The Packers are moving ahead with Josh Jacobs, and Matt LaFleur made it clear the team is not backing away from that plan. The Green Bay coach said the club is aware of the prior allegations against the running back and expects him to remain with the team going forward.
LaFleur also said the Packers want Micah Parsons back on the practice field this week. “It’s gonna be a process trying to get him back … we’re hopeful he’ll be able to get out there sometime this week.”
There was also a conversation between LaFleur and Jacobs about the running back’s touchdown celebration. LaFleur said Jacobs needs to be more aware in that area: “That’s something he and I talked about, and I know he had his explanation.
I wasn’t even aware until I saw the tape. We had a conversation about that, and I’m going to keep the conversation between he and I.”
In Minnesota, Justin Jefferson’s reaction after the Vikings’ first loss of the season became a talking point almost as much as the game itself. After hauling in one of the most spectacular touchdown catches in recent memory, Jefferson declined to speak with reporters, and Kyler Murray and Kevin O’Connell both addressed the frustration that likely followed.
“Obviously he’s frustrated, and that’s understandable,” Murray said of Jefferson, via NBC Sports. “He is who he is, and he has every right to the way he feels when he doesn’t get the ball. That’s on us to find a way to get him the ball.”
O’Connell pointed to missed chances for Jefferson while stressing that the Vikings need to keep finding ways to feature him. “We had some opportunities for [Jefferson], and there were some chances there,” O’Connell told reporters.
“But we’ve got to find a way to get him the ball, especially on potential chances for him on some of those sequences where we’re looking to kick off some momentum. He’s a great guy to do it behind, and we’ll continue to find ways to get him the football.
But it was a division game. These guys want to win.
I don’t fault the frustration or the competitiveness in any way, shape or form.”
O’Connell also said Murray is dealing with a sore hamstring and is undergoing a full evaluation after Week 8. He added that left tackle Christian Darrisaw arrived Monday with shoulder soreness, while safety Theo Jackson is dealing with a quad injury.
Elsewhere in Minnesota, Blake Cashman’s role as the defensive signal caller has earned strong praise from his teammates and coaches. Harrison Smith said Cashman handles the chaos around him with impressive poise.
“Dudes are yelling at him all game, ‘What’s the call? What’s the call?’”
Smith said, via Alec Lewis of The Athletic. “He’s got so much going on.
For him to be able to quiet (all of) that when the ball is snapped and play with intelligence and violence takes someone who is playing lights out.”
O’Connell said he’s happy Cashman is finally getting the attention his play deserves. “I don’t know if there’s much more I can say about Cash,” O’Connell said. “I’m glad he’s getting the recognition his play is warranting.”
Defensive coordinator Brian Flores added that Cashman has repeatedly helped clean things up on the field, even adjusting calls himself when needed.
“He’s certainly bailed me out a few times as far as me not getting the call in quickly enough, and he makes the call,” Flores said. “Or, he changes a call mid-play based on what he sees.
Or changing the front. Or moving the front based on something he sees.
He’s done a great job.”
In Other News...
Vikings Late-Game Tactic Got Sniffed Out At The Worst Time
Late-game clock management has become one of the NFLs more subtle chess matches, and the Vikings found themselves on the losing end of it when a familiar tactic was put under the microscope. An intentional offside can be used to stop the clock and force a decision, but it also risks giving the other sideline a chance to manipulate the situation if the opponent knows exactly what is happening. In this case, the move was part of a broader effort to create a better path for a comeback drive.
The wrinkle was that the tactic did not stay hidden for long. Lions coach Dan Campbell saw it coming and declined the penalty, cutting off Minnesotas chance to gain the kind of strategic advantage the play was designed to create. Tom Brady, on the broadcast, recognized the setup right away, a reminder that coaches such as Campbell and Mike Vrabel have become well-versed in the rule and the gamesmanship around it. [Read more 🡒]
P.J. Fleck Sounds Off After Gophers Let Signature Win Slip Away
Minnesota came painfully close to landing the kind of win that can change a season, only to watch a signature opportunity slip away against No. 4 Indiana. P.J. Fleck spent his postgame reflection on the 23-16 overtime loss weighing what it means when a team puts itself in position to beat an elite opponent and still walks off the field empty-handed, a reminder of how slim the margin can be in a game like this.
The late stages had all the drama of a breakthrough moment, with the Gophers answering the challenge and forcing the Hoosiers into a tense finish. Fleck also turned his attention to quarterback Drake Lindsey and the bigger picture for Minnesota, making clear the program still has room to grow if it wants to turn near-misses against top-tier competition into the kind of win that sticks. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Still Facing A Serious Jack Campbell Situation
The Lions are still dealing with the aftermath of a frightening scene from Sunday, when linebacker Jack Campbell suffered a serious neck injury and was hospitalized. Detroit coach Dan Campbell said the second-year defender is improving, and the team has continued to stand behind him and his family as he recovers.
Detroit also released a statement saying Campbell is resting at a local hospital, with preliminary indications pointing in a positive direction. Even with that encouraging update, the Lions are keeping the focus on his recovery for now, leaving the next steps in his return to be determined later. [Read more 🡒]