The Bears’ tenacious defense turned four turnovers into 16 points, defeating NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions, 26-24.

Jay Cutler led the Bears, completing 18 of 31 passes for 257 yards and one touchdown. Cutler’s lone touchdown pass came in the first quarter on a 60 yard screen pass to wide out Earl Bennett. Bennett led the Bears with five catches for 109 along with his touchdown catch.

Detroit’s defense kept wideout Brandon Marshall in check limiting him to five catches for 42 yards. Marshall finished the regular season with a team high 118 catches.

Running back Matt Forte carried the ball 24 times for 103 yards and punched a one yard run touchdown. Forte injured his ankle for the third time this season and withstood the pain in a must win game. This was Forte’s third game this season surpassing the 100 yard mark on the ground.

Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford broke Drew Bledsoe’s pass attempts record after completing 24 of 42 passes for 272 yards three touchdowns and one interception. He was intercepted by cornerback Tim Jennings. Jennings, ninth interception is a league best.

Stafford finished the season with 727 pass attempts and with 4,967 passing yards, just 33 yards shy of consecutive 5,000 yard seasons.

He connected with two year wideout Kris Durham on a 26 yard touchdown pass for his first touchdown catch of his career. Stafford and Durham were teammates at the University of Georgia. He also threw a touchdown pass to tight end Will Heller for his first touchdown of the season and his final touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter to wide receiver Brian Robiskie to pull within two points.

Wideout Calvin Johnson, led the Lions with five catches for 72 yards. Unfortunately, Johnson came short of setting a  2,000 receiving record finishing the season with 1,964 yards.

After starting 7-1, the Bears are not heading into the postseason finishing the year 10-6 because the Minnesota Vikings defeated the Green Bay Packers to earn the final wild card position.

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The New York Giants won in convincing fashion, beating NFC East Rivals the Philadelphia Eagles 42-7. Yet they will not be heading to the playoffs because of the Chicago Bears’ victory over the Detroit Lions.

The Eagles started the game off with trickery, recovering an onside kick to gain possession. Five plays later, quarterback Michael Vick dropped back, threw the ball deep down the middle and was intercepted by Giants safety Stevie Brown. Brown’s interception was his eighth of the season.

Vick started in his first game since Week 10 because rookie quarterback Nick Foles was placed on injured reserve after suffering a hairline fracture of his hand.

Eli Manning and the Giants offense were on point early, scoring touchdowns on their first three possessions in the first quarter. Manning connected with Rueben Randle on a three yard pass to begin the scoring spree. On the following possession, Manning and Randle connected again on a 38 yard pass.

Rookie back David Wilson caught a 15 yard pass towards the end of the first quarter to give the Giants an early 21-0 lead.  Wilson finished the game with 15 carries for 75 yards.

The Eagles scored their one and only touchdown in the second quarter. Vick connected with wideout Jeremy Maclin on a seven yard pass. Vick finished the game completing 19 of 35 passes for 197 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Ahmad Bradshaw carried the ball 16 times for 107 yards and punched in a one yard touchdown in the second quarter. This was Bradshaw’s fourth game, surpassing the 100 yard mark in a game. Seconds before the end of the first half, Manning connected with wideout Victor Cruz on a 24 yard pass to take a 35-7 lead into the half.

Fullback Henry Hynoski caught his first touchdown of the season and Eli’s fifth touchdown pass of the game in the fourth quarter to put the icing on the cake.

Manning finished the game completing 13 of 21 passes for 208 yards and five touchdowns. Manning’s 134.5 passer rating was a season best. His five touchdowns is a career best.

Both the Eagles and Giants will look to make offseason improvements with hopes of  making a playoff run next season.

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The Atlanta Falcons clinched a home-field advantage through out the playoffs after their 31-18 victory at Ford Field over the Detroit Lions.

Although losing, star wideout Calvin Johnson stole the show with a record breaking night. Johnson caught 11 passes for 225 yards. His performance, helped him surpass Hall-of-Famer Jerry Rice’s NFL receiving yards record. Johnson has accumulated 1,892 yards and will look to hit 2,000 in the season finale.

He also broke the record for most consecutive 100-yard games (8), tied the record for 100-yard games in a season (11), broke the record for consecutive 10-catch games (4) and he broke the record for most receptions in a month (44).

Detroit quarterback, Matthew Stafford finished the game 37 of 56 for 443 yards and one interception. Stafford, has attempted 685 pass attempts, just six away from breaking Drew Beldsoe’s NFL single season passing attempts record. Stafford is also 305 yards away from compiling 5,000 passing yards in consecutive seasons and becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to do so.

As for the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Matt Ryan had an extremely efficient evening. Ryan completed 25 of 32 passes for 279 yards and four touchdowns. Ryan’s 142.6 passer rating tied his season best that he set last week.

Roddy White, was probable with a knee injury but performed exceptionally well. White lead the Falcons with eight catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns. Wide receiver, Julio Jones also caught seven passes for 71 yards and scored his 10th touchdown of the year.

The Falcons are 7-0 at home this season and 33-6 at the Georgia Dome in the regular season since the 2008 season. The last time the Falcons clinched the No.1 seed and home field advantage was in 2010 where they were demolished  by the Green Bay Packers 48-21.

Atlanta will look to end the season 8-0 at home and will face divisional rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Detroit will look to continue to break and expand more records in their season finale against the divisional rivals the Chicago Bears.

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The Chicago Bears kept their playoff hopes alive with their 28-13 victory on the road against the Arizona Cardinals.

The Bears defense put them ahead in the first quarter after Arizona running back Beanie Wells fumbled and cornerback Zack Bowman recovered the fumble and easily got into the end-zone.

Cornerback Charles Tillman extended the Bears’ lead in the third quarter on a 10 yard interception return for a touchdown. All three of Tillman’s interceptions this season have been returned for touchdowns.

Cornerback Kelvin Hayden and safety Anthony Walters both recorded interceptions. The Bears defense also compiled four sacks and were without veteran leader Brian Urlacher.

Quarterback Jay Cutler led the Bears, completing 12 of 26 passes for 146 yards and one touchdown. Cutler and wideout Brandon Marshall connected on an 11 yard pass for pass in the second quarter. Marshall caught six passes for 68 yards along with this touchdown.

On the ground, Matt Forte led the Bears carrying the ball 12 times for 88 yards and punched in a four yard touchdown in the second quarter.

The Arizona Cardinals started quarterback Ryan Lindley. Lindley completed 17 of 30 passes for 141 yards and one interception. Lindley has yet to throw a touchdown pass since becoming a starter and was benched early in the third quarter.

Fourth year player Brian Hoyer entered the game and completed 11 of 19 passes for 105 yards and one interception.

Larry Fitzgerald led all wide receivers with eight receptions for 111 yards surpassing the 100 yard mark for the second time this season.

The Bears will finish their season on the road at Ford Field against NFC North divisional rivals the Detroit Lions and look to sneak into the playoffs. The Cardinals will end their season with a tough match-up against NFC West rivals the San Francisco 49ers.

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The Arizona Cardinals started the season 4-0, and have since been on a nine-game losing skid. The Cardinals finally snapped their losing streak after their 38-10 victory over the Detroit Lions.

The Detroit Lions took a 7-0 lead in the second quarter with a Mikel Leshoure 1-yard touchdown run. Arizona answered back on the ensuing drive and running back Beanie Wells punched in a five yard touchdown to tie the game up.

Arizona’s defense played extraordinarily well and inevitably led the Cardinals to victory. The Cardinals forced four turnovers: three interceptions and one fumble. Arizona picked off Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford for the first time in the second quarter. Cornerback Patrick Peterson intercepted Stafford and returned it 31 yards.

The Cardinals capitalized on that interception and Wells punched in a 1-yard run. Seconds before the end of the first-half safety Rashard Johnson intercepted Stafford and returned it for a 53 yard touchdown to give the Cardinals a 21-7 lead going into halftime.

