NFC North

The Chicago Bears struggled on offense in Monday night's 17-9 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

After the game, Chicago head coach Matt Nagy accepted responsibility for the team failing to produce points. Nagy was the offensive play caller on Monday.

"It starts with me and it ends with me," Nagy told reporters.

The Bears scored their only touchdown of the night on the final play of the game when quarterback Justin Fields found Jesper Horsted in the end zone for a 19-yard score.

Chicago had opportunities to score earlier in Monday's game but failed to convert. In the first half, the Bears made it down to Minnesota's 10-yard line before running back David Montgomery fumbled, and the Vikings recovered

A penalty on Vikings linebacker Eric Kendricks early in the fourth quarter gave the Bears the ball on Minnesota's 7-yard line, but that drive stalled and ended in a turnover on downs.

Throughout the game, Chicago fans at Soldier Field voiced their frustrations by booing and periodically chanting "Fire Nagy!"

Chicago fell to 4-10 after its eighth loss in its last nine games. The Bears had 14 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including veteran wide receiver Allen Robinson II and the entire starting secondary.

Fields threw for 285 yards on 26-of-39 passing and added 35 yards on the ground. He was playing without both starting tackles, as right tackle Larry Borom was on the COVID-19 list and left tackle Jason Peters sat out with an ankle injuryIt was Fields' second game back from a two-game absence caused by broken ribs. 

The Bears will look to end their three-game losing streak next Sunday against the Seattle Seahawks.

Detroit Lions quarterback Jared Goff was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list Monday, putting his status for Sunday's game with the Atlanta Falcons into question.

The 27-year-old has completed 67 percent of his passes for 17 touchdowns to go with eight interceptions in his first year with the Lions, which acquired him from the Los Angeles Rams in an offseason trade that sent longtime Detroit signal-caller Matthew Stafford to L.A.

Things haven't gone well for the six-year NFL veteran and the rebuilding Lions, who are 2-11-1 thus far.

However, expectations were low for Detroit to begin with this season as the team started from scratch with a new general manager (Brad Holmes), new coach (Dan Campbell) and new quarterback in Goff.

The University of California product has only missed one game due to injury, and that was a Week 17 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals to cap the 2020 season.

A broken right thumb sidelined him then, but he was able to return for the team's playoff run, which ended with an NFC Divisional Round loss to the Green Bay Packers.

If Goff is unable to play Sunday, the next man up on the depth chart is Tim Boyle, who made his first NFL start when he suited up for the Lions in a 13-10 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 21 in lieu of Goff (oblique).

He completed 15 of 23 passes for 77 yards and two interceptions. It was Goff's first and only missed game of the season as he returned on Thanksgiving against the Chicago Bears.

David Blough is behind Boyle on the depth chart. The Lions also have Steven Montez on the practice squad.

The Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs are now co-favorites to win Super Bowl LVI with three weeks left in the 2021 NFL regular season.

DraftKings Sportsbook provided the updated odds Monday after Aaron Rodgers' Packers beat the Baltimore Ravens and Patrick Mahomes' Chiefs knocked off the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 15:

Their status as the teams to beat doesn't come as a surprise. Green Bay (11-3) sits atop the NFC standings, while Kansas City (10-4) leads the AFC. Earning the top seeds and the only bye in each conference would be a major boost to their title chances.

The Packers are riding a three-game winning streak in which Rodgers and the offense have racked up an eye-popping 112 points, but the defense will likely need to up its game if the team is going to go the distance.

Green Bay is averaging 30.5 points allowed over its past four games since a shutout win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 10. If not for the nearly flawless play of the offense, the Packers could be sitting in a much different position right now.

That said, the defense displayed better form earlier in the season, highlighted by three road games against tough opponents—the Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals and Arizona Cardinals—in which the unit only gave up 18.7 points per game. That's what the team will be looking for come playoff time.

Sunday's 31-30 win over the Ravens clinched the NFC North division title for Green Bay. Rodgers discussed the feat afterward:

You have to savor these a little bit. These are special. It's just the first step in our goals, but a lot of times the coach speak—I'm not saying that Matt [LaFleur] did this—but a lot of times there might be coach speak that takes over and says, 'Hey, you know this is just one goal and we have bigger goals and stuff,' but I think it's important to keep that perspective on how special accomplishing this is three years in a row and so just to enjoy it, to savor it, savor these moments. These are special moments.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs dealt with an endless stream of "what's wrong?" questions during a lackluster 3-4 start to the campaign.

The reality is there was never serious cause for concern because all four losses came against strong opponents—the Ravens, Los Angeles Chargers, Buffalo Bills and Tennessee Titans. Mahomes and Co. haven't suffered a bad loss all season.

They've predictably caught fire and scored some impressive victories during a current seven-game winning streak, including triumphs over the Packers, Chargers and Dallas Cowboys.

