Authors Note:  Our friend and fellow writer Adam Czech was diagnosed with Stage IV Colon Cancer last week.  Adam wrote a must read story on his personal battle to beat this terrible disease.  If you have not read his story, My Real Life Hail Mary, it is must-read, and can be found here.  Good Luck To Adam and his family;  literally our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Chicago Bears:   The Bears dropped an overtime heart-breaker at home this past week to a poor San Francisco 49’ers team all but killing their slim playoff hopes.  Yet it was the manner in which the Bears lost that was so disheartening.  The normally automatic Robbie Gould missed a chip shot field goal that would have won the game only to see the Niners complete a 71-yard bomb to seal the victory shortly afterward.  It was a crushing defeat for Bears fans who were talking playoffs just days earlier.

Key Rankings:  The Bears are the 20^th ranked offense in the NFL based on average yards per game, and only 24^th in scoring offense.

Key Injuries: 14 players were on last week’s injury report and many remain on the current list including Martellus Bennett (ribs), Matt Forte (ankle) and Jay Cutler (head).  None are expected to miss time.  WR Kevin White remains out with a broken foot.

Vegas odds: The Bears opened as 1 favorites against the Washington Redskins at home but since moved to 3.5 after the ‘Skins dropped a home gimmee against the Cowboys.

Last Week:   Lost at home to SF

This Week:   At home vs. Washington

Season Record:  5 - 7

Place in NFC North:    3^rd

Detroit Lions:  With a three game win streak tucked safely in their pockets, and feeling good about themselves after finally beating their old nemeses the Packers in November on the road, the Lions put up 17 straight points against the Packers in just the first quarter.  It was 20 straight before the Packers scored.  But the Lions being the Lions lost to the Packers on a walk-off Hail Mary with no time left effectively putting themselves out of playoff contention. 

For a team that won eleven games last season the current mess was certainly not anticipated.  Pity poor Sports Illustrated’ Doug Farrar for picking the Lions in the pre-season to win the NFC North and Chris Burke for spotting them second.  Note:  Farrar also chose the Falcons to win the NFC South, Seahawks in the West, and Eagles in the East.  Just goes to show the ‘experts’ have hiccups too.

With Martha Ford glaring down from her private box her off-season to-do list certainly now includes, if it didn’t previously, replacing the entire Lions coaching staff.  She hopes to get it right this time as opposed to merely re-arranging deck chairs on the Titanic as has been done in the past. 

Good luck with that.

Key Rankings:  The Lions defense is the second worst team in the NFL when it comes to the opponents QB rating (103.5), and are fifth worst in scoring

Key Injuries:  WR Lance Moore is still battling ankle injuries.

Vegas Odds:  The Lions are 2.5 point underdogs to the Rams, since moved to 1.

Last Week:   Lost at home to the Packers

This Week:   At St. Louis Rams

Season Record:    4 - 8

Place in NFC North: 4^th (last)

Minnesota Vikings:  The Vikings will have precious little time to lick their wounds from the 38 – 7 pounding that they endured at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks in Minnesota this past Sunday.  They head to the Valley of the Sun for a Thursday night meeting with the current number-two NFC seed Arizona Cardinals. 

After the game All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson was quoted as saying that the Vikings were out-coached by Seattle’s Pete Carroll and his staff.

The Vikings are technically still tied with the Packers for first place but lose out to the Packers in the tie-breaker (head-to-head) for playoff seeding.

Key Rankings: The Vikings face the NFL’s number one offense in the Cardinals (419.5  YPG average).  The Vikings running game has fallen from the top spot to number five averaging 136.8 YPG.  The Cardinals defense is ranked fourth allowing only 316.8 YPG, and is tied with the Vikings for the fourth best scoring defense allowing an average points per game of 19.3.

The Vikings will need their defense to show up this week against the NFL’s top scoring offense (31.8 PPG).  Arizona is the only team in the NFL boasting a top five offense and defense.

Key injuries:  The Vikings defense may again be without key contributors Linval Joseph, Harrison Smith and Anthony Barr.

Vegas odds:  The Vikings are 7.5 point underdogs on the road.

Last Week:   Lost to Seattle at home

This Week:   At Arizona

Season Record:   8 - 4

Place in NFC North:    Tied for first

Green Bay Packers:   With the Vikings graciously accommodating the Green Bay Packers by putting up a clinker at home to the Seahawks, the Packers move into the third spot in the playoff picture.  If the season ended today the Packers would open at home hosting the defending NFC Champion Seattle Seahawks who they defeated earlier this season.

Who do you cheer for on Thursday night Packers fans?

Should the Vikings lose it would give the Packers a full game lead with 4 games (3 ½ technically) to play.  But with the Pack playing two teams with losing records and hosting Minnesota in the final game of the season they hold their fate in their own hands. (Note; dispelling a popular cliché, they do not hold their destiny in their own hands, as destiny is defined as an event that will necessarily happen in the future).

However if the Packers hope to earn a bye (second seed) they would probably have to win out - which translates to a win over both the Vikings and Cardinals – and have the Cardinals lose at least one more game.  A tied record of 12 – 4 between the Cards and Packers would then see the Packers take the tie-breaker (head-to-head competition) for the second seed.

So Packers fans, how do want Thursday’s game to go? A Cardinals or Vikings win?

Key Rankings:  The Cowboys come into Lambeau Field with the number five ranked pass defense allowing just 222.4 YPG.  The Packers defense is the sixth stingiest in the league allowing an average of only 19.8 points per game.  The Packers offense in an anemic 22^nd in total yards, 23^rd in passing but 12^th in scoring. The Dallas offense is the league’s fourth worst averaging only 18.6 points and is 5^th worst in passing offense.

Key Injuries:  QB Tony Romo will again miss the game against the Packers (shoulder) and presumably journeyman Matt Cassel will again be under center.  CB Morris Claiborne and TE Jason Witten are also injured but expected to play. The Packers are banged up at several positions but maybe none more than the offensive line where Bryan Bulaga and T.J. Lang missed the Lions game, C Corey Linsley was reinjured and LT David Bakhtiari also was forced to leave the game but later returned. WR Ty Montgomery (ankle) remains injured with his game day status unknown and Damarious Randall who also missed the Lions game returned to practice on Tuesday.  Andrew Quarless is eligible to be activated off of IR and rumor is that he will suit-up against the Cowboys.

Vegas Odds: The Packers opened as 5 point favorites at home vs. the Cowboys but the line has since moved to 7.

Last Week:   Won at Detroit

This Week:   At home vs. Dallas

Season Record:    8 - 4

Place in NFC North:    Tied for First