Cornerback Greg Toler picked off Stafford in the fourth quarter and returned it 102 yards for a score and put the Cardinals comfortably ahead 31-10. Wells put the icing on the cake with a 31-yard run with less than four minutes remaining in the game.

Wells finished the game with 67 yards along with three touchdowns.

Cardinals quarterback Ryan Lindley completed 14 of 21 passes for 104 yards and threw one interception. Lindley has played in five games and has yet to throw his first NFL touchdown.

As for Stafford, he completed 24 of 50 passes for 246 yards. This was Stafford’s third game this season without throwing a touchdown pass, two of those three games resulted in loses.

Star wideout Calvin Johnson may be the only reason why the Lions are still getting some attention despite a six-game losing streak. Johnson hauled in 10 receptions for 121 yards. This was his seventh consecutive game with 100+ receiving yards — he still needs 182 yards to break Jerry Rice’s NFL single season receiving yard record.

Johnson will look to get closer to Rice’s record next week as the Detroit Lions will welcome the Atlanta Falcons to Ford Field. As for the Cardinals, they will welcome the Chicago Bears.

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The Atlanta Falcons demolished the New York Giants 34-0, to improve to 12-2 and 7-0 at the Georgia Dome.

Falcons quarterback, Matt Ryan completed 23 of 28 passes for 270 yards and three touchdowns. His 82.1 completion percentage and 142.6 quarterback rating were both season highs for the five-year starter. This was also Ryan’s sixth game this season throwing at least three touchdown passes.

Wide receiver Julio Jones was tied for a game-high six receptions for 74 yards and hauled in two touchdown catches. Jones has surpassed his eight touchdown rookie season, catching nine with for over 1,000 yards and still two games to go.

Veteran tight-end Tony Gonzalez also caught six receptions for 49 yards and one touchdown. Gonzalez leads the Falcons with 87 receptions.

As for the run game, Michael Turner carried the ball 16 times for 52 yards and punched in a one-yard run on the Falcons first offensive drive.

The Giants were out of sync from the start, opening their first drive with Eli Manning throwing an interception on 2 and 7 from their own 16 yard-line. Manning threw his second interception in the second quarter, resulting in a Falcons field goal.

Manning only completed 13 of 25 passes for 161 yards. His favorite target was wide receiver Domenik Hixon, who caught five passes for 80 yards.

The Giants were without running back Ahmad Bradshaw because of a foot-and-knee injury. Instead, rookie David Wilson got the nod for the start but was not nearly as explosive as last week. Wilson carried the ball 12 times for 55 yards.

With the loss, the Giants have fallen to 8-6 along with four other teams in the NFC. The Giants are currently third in the NFC East division at 8-6 behind the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins, who are all 8-6. However, the Giants still control their own destiny and by winning out they will earn a wildcard playoff position. As for the Falcons, they will head to Ford Field to take on the Detroit Lions and control their own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs.

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A snowy and cold Lambeau Field played a decisive role in the Green Bay Packers 27-20 divisional win over the Detroit Lions, continuing a NFL record 22 consecutive victories over the Lions at Lambeau.

The Detroit Lions, marched down the field on their first drive with ease. The drive was capped off with quarterback Matthew Stafford’s four-yard touchdown run for an early 7-0 lead. On the Packers ensuing drive, Aaron Rodgers brought his offense down to Detroit’s 12 yard-line.

On 2nd and 10, Rodgers was sacked and fumbled the ball. Lion’s linebacker, Stephen Tulloch, recovered the ball. Once again the Lions attacked Green Bay’s weak defense and went ahead 14-0, after Stafford and tight-end Tony Scheffler connected on a 3-yard touchdown pass.

The Packers were able to respond with a Mason Crosby, 49 yard field goal. The Lions slowly started moving down field once again. On 1st and 10 from the Packers 42 yard-line, Stafford dropped back, went to throw and the ball slipped out of his hand. Packers’ defensive end Mike Daniels, recovered the fumble and took it back 72 yards to cut the deficit 14-10.

Rodgers, led the Packers down field on the first drive of the second half. On third and four from Detroit’s 27 yard-line Rodgers bought himself some time, eluding the pass rush and headed for the end-zone giving Green Bay their first lead of the night, 17-14.

Packers’ running back, DuJuan Harris put the finishing touches on the Lions in the fourth quarter, on a 14 yard touchdown run.  Harris finished the game with seven carries for 31 yards along with his touchdown. Also running back Alex Green had 13 carries for 69 yards. Recently signed, Ryan Grant got some action running the ball once for a 13 yards.

Green Bay had a well balanced offense running for a total of 140 yards. Rodgers completed 14-of-24 passes for a 173 yards. Rodgers’s favorite target was Randall Cobb. Cobb caught seven passes for 102 yards.  This was Rodgers second game this season not tossing a touchdown pass. Also he snapped his 30 consecutive home game touchdown streak.

Green Bay welcomed back corner back Sam Shields who has been out with an ankle injury. Shields picked off Stafford in the win.

Stafford finished the game completing 27-of-45 passes for 264 yards one touchdown and one interception. Wideout Calvin Johnson, caught 10 passes for 118 yards and still remains on pace to break Jerry Rice’s receiving yards record.

With the victory the Packers improved to 9-4 and control their own destiny. The Packers have an opportunity to win the NFC North next week, when they travel to Soldier Field to take on rivals the Chicago Bears. As for the Lions, they will be heading west to take on the Arizona Cardinals.

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After last week’s pounding, the Green Bay Packers prevailed past the Minnesota Vikings and Adrian Peterson to retake the NFC North Division lead in a 23-14 victory at home.

The Packers were led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers completed 27-of-35 passes for 286 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Rodgers connected with wide receiver James Jones on a 32-yard strike to take a 7-0 lead after their first drive.

Green Bay welcomed back wide receiver Greg Jennings, who has been out since week four ailing a groin injury. Jennings caught four passes for 46 yards in his return. Unfortunately, the Packers lost wide receiver Jordy Nelson.  Nelson was forced out of the game in the first quarter after re-injuring his hamstring.

The Packers run game finally emerged after being nearly non-existent. James Starks carried the load with 15 carries for 66 yards and a touchdown. Alex Green also contributed with 12 carries for 58 yards. Green Bay still remains at the bottom of the NFL in rushing touchdowns.

The Packers defense was able to contain Christian Ponder, limiting him to 12-of-25 for 119 yards one touchdown and two interceptions. Safety, Morgan Burentt recorded the two interceptions for the Packers.  Ponder was unable to connect with a wide receiver until the fourth quarter.

The Vikings were without Percy Harvin, who still has not recovered from his ankle injury. Tight-end Kyle Rudolph led the Vikings with six receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

However, the Packers defense had difficulties stopping Adrian Peterson. Peterson carried the ball 21 times for 210 yards and a touchdown. Peterson broke through Green Bay’s defense, bounced off a few defenders and busted up-field for a career long 82 yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Peterson’s 210 yards was a season best thus far. He continues to run through defense after defense compiling his sixth straight 100+ rushing game.

Green Bay improved to 5-1 at home and 8-4 overall. They will be back in action next week at Lambeau Field against NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions. As for the Vikings, they fell to 6-6 but are still in playoff contention. The Vikings will have another tough match-up next week against NFC North rivals the Chicago Bears.

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The Green Bay Packers improved to 7-3, escaping past NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions 24-20 at Ford Field.

Green Bay was led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who completed 19-of-27 passes for 236 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Rodgers’ first touchdown pass was in the second quarter to tight-end Jermichael Finley, to give the Packers a 7-3 lead.

Finley  caught three passes for 66 yards along with his touchdown catch. This was Finley’s first game with a touchdown since Week One against the San Francisco 49ers. His 66 receiving yards is also a season high thus far.

