Green Bay with David Montgomery averaging 8.1 yards per carry.

"If I threw zero passes and we won the game, I wouldn't have any problems," Fields said. "Our goal as a team, as an offense, is to win games. Nobody's looking at how many passes did I have, how many yards did I have. We're just all trying to win the game."

Still, there is something to be said for how necessary it is for Fields to develop his individual game.

Chicago has long been searching for a franchise quarterback, and Fields' ability to become one is far more important than almost anything else this season. After all, the Bears likely don't have enough talent to compete for a playoff spot in 2022, and knowing the quarterback's long-term ceiling may become the best way to help build a contender.

Perhaps that will lead to more pass attempts Sunday when Chicago looks to improve to 2-1 with a win over the Houston Texans.

The Chicago Bears remain "positive" about Justin Fields despite his slow start to the 2022 NFL season, according to ESPN's Dan Graziano.

Graziano called for Fields to have a bumper fantasy day in Week 3 against the Houston Texans, explaining how the team appears to still have confidence in the second-year quarterback.

"Talking to people around the team, everything I hear about Fields is positive," he wrote. "So I don't get the sense the reason for the conservative game-planning is about doubting Fields. At some point, he's going to have to start throwing."

The conditions in Chicago for the Bears' Week 1 win over the San Francisco 49ers provided enough cover to explain a lackluster day for Fields. He finished 8-of-17 for 121 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.

Never too old to have some fun in the rain 😁☔ @ChicagoBears pic.twitter.com/kSTBLtiDQV

— NFL Films (@NFLFilms) September 14, 2022

However, he was even worse in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers, as his team lost 27-10. The 23-year-old went 7-of-11 for 70 yards and an interception. He at least padded his fantasy output somewhat by running for a touchdown in the first quarter.

Fields ranks 33rd in pass attempts, and he has the fewest among quarterbacks with two appearances. It's the kind of stat that naturally raises some questions.

What’s most frustrating to me is that through 2 games, it seems like the #Bears simply don’t trust Justin Fields to throw the ball.

The rain is one thing but this week, he has 9 pass attempts through 55 minutes of a regular season football game. Why?

— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) September 19, 2022

When Fields struggled as a rookie, it was easy to shift the blame to head coach Matt Nagy. Nagy wasn't playing to his young QB's strengths, and his reputation as an offensive mind had taken a hit after Mitchell Trubisky steadily regressed under his watch.

Now that the same things are happening under a new coaching staff, Fields won't get the benefit of the doubt so quickly.

The Texans have allowed an average of 270.5 passing yards per game but rank seventh in opponent passer rating (76.7) and 13th in pass defense DVOA, per Football Outsiders.

Houston could present a stiff test to Fields and the Bears' aerial attack.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers provided some context for the team's ayahuasca-inspired touchdown celebration Sunday evening against the Chicago Bears during a conversation on The Pat McAfee Show.

Let's dive into the ayahuasca TD celebration @AaronRodgers12...#PMSLive #ART pic.twitter.com/2TvpnDe2iV

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 20, 2022

The celebration occurred late in the first half when Rodgers found Allen Lazard for a five-yard touchdown to give Green Bay a 23-7 lead en route to a 27-10 win.

.@AaronRodgers12 finds @AllenLazard!

TOUCHDOWN 🙌#CHIvsGB | #GoPackGo

📺 NBC pic.twitter.com/jb4iqXPdbT

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 19, 2022

Rodgers told Peter King of NBC Sports that he made multiple trips to Peru and went on ayahuasca journeys in 2020 and this year.

Natalie Neysa Alund of USA Today defines ayahuasca as a "brown-reddish drink with a strong taste and smell" that "contains the active chemical dimethyltryptamine, or DMT." Per Alund, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) "classifies DMT as a hallucinogen, and it is associated with religious practices and rituals in South America."

As far as the celebration want, Lazard got it going by appearing to pour everyone drinks. Some players then reacted in apparent shock and fell to the ground.

Rodgers noted "that's not what happens with ayahuasca" and that "you don't have some sort of, like, immediate pass-out/faint into oblivion."

The reigning back-to-back NFL MVP ultimately finished the game completing 19 of 25 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Kirk Cousins has developed a reputation of struggling in prime-time games. His performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football did nothing to change that narrative.

Cousins once again withered under the bright lights as the Vikings suffered a 24-7 loss. The 34-year-old went 27-of-46 for 221 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. All three of his picks were thrown in the second half, with two of them coming on back-to-back possessions in the third quarter.

After Monday's abysmal performance, Cousins is 2-10 in Monday Night Football games and 8-18 in prime-time games in his 11-year career.

NFL Twitter did not hold back from unleashing its wrath on Cousins following another clunker with the entire football world tuning in:

The Kirk Cousins Monday Night Football narrative is as real as it gets.

— Joe Fann (@Joe_Fann) September 20, 2022

PRIME TIME KIRK.

— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) September 20, 2022

Primetime Kirk Cousins in full effect tonight 😅 @brgridiron

(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/akaeXeQ9mG

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 20, 2022

Yeah…idk what’s going on with that one Kirk

— Ry (@JustRyCole) September 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/Tyler_Greever/status/1572050298629136385

Kirk Cousins making sure we sleep well tonight

— Master (@MasterTes) September 20, 2022

*Googles to see who the Vikings backup quarterback is*

— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) September 20, 2022

it’s absolutely hilarious how bad Kirk Cousins is. just a complete dweeberino bumbling around on national television. love it.

— Mike Stephens (@mikeystephens81) September 20, 2022

You'll never win anything of substance as long as Kirk Cousins is your quarterback.

— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) September 20, 2022

https://twitter.com/betthepigskin/status/1572051907346309120

The only good thing about this Monday Night Football double header is that maybe only half the country is witnessing Primetime Kirk Cousins.

— Alec Nolan (@AlecABC30) September 20, 2022

Kirk Cousins: Most overpaid quarterback ever.

— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) September 20, 2022

What a stat on the ESPN broadcast: On pass attempts longer than 10 yards, Kirk Cousins is 0-for-4 with two interceptions. #Eagles feasting

— Josh Tolentino (@JCTSports) September 20, 2022

Kirk Cousins has to be pissed the last completion to a staff member on the sideline doesn’t count.

— Lawrence Tynes (@lt4kicks) September 20, 2022

Kirk Cousins throwing passes to guys in green and white tonight like he’s playing in Ann Arbor in 2010.

— Chris Castellani (@Castellani2014) September 20, 2022

Kirk Cousins said pic.twitter.com/9vD1CrSIno

— Jasmine (@JasmineLWatkins) September 20, 2022

Kirk Cousins out here stealing money 😂😂

— Josh Hart (@joshhart) September 20, 2022

Darius Slay is Kirk Cousins' favorite target tonight.

— Jimmy Kempski (@JimmyKempski) September 20, 2022

Justin Jefferson’s done a hell of a job covering Darius Slay tonight

— Céad Míle Fáilte (@ColeyMick) September 20, 2022

Kirk Cousins is not him

— Master (@MasterTes) September 20, 2022

Unfortunately for the Vikings, they have another prime-time matchup on the schedule against the New England Patriots on Thanksgiving night. While the Patriots are not world-beaters by any means, it's hard to pick against them with Cousins' continued struggles in marquee games.

Minnesota will be hoping for a better showing from its quarterback when it returns to action on Sunday against the Detroit Lions.