"We got heart, that's the biggest thing," Mahomes said on NFL Network after Thursday's 34-28 overtime win over the Bolts. "It hasn't been pretty the entire season, but guys stepped up and showed that championship swagger we had a couple years back. Now, we just have to keep this momentum going. We're trying to get to the playoffs and make something happen."

The NFL has held a wide-open feel throughout most of the season as no team has been able to pull away from the field, which has created crowded playoff races in both conferences. It should make for a highly entertaining finish to the regular season and postseason.

Yet, it wouldn't be surprising if the favorites from Green Bay and Kansas City are the last teams standing in February.

Green Bay Packers legend Brett Favre congratulated current Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers for tying the team's all-time record in touchdown passes.

Rodgers threw three touchdowns in Sunday's 31-30 road win over the Baltimore Ravens to tie Favre's mark of 442:

The three-time NFL Most Valuable Player replaced Favre as the Packers' starter in 2008 following a three-year apprenticeship. He's proceeded to produce a Hall of Fame career.

That includes a terrific 2021 season that's put him in the MVP conversation once again. He's completed 67.8 percent of his throws for 3,487 yards with 30 touchdowns and just four interceptions in 13 games while leading Green Bay to an NFL-best 11-3 record.

Tying Favre's record Sunday gives him a golden opportunity to set the new record Saturday when the Packers host the Cleveland Browns at Lambeau Field on Christmas Day.

Rodgers discussed the pursuit with Fox Sports' Erin Andrews:

Although there were always questions about the Favre-Rodgers relationship during the transfer of power in Green Bay's quarterback room, the two seem like good friends now.

"I love Favrey," Rodgers said last December. "He's such an interesting, unique guy, as well. He shoots from the hip. He kind of says what's on his mind all the time."

He added: "It's fun to be back in touch with him, to have that friendship and that kinship. I appreciate anything that he says."

While the touchdown record will be a nice accomplishment, Rodgers is probably more focused on leading the Packers to a second Super Bowl title during his tenure. Favre won one championship during his 16 years with the storied franchise.

The Green Bay Packers clinched the NFC North title with a 31-30 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

The Packers have now made the playoffs for the third consecutive season and in each year since Matt LaFleur took over as head coach ahead of the 2019 campaign. LaFleur has posted a winning record in each of his three seasons at the helm. Green Bay improved to 11-3 this season with Sunday's win. The Packers went 13-3 in each of LaFleur's first two seasons as head coach.

It's no surprise the Packers are once again playoff contenders with reigning MVP quarterback Aaron Rodgers under center. He has thrown for 3,487 yards and 30 touchdowns against just four interceptions this season.

Rodgers has now made the playoffs in 11 of his 14 seasons as Green Bay's starter.

In addition to Rodgers, wide receiver Davante Adams is having another impressive season. He has 96 catches for 1,248 yards and eight touchdowns, which leads all Green Bay receivers. It's his third consecutive season with more than 1,000 receiving yards.

Running back Aaron Jones also continues to be a significant presence in the Green Bay offense, having rushed for 657 yards and four touchdowns.

Green Bay's defense has been great, too, with Preston Smith, Rasul Douglas, Rashan Gary and De'Vondre Campbell leading the way. The Packers defense ranked sixth in both points per game and total yards per game entering Sunday.

With the offense firing on all cylinders and the defense also performing at a high level, the Packers have a good shot at winning their first Super Bowl title since the 2010 campaign. However, they may have to get through the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Arizona Cardinals to make that happen, which will be no easy task.

The race for the NFC West is suddenly a lot more interesting after the Arizona Cardinals were stunned in a 30-12 loss to the Detroit Lions at Ford Field on Sunday. 

Since starting the season 7-0, the Cardinals have dropped four of their last seven games. They could fall into a tie atop the division standings if the Los Angeles Rams beat the Seattle Seahawks on Tuesday. 

Notable Game Stats

• Kyler Murray, QB (AZ): 23-of-41, 257 yards, TD, INT; 4 carries, 3 yards
• Chase Edmonds, RB (AZ): 6 carries, 53 yards
  
• Christian Kirk, WR (AZ): 9 receptions, 94 yards, TD
• Jared Goff, QB (DET): 21-of-26, 216 yards, 3 TD
• Craig Reynolds, RB (DET): 26 carries, 112 yards; 1 reception, 5 yards
• Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR (DET): 8 receptions, 90 yards, TD
  

Nothing is going right for head coach Kliff Kingsbury's squad at the moment. Their offense had 74 total yards with three punts, one turnover on downs and a kneel down in five possessions in the first half. 

Kyler Murray had another interception today giving him six in his last five games played. 

The Cardinals did start to move the ball in the second half. Their first possession in the third quarter gained nearly as many yards (64) in the first half, but the Lions held them to a field goal. 

Arizona's defense, which entered today ranked fourth in points allowed per game (19.4), got dissected by Jared Goff. The Lions quarterback tied his season high with three touchdown passes. 