Detroit answered back on their next drive with a Mikel Leshoure touchdown run to regain the lead 10-7. Leshoure carried the ball 19 times for 84 yards along with his one-yard touchdown run.

Before the end of the first half quarterback Matthew Stafford dogged a Packers blitz. While trying to scramble for positive yards he was stripped by linebacker Dezman Moses, and the fumble was recovered by defensive end Mike Daniels. Green Bay kicker Mason Crosby was unable to capitalize, missing a 50-yard field goal wide left.

The Packers retook the lead 14-10 on Detroit’s first drive of the second half. On 3rd and 10 from Green Bay’s 44 yard-line,  Stafford dropped back and tried connecting with tight-end Tony Scheffler, but the ball tipped off of his finger tips and landed into safety M.D. Jennings’ hands. Jennings zoomed past the Lions for a 72 yard touchdown.

Stafford and wideout Calvin Johnson connected on a 25-yard touchdown pass to regain the lead 17-14. The pass somehow went right through Packers’ safety Morgan Burnett’s hands, and Johnson secured the catch.

Johnson caught five passes for 143 yards along with his score. This was Johnson’s third consecutive game with over 100+ receiving yards and his second consecutive game with a touchdown catch. Kicker Jason Hanson extended the lead 20-14 after nailing a 27-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.

On Green Bay’s ensuing drive, Rodgers led the Green Bay offense down to Detroit’s 22 yard line. On 3rd and 1, Rodgers threw the ball up to wideout Randall Cobb, who caught the pass in between two defenders for the winning touchdown. Cobb caught nine passes for 74 yards along with his touchdown. He continues to be an essential role in the Packers’ high powered offense.

The Packers’ defense stopped Stafford on the following drive, and Crosby kicked a 39-yard field goal to finish off the Lions. Green Bay will have a tough match-up next week on the road against the New York Giants. As for the Lions, they will be back in action on Thanksgiving against the Houston Texans. If the Chicago Bears lose Monday night against the 49ers, the Packers will move into 1st place of the division.

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The Minnesota Vikings improved to 6-4 on the year and 5-1 at Mall of America Field, to hold off NFC North rivals the Detroit Lions, securing a pivotal 34-24 divisional victory.

Adrian Peterson continues to carry the Vikings with his tough running each week. Peterson had 27 carries for 171 yards and one touchdown. Peterson’s touchdown came in the fourth quarter on a 61-yard run as he burst through the Lions’ defense. This was Peterson’s fifth game rushing for over 100 yards and his fourth consecutive 120+ yard game on the ground.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder finally regained his touch behind center. The two-year player completed 24 of 32 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns. His 75% completion percentage is a season best thus far. Ponder was able to execute and play mistake-free football without throwing an interception for the first time since week four against the Lions.

Ponder connected with rookie wideout Jarius Wright for the first score of the game. Wright caught three passes for 65 yards along with his first career touchdown catch. Ponder was able to get tight end Kyle Rudolph involved again after being nearly irrelevant for the last three weeks for the Vikings’ offense.

Rudolph caught a team-high seven passes for 64 yards, and a touchdown at the start of the fourth quarter to put the Vikings ahead 24-10.

The Vikings were without their main receiving threat Percy Harvin, who was ruled out because of an ankle injury.

The Lions’ Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson connection finally came together but it was not enough. Johnson caught 12 passes for 207 yards and late touchdown to pull within 10 points.

Johnson was questionable coming into this week’s game with a knee injury, but was able to explode for his first 200+ yard game of the season. Johnson finally secured his second touchdown score of the year after being shut down for the previous five weeks.

Stafford completed 28 of 42 passes for 329 yard three touchdowns and one interception. Stafford connected with wide receiver Titus Young in the fourth quarter. Young caught four passes for 35 yards along with his touchdown reception. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew caught three passes for 32 yards and a touchdown in the third quarter.

With the victory, the Vikings hold their ground in third place in the NFC North. As for the Lions, they dropped to 4-5 and are going to need to start winning to become competitive in the division. The Vikings will have their bye week next week. Detroit will face another tough divisional opponent at home, the Green Bay Packers.

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The Seattle Seahawks improved to 5-4 this year and 4-0 at home after their 30-20 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Running back, Marshawn Lynch carried the Seahawks to victory with 26 carries for 124 yards and one touchdown. His three yard touchdown run in the third quarter put them ahead of the Vikings 27-17. Lynch also contributed with two catches for 26 yards. Lynch has ran for over 100 yards five times this season and it is his third consecutive game with over 100 yards on the ground.

Rookie quarterback Russell Wilson completed 16-of-24 passes for 173 yards and three touchdowns in the victory. This was the second time Wilson threw three touchdowns in a game this season. Wilson’s first touchdown pass was to wideout Golden Tate in the first quarter to tie the game up 7-7.

Golden Tate caught an 11 yard pass from Wilson for his second touchdown catch of the game, cutting the lead 20-17. Tate finished off the game with four receptions for 28 yards along with his two touchdown passes. Wideout Sidney Rice caught four passes for 54 yards and one touchdown.

Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder struggled to complete 11-of-22 passes for 63 yards and one interception. Ponder has thrown for less than 100 yards in two of the last three games for the Vikings. Wideout Percy Harvin, caught two passes for 10 yards and ran the ball four times for 24 yards.

Harvin exited the game in the third quarter with a left ankle injury. Although, returning he was not effective and was limping.

Minnesota running back Adrian Peterson carried the ball 17 times for 182 yards and two touchdowns. Peterson also caught three passes for 11 yards. He has rushed for over 100 yards and one touchdown in three consecutive games.

The Vikings have dropped their last two games and hold a slim 3rd place lead over the Detroit Lions in the NFC North standings. Minnesota will welcome the Lions to Mall of America Field in a divisional showdown next week. They already defeated the Lions at Ford Field earlier in the year; Minnesota’s lone road victory.

As for the Seattle Seahawks, they will welcome the New York Jets to CenturyLink Field as they look to improve to 5-0 at home this season.

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The Detroit Lions improved to 4-4, after their 31-14 victory on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Lions were led by running back, Mikel Leshoure who had 16 carries for 70 yards and three touchdowns. All three of Leshoure’s touchdowns came inside the 10 yard-line in the second quarter to give the Lions an early 21-0 lead. His three touchdowns was the first time the young back punched in multiple touchdown runs.

Running back, Joique Bell also had an effective game running the ball, with 13 carries for 73 yards and one touchdown. Bell’s 10 yard touchdown run was in the fourth quarter, solidifying the victory.

Quarterback, Matthew Stafford completed 22-of-33 passes for 285 yards. Stafford was held without a touchdown pass for the second time this season, meanwhile he threw at least one touchdown pass in each game he played in last season.

Stafford and star wideout Calvin Johnson were able to connect seven times for 129 yards. Johnson has surpassed the 100 yard mark four times this season, but still only has one touchdown. His seven receptions this week was his best since his 10 catches against Tennessee earlier in the year.

Jaguar quarterback, Blaine Gabbert completed 27-of-38 passes for 220 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. Gabbert’s first touchdown pass came in the fourth quarter to wideout Michael Spurlock. Spurlock’s five yard touchdown was his first of the year. He finished off the game with five receptions for 35 yards along with his touchdown.

Gabbert’s second touchdown pass was in the fourth quarter to rookie wideout Justin Blackmon. Blackmon, also caught five passes for 32 yards along with his touchdown. Wide receiver, Laurent Robinson returned from a concussion catching six passes for 41 yards.

Running back, Rashard Jennings continues to be Jacksonville’s number one back after Maurice Jones-Drew’s injury. Jennings carried the ball 12 times for 45 yards and also had three receptions for seven yards. The Jaguars are still unaware about when Jones-Drew will return from the foot injury.

The 1-7 Jaguars remain winless at home and will be back in action on short rest on Thursday against the Indianapolis Colts. As for the Lions, they will have a tough match-up on the road against divisional rivals the Minnesota Vikings.

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Green Bay Packers quarterback, Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes in their 31-17 victory over the Arizona Cardinals.

Rodgers, continues his dominance under center throwing at least two touchdown passes in six consecutive games. Rodgers tossed his first touchdown pass in the first quarter to wideout Randall Cobb.

Cobb continues to excel as one of Green Bay’s biggest offensive threats especially with the absence of Greg Jennings. Cobb caught his second touchdown pass of the game in the second quarter, putting the Packers ahead 14-7.

Packers receiver James Jones put Green Bay ahead 21-7 before the half on a 28 yard touchdown pass. Jones finished the game with four receptions for 61 yards along with his touchdown. Jones and Cobb stepped it up especially after wideout Jordy Nelson injured his ankle in the first quarter.

Tight-end Tom Crabtree’s lone catch came in the 4th quarter and resulted in a 72 yard touchdown to finish off the Cardinals. The 72 yard touchdown was Green Bay’s longest play of the season.

The Packers finally effectively ran the ball with the contribution of a few runners. Running back James Starks carried the ball 17 times for 61 yards, his best game this season. Alex Green also contributed with 11 caries for 53 yards. Rodgers, scrambled eight times for 33 yards and wideout Cobb carried the ball three times for 29 yards. They ran for a total of 176 yards, the most since 2009 against the Cleveland Browns.

The injury bug hit Green Bay again this week and hopefully everyone can return healthy after their bye week. Other than losing Nelson, Packers lost tackle Bryan Bulaga and linebacker Clay Matthews. All three exited the game and did not return.

As for the Arizona Cardinals, quarterback John Skelton threw for 306 yards one touchdown and one interception. His 306 yards was the first time Skelton threw for over 300 yards this season. His lone touchdown pass was to star wideout Larry Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald caught six passes for 74 yards along with his 31 yard touchdown catch in the 4th quarter.

Running back LaRod Stephens-Howling carried the ball 17 times for 51 yards and one touchdown in the second quarter.

After starting the season 4-0, the Cardinals are on a five game losing streak, averaging 10.6 points per game in their last five games. The Cardinals will have their bye week next week but will have another tough match-up Sunday, November 18, against the Atlanta Falcons.

Green Bay is on a four game winning streak entering their bye week. Coming off their bye, they will have a tough divisional rival match-up at Ford Field against the Detroit Lions.

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The Detroit Lions fell behind early at Ford Field, but were lead by quarterback Matthew Stafford in their 28-24 victory.

Stafford completed 34-of-49 passes for 352 yards, three touchdowns, one rushing touchdown and one interception. His 101.7 quarterback rating and three touchdown passes was a season high for the four year quarterback. Also his rushing touchdown in the 3rd quarter was his third of the season, the most in his career thus far.

His first touchdown pass came in the 1st quarter on a six yard pass to Ryan Broyles. In the 2nd quarter, Stafford connected with Titus Young on a 46 yard bomb for his second touchdown pass. Stafford and Young connected again for the game-winning touchdown with 20 seconds left on the clock.

Young did an exceptionally well job catching nine passes for 100 yards along with his two touchdown catches. His role will continue to increase especially with the absence of Nate Burleson.

The Stafford and Calvin Johnson connection continues to be out of sync this season. Johnson was limited to three catches for 46 yards. Johnson only has one touchdown through seven games. Last season through seven games Johnson had 10 touchdowns.

As for the Lions run game, it continues to be extremely inconsistent. Mikel Leshoure carried the ball 10 times for 46 yards. Leshoure has not ran for 100 yards since week three against Tennessee where he earned his first start. Furthermore, his 100 yards rushing is a season best for all running backs in Detroit.

The Seahawks were led by rookie quarterback Russell Wilson who completed 25-of-35 passes for 236 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. Wilson connected with wideout Sidney Rice for nine yard touchdown pass in the 2nd quarter and with tight-end Zach Miller on a 16 yard touchdown in the 4th quarter.

Marshawn Lynch averaged 8.8 yards per carry on 12 carries for 105 yards and one touchdown. Lynch punched in his second touchdown of the season in the 2nd quarter on a 77 yard breakout run.

Seattle continues to struggle away from home now, falling to 1-4 on the road. The Seahawks will face the Minnesota Vikings next week at CenturyLink Field and look to continue their home dominance.

Lions will be on the road against the Jacksonville Jaguars next week as they continue to hang strong at the bottom of the NFC North division.

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The Green Bay Packers surprisingly struggled against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but were able to hang on to earn themselves a 24-15 victory and improve to 5-3 on the season.

The Packers were without number one and two wideouts Greg Jennings and Jordy Nelson. Jennings will miss about six weeks after opting for surgery on his groin. As for Nelson, he was inactive because of a hamstring injury. Lets not forget all of the injury woes the Packers are facing on the defensive side.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed 22-of-35 for 186 yards and two touchdowns. Rodgers has thrown at least two touchdowns in the last five games for the Packers. Rodgers connected with wideout Randall Cobb on a five yard touchdown pass in the 1st quarter and veteran wideout Donald Driver in the 4th quarter.

James Jones led the Packers receiving core with seven receptions and 78 yards. Cobb continues to make a name for himself after catching his 4th touchdown pass of the year, already three more than last season. Cobb has already surpassed last seasons yards and receptions totals.

Green Bays running game continues to be non-existent and the absence of Cedric Benson continues to hurt them week after week. Alex Green carried the ball 22 times for an unproductive 54 yards. Green Bays rushing high of the season is held by Benson with 84 yards. Since he went down with a season ending injury, there has not been a single back to run for more than 65 yards.

In the 2nd quarter, Green Bay’s special teams came up with an enormous punt block that was recovered in the end-zone to help put seven points on the board.

Jacksonville quarterback Blaine Gabbert threw a career high 303 yards and tossed one touchdown pass in the defeat. Wideout Cecil Shorts led the receivers eight receptions for 116 yards.

The Jaguars lost star running back Maurice Jones-Drew to a foot injury last week, therefore promoting Rashard Jennings as the starting back. Jennings carried the ball 17 times for 59 yards, including six receptions for 56 yards. Jacksonville will face another NFC North opponent, the Detroit Lions, next week at home.

Green Bay’s victory is their third straight this season, and they have won 16 of their last 17 games at Lambeau Field. The Packers are now tied for second with the Minnesota Vikings. They will be welcoming the Arizona Cardinals to Lambeau next week as they look for a 4th straight win.

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The Chicago Bears defeated the Detroit Lions 13-7 at Soldier Field to improve to 5-1 and 3-0 at home this season.

The Bears defense did an outstanding job limiting the the Lions and creating turnovers to preserve the victory. Cornerback, Charles Tillman, locked up Lions star receiver, Calvin Johnson; holding him to three catches for 34 yards. Johnson and quarterback, Matthew Stafford, have only connected once for a touchdown through their six games.

The Lions had a very difficult time punching in a score inside the 20 yard-line. In the 2nd quarter on Chicago’s 18 yard-line, running back, Mikel Leshoure, was stripped by linebacker, Lance Briggs, and the fumble was recovered by defensive lineman, Julius Peppers. Also in the 3rd quarter, running back Joique Bell was stripped at the one yard-line trying to extend the ball for a touchdown, and the fumble was recovered by linebacker Brian Urlacher. Their third red-zone turnover came in in the 4th quarter when Stafford threw an interception to cornerback D.J. Moore on Chicago’s three yard-line.

Detroit, is atop the NFL for most turnovers in the red-zone this season with five.

Towards the end of the first half, Bears fans held their breath after Jay Cutler exited the game after he was thrown to the ground by Lions defensive lineman, Ndamukong Suh. Cutler returned to the game in the 2nd half and finished the game, completing 16-of-31 passes for 150 yards and one touchdown.

Cutler connected with number one wide receiver, Brandon Marshall. Marshall had six receptions  for 81 yards along with his score. Marshall leads the Bears in all receiving categories by significant numbers.