Even though the Cardinals offense found a spark in the second half, the unit was never entirely cohesive. 

Trailing 27-6 early in the fourth quarter, Murray found Antoine Wesley in front of the end zone on 4th-and-6 for what would have been a 30-yard touchdown, but Wesley only got one foot inbounds. 

After the defense forced a punt on Detroit's ensuing possession, Murray put together his best drive of the game to get the Cardinals into the end zone. He completed seven of 11 attempts for 75 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown to Christian Kirk. 

There was only 4:46 remaining in the fourth quarter at the time of that score. Kingsbury burned all three of his timeouts on the Lions' next possession, but a 13-yard pass interference penalty against Marco Wilson on 3rd-and-7 gave Detroit a first down. 

Riley Patterson capped off Detroit's drive with a 45-yard field goal to extend the lead to 30-12 with 2:46 left to play. Kingsbury waived the white flag at that point by inserting McCoy at quarterback to run out the clock. 

There was a question of what the Cardinals would look like on offense without DeAndre Hopkins. The star wideout is expected to miss the remainder of the regular season to have surgery on a sprained knee, per NFL Network's Ian Rapoport. 

Hopkins suffered the injury during Arizona's 30-23 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Monday. 

Kirk did have a season-high nine catches for 94 yards and a score. A.J. Green was targeted eight times but only managed 64 yards on four receptions. 

Arizona's offensive line isn't helping matters. Murray was hit four times and sacked twice in the loss. 

Things are only going to get tougher for the Cardinals offensive line with games against the Indianapolis Colts and Dallas Cowboys in the next two weeks. 

The Lions appear to have found something at running back with Craig Reynolds. The 25-year-old had a career-high 112 rushing yards on 26 carries on Sunday after racking up 83 yards on 11 carries last week against the Denver Broncos. 

Since going winless in the first 11 games, head coach Dan Campbell's team has now won two of their last three. There's still a lot of work to be done in this Lions rebuild, but he seems to have complete buy-in for the process from this roster.     

The Chicago Bears and Houston Texans could both be looking for new head coaches this offseason.

Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports reported both teams are "heavily mulling launching a coach search in the coming weeks."

The idea of making a change at the top is reportedly "growing within those organizations"

Matt Nagy is in his fourth year with the Bears, but at 4-9, he has already clinched his first losing season as a head coach. The squad has lost seven of its last eight games to fall out of playoff contention.

David Culley is 2-11 in his first season with the Texans, and it seems the team might not give the 66-year-old much time to turn things around.

Houston had low expectations entering 2021 after going 4-12 last year, especially with star quarterback Deshaun Watson not playing amid a trade request and allegations of sexual assault and sexual misconduct.

The on-field product has still been poor with a team that ranks last in the NFL in both points scored and total yards offensively while ranking 30th in the league in points allowed.

It could lead to a short stint for Culley, who is getting his first opportunity as a head coach after serving as an NFL assistant coach since 1994.

The Bears are also in the midst of a rebuild, although there is seemingly little faith Nagy can be the one to get the team back to contention. The 43-year-old was named the league's Coach of the Year in 2018, but two straight 8-8 seasons dampened the excitement in Chicago. 

With the offensive-minded coach leading a team that ranks just 31st in the NFL in total yards this season, few believe he is the one needed to get the most out of first-round quarterback Justin Fields.

According to La Canfora, most Bears assistant coaches are "operating as if they will be seeking employment elsewhere next season."

Chicago and Houston could join the Jacksonville Jaguars and Las Vegas Raiders among teams looking for new head coaches this offseason.    

The Minnesota Vikings made a surprise move Saturday when they waived cornerback Bashaud Breeland. 

Breeland, who started all 13 games for the Vikings this season, seemingly addressed the decision on Twitter:

Per ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio, Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer said earlier in the day that Breeland was questionable for Monday's game against the Chicago Bears because of a non-injury-related personal matter. 

Per NFL Network's Tom Pelissero and Ian Rapoport, Breeland "got into a verbal altercation today at practice with coaches, took off his cleats and got into it with multiple teammates who were trying to calm the situation" before being waived. 

Minnesota signed Breeland to a one-year contract in June after he spent the previous two seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs. 

Breeland hasn't had the positive impact on the Vikings secondary that was hoped when he signed. He was tied for the team lead with two interceptions and ranked fourth with five passes defensed. 

Per Pro Football Focus (h/t Eric Thompson of the Daily Norseman), Breeland ranks 117th out of 120 qualified cornerbacks in coverage grade this season. 

A fourth-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft, Breeland spent the first four seasons of his career with the Washington Football Team. He played one year with the Green Bay Packers before joining the Chiefs in 2019. 

Pass defense in general has been an issue for the Vikings. They are tied for the fourth-most touchdown passes allowed (24) and are allowing the seventh-most passing yards per game (251.9) heading into Week 15. 

The Vikings are 6-7 and tied with four other teams vying for the final playoff spot in the NFC.