Running back, Matt Forte had a productive game on the ground. Forte had 22 caries for 96 yards along with three receptions for four yards.

Stafford completed 28-of-46 passes for 261 yards one touchdown and one interception. Stafford’s lone touchdown pass was to rookie Ryan Broyles in the 4th quarter for his first career touchdown. Broyles caught three passes for 51 yards and was featured after wideout, Nate Burleson, left the game with an injury. Burleson’s injury has been diagnosed as a broken leg and he could possibly miss eight months. Wideout Titus Young led the Lions receiving core with six receptions for 81 yards.

The Lions will have another tough matchup next weekend as they welcome the Seattle Seahawks to Ford Field. As for the Chicago Bears, they will remain home at Soldier Field and play the Carolina Panthers. Chicago will look to maintain a divisional lead as they currently sit atop the NFC North.

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Adrian Peterson carried the load for the Minnesota Vikings, helping them improve to 5-2 after holding off the Arizona Cardinals 21-14 at the Mall of America Field.

Peterson had 23 carries for 153 yards and one touchdown to help the Vikings remain undefeated at home. Peterson continues to be a top 10 running back this season, showing no signs of last years gruesome injury.

The Vikings effective run game could have been the main reason why Minnesota’s pass game was nonexistent. Christian Ponder completed a season low of 8-of-17 passes for 58 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Ponders lone touchdown pass was to wideout Percy Harvin.

Harvin caught four receptions for 37 yards one touchdown. Harvin also carried the ball twice for 10 yards. He continues to be a lethal offensive threat in the passing game. Another big target for the Vikings pass game, tight end Kyle Rudolph, was held without a catch for the first time this season.

Arizona Cardinals quarterback, John  Skelton, started again in place of Kevin Kolb, who is ailing a rib and shoulder injury. Kolb could be out for at least 6-8 weeks. Skelton completed 25-of-36 passes for 262 yards one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Skelton connected with wideout Andre Roberts in the 4th quarter to pull within a touchdown.

Roberts caught seven receptions for 103 yards along with his 4th quarter touchdown. Roberts surpassed the 100 yard mark for the second time this season. In addition, Roberts out played star wideout Larry Fitzgerald, who only caught four passes for 29 yards. The Cardinals quarterbacks continue to struggle to get the ball in Fitzgeralds’ hands.

The Cardinals run game was very effective against a tough Minnesota defense. LaRod Stephens-Howling carried the ball 20 times for 104 yards and one touchdown. His 20 rushing attempts was a season high and his 104 yards was a career high for the young back. Stephens-Howling also had four receptions for 45 yards.

Minnesota’s pass rush was extremely effective in preserving the lead. The defense forced seven sacks; defensive end Brian Robison led the Vikings with three sacks. Cornerback Antoine Winfield led the Vikings with 11 tackles and one sack. Rookie safety, Harrison Smith recorded his first career interception.

The Minnesota Vikings are still atop the NFC North division with the Chicago Bears, and could jump ahead of the Bears if they lose to the Detroit Lions. Minnesota will attempt to continue to be dominant at home as they welcome the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to Mall of America Field next week.

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The Detroit Lions improved to 2-3, after defeating the Philadelphia Eagles 26-23 in overtime.

A key defensive pass interference against the Eagles put the Lions at the one-yard line with an opportunity to win the game. Stafford and the Lions were unable to score and settled for a 19 yard field by kicker Jason Hanson to force overtime.

The Eagles won the toss but were unable to move the ball forward. Quarterback Michael Vick was sacked twice for a total of -21 yards. On the ensuing punt, the Lions started their drive at midfield. Quarterback Matthew Stafford connected with Calvin Johnson for a 17 yard gain on 1st and 20 from Philadelphia’s 44 yard line to put the Lions in field goal range. Two plays later, Hanson nailed a 45 yard field goal for the win.

The Lions were led by Stafford, who completed 22-of-45 passes for 311 yards, one touchdown and one interception. This was Stafford’s 3rd game throwing for over 300 yards this season. Stafford punched in his second rushing touchdown of the year in the fourth quarter.

Calvin Johnson led the Lions with six receptions for 135 yards. Johnson, has compiled 100+ yards three times this season. However, he only has one touchdown and was held without a touchdown for a second consecutive week. Stafford’s lone touchdown pass was to wideout Nate Burleson for his second of the season in the fourth quarter. Burleson finished the game with four catches for 24 yards.

Young running back Mikel Leshoure led the Lions ground attack with 15 carries for 70 yards. Leshoure also caught three passes for 24 yards. Detroit has still yet to develop a consistent run game.

Michael Vick continues to struggle turning the ball over. Vick fumbled and had two interceptions and completed 28-of-46 passes for 311 yards and two touchdowns. Vick also ran nine times for 59 yards.

Eagles fans held their breath in the 3rd quarter when running back LeSean McCoy left the game with an apparent lower leg injury. McCoy returned, and finished the game with 14 carries for 22 yards. McCoy also caught seven passes for 26 yards and a touchdown in the second quarter.

Jeremy Maclin led the Eagles receiving core with six receptions for 130 yards and a touchdown in the 4th quarter. This was Maclin’s first 100+ receiving game of the season. Receiver DeSean Jackson also caught five passes for 74 yards.

The Lions will be back in action next Monday, October 22 in a pivotal division rivalry game against the Chicago Bears. As for the 3-3 Eagles, they will be welcoming the undefeated Atlanta Falcons to Lincoln Financial Field.

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After a 3-3 halftime stalemate, a 38 point second half Chicago Bears scoring eruption led the Bears to a crushing 41-3 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Bears quarterback Jay Cutler completed 23-of-39 passes for 292 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the win. Cutler connected with rookie Alshon Jeffery for the first offensive touchdown of the game in the 3rd quarter. Jeffery had two receptions for 20 yards along with the touchdown catch. Brandon Marshall led the Bears receiving core with a season high 12 receptions, 144 yards and a 4th quarter touchdown.

As for the Bears rushing attack, Matt Forte led the pack with 107 yards on 22 carries. Forte also caught two passes for 20 yards. This was Forte’s first 100+ yard rushing game of the 2012 season. In addition, running back Armando Allen scored the first NFL touchdown of his career on a 46 yard breakout touchdown.

The Bears offense finished off the game with 501 total yards, compared to the Jaguars 189 yards. Jaguars quarterback Blaine Gabbert struggled completing 17-of-33 passes for 142 yards, was sacked three times and threw two interceptions. This was Gabbert’s first week held without throwing a touchdown pass. Cecil Shorts led the receivers with two receptions for 43 yards.

Running back Maurice Jones-Drew carried the ball 12 times for 56 yards. Jones-Drew has been held under 100 yards in four of this year’s five games.

The Bears defense continues to make opposing quarterbacks and offenses struggle. In the 3rd quarter, cornerback Charles Tillman picked off Gabbert for a 36 yard interception return for a touchdown. Linebacker Lance Briggs also picked off Gabbert for a 36 yard interception return for a touchdown in the 4th quarter. Tillman and Briggs have returned interceptions for touchdowns in two consecutive games. The Bears defense have scored four defensive touchdowns in the past two games.

Chicago improved to 4-1 on the season, and is on a three game winning streak heading into their bye week. The Bears will be back in action against divisional rivals Detroit Lions on Monday night, October 22. Jacksonville will also be on their bye week, and will be back in action Sunday, October 21 against the Oakland Raiders.

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The Minnesota Vikings traveled to Ford Field to take on division rivals the Detroit Lions and, thanks to well executed special teams, the Vikings defeated the Lions 20-13.

The opening kickoff gave the Vikings early momentum. Vikings kick returner Percy Harvin returned the kick 105 yards for 7-0 lead, a franchise record for Minnesota. This was Harvin’s 5th career NFL kick return, and his first this season. Minnesota’s special teams were back on the scoreboard in the 3rd quarter. Punt returner Marcus Sherels returned a 77 yard punt to the house to extend the Vikings lead to 20-6.

The Vikings defense was able to maintain the Lions offense the entire game. The Lions scored their first and only touchdown of the game in the 4th quarter on a Matthew Stafford one-yard scramble. Stafford completed 30-of-51 yards for 319 yards but did not throw a touchdown pass. This was the first time Stafford did not throw a touchdown since the 2010 season. The Vikings limited the Lions run game, only giving up 54 yards on the ground. Chad Greenway continues to lead the Vikings with 11 tackles; also cornerback Antoine Winfield and linebacker Jasper Brinkley recorded ten tackles. Minnesota forced Lions running back Mikel Leshoure to fumble in the 3rd quarter. Leshoure had an impressive first career start last week rushing for 100 yards and one touchdown, however this week he had 13 carries for 26 yards.

Christian Ponder continues to impress this season, and completed 16-of-26 passes for 111 yards. Adrian Peterson led the Vikings in rushing with 21 carries for 102 yards, his first 100+ yard game of the season. Jerome Simpson led the Vikings in receiving with four receptions for 50 yards.

Lions running back Joique Bell led Detroit in receiving with six receptions for 72 yards. Tight-end Brandon Pettigrew led all receivers with a  game high seven receptions for 67 yards. Calvin Johnson was contained to only five receptions for 54 yards. This is Johnson’s third game this season without securing a touchdown.

The Vikings have seemed to gain some positive momentum after handing the San Francisco 49ers there first loss of the season. Next week the Vikings will be home against a 1-3 Tennessee Titans team, and will look to maintain an early divisional lead.

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Sunday’s showdown between the Detroit Lions (1-2) and Tennessee Titans (1-2) in Nashville ended up turning into a good old fashioned shootout. One which needed an extra 8:25 to decide a winner.

And at the end of the day, it was the Titans who found themselves on top, 44-41, in what was probably the wildest game the day had to offer.

“Both of us looked at each other and said, ‘We’ve never been through something like this in our lives,’” said Titans head coach Mike Munchak of his counterpart Jim Schwartz. “It’s hard to put in words what to say about that. We both could’ve won in so many ways.”

Titans quarterback Jake Locker threw for 378 yards and two touchdowns while completing 29 of 42 passes and leading his team to their first win of the season.

Tennessee, who was previously winless, went into halftime with a 20-9 lead over a Lions team that is anything but a pushover.

After only seven points were scored in the third quarter via a one yard Mikel Leshoure rushing touchdown, the fourth quarter saw scoring come from left and right in every which way, through offense, defense and special teams.

A total of 46 points were scored in the final period of regulation.

Brandon Pettigrew’s fumble at the Tennessee 28 yard line with the Lions trailing 34-27 with about three minutes remaining in the fourth was recovered by Tennessee cornerback Alterraun Verner and run back 72 yards for a touchdown and what undoubtedly appeared at the moment to be the final dagger.

But Lions backup quarterback Shaun Hill had other plans.

Matthew Stafford, the Lions starting quarterback, did not return to the field due to injury following Pettigrew’s fumble. He had an outstanding day nonetheless, going 33/42 through the air for 278 yards and a touchdown.

Hill suddenly found himself thrown into a game trailing two touchdowns with just 1:16 left on the clock. He would put together an 80 yard touchdown drive in just 58 seconds, which ended with a 3 yard scoring toss to Calvin Johnson, who had yet another monster performance with 164 yards on 10 receptions to go with that touchdown grab.

Detroit successfully recovered the ensuing onside kick, and was stationed at the Titans 46 yard line with just 18 seconds remaining.

Hill’s prayer on second down was answered downfield by receiver Titus Young, as he hauled in a touchdown that set up the game-tying extra point as time expired.

Locker remained composed, however, and put Tennessee in position to take a 44-41 lead with 10:36 left in overtime.

Schwartz wanted to end it once the Lions made their way all the way down to the Tennessee seven. It would be a decision that would come back to bite him, as Hill attempted to scramble for the first down on fourth and one, but lost a yard and came up short to seal the victory for the Titans.

The play did undergo a booth review and was upheld, ending the madness.

Trying to somehow put everything into words, Munchak said, “I can honestly say, 30 years being around the NFL, I never saw anything close to what we experienced in this game, the highs and the lows, both sides of the ball.”

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After kicking off the season on the road against the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers played their first home game of the season against another NFC North opponent, the Detroit Lions. The 49ers defeated the Lions 27-19, to improve 2-0 on the season and have many analyst debating are the 49ers the best team in football?

Quarterback Alex Smith; lead the Niners, completing 20 of 31 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Both touchdowns were caught by athletic tight-end, Vernon Davis; who also had 5 receptions for 73 yards. San Fran’s running back, Frank Gore also contributed to the victory with his 17 carries for 89 yards and a touchdown. Fourth year wide receiver, Michael Crabtree had a solid game catching 6 passes for 67 yards. Smith has been very impressive lately and has shown a vast amount of improvement since his earlier years in the NFL. Even though, starting off the season 2-0, Smith stated in the post-game press conference, “There is a lot of room for improvement.”

San Francisco’s tenacious, hard-hitting defense was led by linebacker Patrick Willis, who tallied up a total of 9 tackles. 49ers defense also forced Lions quarterback, Matthew Stafford to throw his 4th interception of the year. Stafford struggled against the Niners secondary and only completed 19 of 32 passes for 230 yards and one touchdown. Stafford’s lone touchdown pass was too tight end Brandon Pettigrew. Star receiver Calvin Johnson was held to 8 receptions and 94 yards.

This is Johnson’s 2nd consecutive game without a touchdown. Kevin Smith was the Lions main running threat in Sunday night’s performance carrying the ball 16 times for 53 yards. Stafford and the Detroit offense have yet to find their rhythm this season and seem to be a bit out of sync. “I don’t think as an offense we’ve hit our stride yet,” Stafford said while addressing the press.

The Niners will be on the road for their next game, Sunday September 23 against another NFC north squad the, Minnesota Vikings. San Francisco will look to continue to take advantage of the mistakes their defense forces upon opponents. As for the Detroit Lions they will be heading south September 23 against a winless Tennessee Titans team and hope to get their offense to finally be as explosive as it was last season.

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The Detroit Lions welcomed the youngest team in the NFL, the St. Louis Rams, to kick off their season at Ford Field.

The opening drive of the game for Detroit started at their own 20 yard-line. Matthew Stafford helped drive the Lions down to the Rams own three yard-line. On first down, Stafford dropped back and was picked off by rookie Janoris Jenkins who returned the interception 34 yards. On the Rams ensuing drive, rookie kicker, Greg  Zuerlein, hit a 48 yard field goal to give the Rams an early 3-0 lead. Luckily for the Lions, they answered back quickly with a score of their own, Joique Bell rushed for a one-yard touchdown to regain the lead 7-3.

Unable to respond, the Rams gave the Lions the ball back after a three and out. Similar to their first drive, Stafford dropped back on St. Louis’ 16 yard-line, and was intercepted by Jo-Lonn Dunbar.  Once again, the Rams took advantage after forcing a second interception, and kicker Zuerlein hit 29 yard field goal to cut the deficit to 7-6. Stafford jogged back onto the field to help regain the lead for the Lions. On first and 10, running the no huddle offense, Stafford dropped back into Shotgun formation and looked to connect with wideout Calvin Johnson, and again, Stafford was picked off by Rams defensive back Cortland Finnegan who returned it for a touchdown, giving the Rams a 13-7 lead. Before the end of the first half, Lions kicker, Jason Hanson kicked a 42 yard field goal through the uprights to go into the half down 13-10.

In a low scoring third quarter, Hanson tied the game up after hitting a 45 yard field goal. After forcing the Lions to punt, the Rams regained possession at Detroit’s 47 yard-line. Onsecond and nine from Detroit’s 23, in Shotgun, Sam Bradford dropped back and connected with wideout Brandon Gibson for a 23 yard touchdown, sending the Rams back ahead, 20-13.

With 9:45 remaining in the fourth quarter, Stafford did a good job of leading his offense down the field. On the Rams 5 yard line, running back Kevin Smith punched in a five yard touchdown run to tie the game back up. The Rams rookie kicker answered back on the ensuing drive with a 46 yard field goal to regain the lead 23-20 with less than two minutes left.

Starting at their own 20 yard-line, Stafford connected with wideout Calvin Johnson for a 20 yard completion.  The quarterback continued to strategically move the ball down field for the Lions. Once again, on second and seven, Stafford connected with Johnson for an 18 yard completion up the middle. Stafford quickly brought the offense to the line to spike the ball and stop the clock. On second and five, Stafford dropped back and found running back Kevin Smith wide open for an easy completion and a  27-23 victory.

Although throwing three first half interceptions, Stafford stayed focused when it mattered most and threw his only touchdown pass to win the game. The Lions will have any even tougher matchup next week on the road against the San Francisco 49ers.

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The Detroit Lions are coming off their first playoff appearance since 1999. The 10-6 Lions were led by their prolific, offensive weapons Matthew Stafford and Calvin Johnson. Stafford threw for 5,081 yards, 3rd in the NFL and threw 41 touchdowns, also 3rd in the NFL. As for his number one guy, Johnson led all receivers with 1,681 yards and was 2nd in the NFL with 16 touchdowns. The Lions were the 5th best total offense in the NFL, averaging 396.1 yards per game and were 4th in the NFL, averaging 300.9 passing yards per game.

If the Lions could get a healthy run game going, their offense would be even more of a threat. No running back on the Lions has solidified themselves as the starter because of constant injuries. Jahvid Best, who missed extensive time last season because of a concussion, is on the unable to perform list and unable to play for the first six weeks.

As for running back Mikel Leshoure, he missed all of last season with a torn left Achilles tendon. Although healthy and looking great this preseason, Leshoure will not be playing until Week 3 because of his substance-abuse suspension. With all this being said, that leaves running back Kevin Smith as the primary ball carrier, although he suffered a minor ankle set back in their third preseason game against Oakland.

Detroit was able to put up points on the scoreboard; however, they gave them up just as easily. The Lions were ranked 23rd in the NFL, allowed 367.6 yards per game and 23rd in points per game giving up 24.2.

In addition, the Lions’ offseason troubles definitely didn’t help them progress. Expect Stafford and Johnson to still be team leaders, and expect a setback especially after Chicago’s additions this offseason. The Lions have struggled against division rival’s Green Bay and Chicago the last three seasons and only have recorded 2 victories. This upcoming season may result in another 4 losses against the Packers and the Bears.

Detroit could start the season off with a 3-1 record in September; however, as the season goes on, the Lions will have a difficult time getting easy wins and could finish this season 8-8.

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The Bears finished last season with a record of 8-8 and just missed the playoffs after a late season collapse, which saw them lose five out of their last 6 games, but will be hoping for a much better showing in the 2012 NFL season.

Chicago reunited quarterback Jay Cutler and wide receiver Brandon Marshall this offseason. Both played together in Denver and were a very successful offensive duo. Cutler will hope for a bounce back season after only playing in 10 games due to injury, yet still managed to throw for over 2,000 yards and 13 touchdowns.

Brandon Marshall recorded over 80 receptions and over 1,000 yards in his last two seasons in Miami and will excite Bears’ fans who have been longing for a star receiver. Not a single Bears’ receiver last season recorded more than 52 receptions and no one had over 727 receiving yards. The addition of Brandon Marshall will make the Bears’ passing game more dangerous and help Cutler get back to his usual 3,000-yard passing season.

Matt Forte led the Bears in rushing last season, running just shy of 1,000 yards and scoring 3 touchdowns, but also suffered injury problems like Cutler. The Bears brought more running back support in, signing ex- Oakland Raider, Michael Bush. Bush played in 16 games and ran for 977 yards and 7 touchdowns last season, shining during Darren McFadden’s injury induced absence. The running back duo of Forte and Bush could possibly be the best one-two punch in the NFL.

Although the Bears have a multitude of offensive weapons, their biggest offensive concern is their offensive line. Chicago’s offensive line allowed the 6th most sacks in the NFL last season, 49, and also was 5th in the NFL for allowing quarterback hits, 87. A weak offensive line could mean trouble and lack of full production from the injury-prone Cutler and the rest of the Bears’ offense.

The Bears defense is led by veteran linebacker, Brian Urlacher. Urlacher has not featured at all this preseason because of knee trouble and has reportedly been in Europe seeking specialist treatment. However, he should be ready come the opening regular season game and after recording 102 tackles and 3 interceptions last season, will be eager to replicate those kind of numbers this season. Julius Peppers, Chicago’s defensive line anchor, is also coming off a great season in 2011, registering 37 tackles, 11 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles.

Overall, Chicago has the potential to win 10 or more games this season and will likely be back in the playoffs providing they can hold their own against divisional rivals the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers.

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With the 22nd pick in the NFL draft, the Cleveland Browns drafted Oklahoma State quarterback, Brandon Weeden. Weeden, the oldest rookie in this years draft at 28 years old, was named the starting quarterback in their first preseason matchup against the Detroit Lions.

Weeden completed 3-of-9 passes for 62 yards, threw one interception, and fumbled in his NFL debut. Weeden was left short handed after wide receiver Mohamed Massaquoi left the game with a concussion. In addition, the Browns were without their rookie running back, Trent Richardson, who underwent knee surgery earlier in the week.

Although Weeden struggled,  he still helped his team earn a 19-17 victory over the Detroit Lions. It was definitely not the start Weeden or the Browns wanted to witness, especially with the play of back-up quarterback, Colt McCoy. McCoy completed 6-of-8 passes for 88 yards and also had one rush for 20 yards. The only way McCoy could rise and become the starting quarterback come week one of the regular season is if he continues to outplay Weeden, and Weedon continues to struggle.

The Detroit Lions are coming off their best year, finishing with a winning record for the first time since the 2000 NFL season. In addition, the 10-6 Lions made the playoffs for the first time since the 1999 NFL season. A large part of their success came from the potent offensive duo of quarterback Matthew Stafford and wide receiver Calvin Johnson.

Stafford threw for a career high 5,038 yards, 3rd best in the NFL behind Drew Brees and Tom Brady. Stafford threw 41 touchdowns, also 3rd best in the league last season. As for his number one receiver, Johnson led all wide receivers with 1,681 yards and was 2nd in the league with 16 touchdowns.

Stafford and Johnson connected twice against the Browns Friday night for 36 yards. Detroit running backs Joique Bell and Keiland Williams both played great games. Bell carried the ball 16 times for 89 yards. Williams carried the ball 9 times for 71 yards and one touchdown. Both running backs are fighting to earn a third-string position on the depth chart.

Sadly enough, this past offseason may have brought more attention to the Lions than last years’ successful season. Last year’s first round pick, Nick Fairley, was arrested twice, and running back Mikel Leshoure was arrested twice and suspended for 2 games in the upcoming season. Cornerback Aaron Berry was also arrested twice. Offensive tackle Johnny Culbreath was arrested, while wideout Titus Young and safety Louis Delmas were involved in an altercation during team workouts.

Ndamukong Suh was pulled over for speeding going 91 mph in a 55 mph speed zone. As a result of their trouble off the field, Aaron Berry was cut and Johnny Culbreath was waived. Nick Fairley could possibly be the next suspended player. (Why would he be the next suspended player? – Please add some more details to this.)

The Lions must overcome their reckless offseason and become more disciplined in order to continue to take strides in the right direction. Detroit will be back in action Friday, August 17 against the Baltimore Ravens. As for the Browns, Weeden will have another shot to prove himself NFL ready against a weak Green Bay Packers secondary on Thursday, August 16.

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The Detroit Lions were able to pull off a come-from-behind win as they beat the Carolina Panthers 49-35. This game was a tale of two halves as the Lions struggled early in the first quarter, turning the ball over on their first three possessions of the game. Matthew Stafford accounted for two of those turnovers as he threw two interceptions, and left fans wondering if his injured throwing hand was going to be a problem.

The other turnover was committed by running back Keiland Williams, which eventually led to a Cam Newton touchdown pass to Steve Smith. On Lions turnovers the Panthers were able to jump out to a 10-0 lead after the 1^st quarter. In the 2^nd quarter, Stafford settled down, found his offensive groove and managed to score 14 points off two touchdown throws to recently reacquired Kevin Smith and wide out Titus Young.

The only problem was that Newton had the Panthers offense moving up and down the field just as effectively and extending the Panther lead to 13 going into halftime. That would be the last time the Panthers would have the lead as Stafford and the Lions put on a clinic and owned the second half. In the 3^rd quarter the Lions defense didn’t allow the Panthers to cross their own 40 yard line and when they did, linebacker DeAndre Levy came up with an interception that brought a productive Panthers drive to a screeching halt.

With the defense becoming stingy and providing favorable starting position for the offense, Stafford tacked on two more touchdowns to give the Lions their first lead of the game. Early in the fourth quarter the Lions extended their lead off a Smith rushing touchdown. Smith provided unexpected positive production; he was picked up by the Lions to fill the void left by Jahvid Best who has missed three games with lingering concussion symptoms.

Down eight points, Newton had no expectations of letting this game slip through his hands; he composed an 80 yard drive culminating in a touchdown and a two point conversion to Smith to tie the game at 35. However, the combination of Stafford and Smith proved to be too much as they both scored touchdowns on the next two Lion possessions.

Stafford ended the day with five touchdowns and hopefully laying to rest that his injured hand will affect his play. The Lion faithful can only hope that this is true with the undefeated Packers coming to town next week.

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The Green Bay Packers managed to stay unbeaten as they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a close one, 35-26. For the first time this year, the Packers did not look like the offensive juggernaut that teams around the NFL have become accustomed to. The Packers were pushed to the edge by the Buccaneers, but prevailed thanks to an Aaron Rodgers touchdown pass to Jordy Nelson late in the 4^th quarter.

The Packer offense didn’t necessarily struggle, but it lacked the familiar flow seen in previous games. After the game Rodgers was noticeably dejected with his performance he stated, “I didn’t throw the ball very well. I’m not trying to be ridiculously humble right now, I’m just frustrated. The ball wasn’t coming out the way I wanted it to today.”

Rogers lack of comfort with the ball showed itself when he was picked off by corner Elbert Mack. The Buccaneers offense took advantage of the rare gift, Rodgers has only thrown four picks this year, and Josh Freeman delivered a quick strike to Dezmon Briscoe for a touchdown to pull them within two points. Freeman carved up the Packer defense up on the drive completing five passes in a row.

A sight the defense could not have been accustomed to, because for most of the day Lagarette Blount ran wild on the field. Including an impressive 54 yard run where Blount bulldozed through the arms of seven Packer players.

However when the Packer defense needed to come through at the end of the game, they forced the Buccaneers to turn the ball over on downs and effectively sealed the victory. The Packers defense needs to make all the necessary adjustments if they want win next week, because their opponent is Matthew Stafford and the Detroit Lions who just threw for five touchdowns.

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The Chicago Bears displayed their defensive dominance as they defeated their division rival the Detroit Lions, 37-13. The Bears defense went to work immediately, forcing a fumble on the Lions first offensive possession of the game.

Julius Peppers stripped the football from star receiver Calvin Johnson around midfield, and Brian Urlacher was there to scoop up the loose ball and give the Bears possession deep inside Lions territory. With the short field provided by the defense, Matt Forte was able to score the only offensive touchdown of the night for the Bears.

However, that single score would be more than enough as the Bears would go on to force a total of six turnovers and turn them into 24 points. The Bears secondary managed to pick off Matt Stafford four times, matching his season total in one game. Each interception was caused by a different defensive player, and both Major Wright and Charles Tillman returned theirs for touchdowns.

There was speculation by Fox commentator Brian Billick on what may have caused Stafford’s horrendous performance. For the first time in Stafford’s career, he had on gloves, a fact he attributed to the cold weather, but with the game time temperature around 55 degrees, another explanation seems likely.

In the Week 8 game against the Denver Broncos, Stafford’s hand collided with cornerback Champ Bailey’s helmet mid-throw. Stafford was noticeably bothered by the incident during that game, but no reports of an injury have surfaced from the Lions organization.

As Stafford reeled, the Lions tried to rely on the run game, but with Jahvid Best absent, still suffering from concussion-like symptoms, they only managed 80 yards on the ground. With the run game fairing even worse, the Lions went back to the passing attack. And just when the Lions offense would start to gain momentum, a Bears player would disrupt the play or cause a timely turnover.

The rout was on early in this game and, as is customary in divisional blowout wins, emotions started to run high. Players on both sides started to deliver hits after the whistle and, after a Stafford interception, all that hostility culminated into a team scuffle that will likely bring fines from the league office.

Between the Bears outstanding defense and team “fight” that lost in the shuffle was Devin Hesters’s 82 yard punt return for touchdown, usually the most exciting play of the game.

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The Detroit Lions stopped their two game skid, as they trampled the Denver Broncos on Sunday to get the 45-10 victory. The game was Denver Broncos newly starting quarterback Tim Tebow’s first home game of the season, and was supposed to be his coronation party. The Lions defense had other plans as they turned it into the hazing of Tebow.

Lions defenders managed to sack Tebow seven times, turning Tebow’s jersey into a grass stain and dirt collage. With a barrage of Lions defenders in Tebow’s face at all times, his completion percentage suffered mightily, hitting under 50 percent of his targets.

The Lions defenders also shut down operations for the Broncos run game, aside from a 34-yard run early in the first quarter; it was a tough day on the ground for Broncos running backs Knowshon Moreno and Lance Ball. Each running back racked up over 60 yards, but the Lions made them hard-won yards, with little hope of a breaking free for a big gain.

Things on the other side of the ball weren’t as difficult as quarterback Matt Stafford showed little to no signs that his Week 7 injuries were going to be long term problems. Stafford lit up the Broncos secondary throwing for over 250 yards and three touchdowns and stayed interception free.

Behind Stafford’s strong play, the Lions offense looked like the team from earlier in the season. The usual culprits, Calvin Johnson and Titus Young, had major games, each pulling in a touchdown reception. Johnson’s 56-yard touchdown reception made him only the second receiver since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger to have 11 touchdowns in the first eight games of a season.

Stafford played so well and with a Tebow comeback out of the picture, Stafford was benched in the 4th quarter, and replaced by back up Shaun Hill. Stafford’s early exit was also prevented him from further injuring his already tweaked knee and ankle, as well as his throwing hand, which seemed to be bothering him after his hand collided with Broncos cornerback, Champ Bailey, during a throw.

There are no reports yet on the seriousness of the injury. If Stafford does have to miss any time because of the hand injury, the Lions will have to rely on their run game, which is missing its star, Jahvid Best. The run game, while effective, is still missing the big-play ability of Best, who missed his second game in a row due to a concussion suffered in the Week 6 game against the San Francisco 49ers.

The running back by committee again consisted of Maurice Morris and Keiland Williams, who rushed for a combined 83 yards and touchdown by Morris. While the Lions are thankful for the improved play of Morris and Williams, they will be hoping for a speedy recovery for Best when they return to football action in Week 10 against the Chicago Bears.

For the Tebow-faithful, not a lot of good aspects could be found in this game. They can only hope that the next time he is on his knees during a football game, it’s on his own terms.

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