Bears

The Bears faced a 34-17 defeat against the Lions in Week 16, but interim head coach Thomas Brown continues to encourage quarterback Caleb Williams to “keep swinging.”

“Keep swinging,” Brown stated, as reported by Courtney Cronin of ESPN. “Shooters shoot, and he definitely shoots, which I appreciate. So I’m going to give him opportunities to shoot.”

Bears wide receiver Keenan Allen recorded nine receptions for 141 yards and a touchdown, calling his performance a moral victory.

“You have moral wins, moral victories,” Allen said. “It’s good to score. Obviously, just being able to be productive on offense, getting better, Caleb being able to get more reps, seeing different things on defense and ultimately just being able to get better throughout the season [is important].”

When discussing areas for improvement, Williams expressed a desire to reduce fumbling and turnovers.

“Fumbles that I’ve had for 2-3 weeks now, I think turnovers, they’re obviously a part of the game, but trying to eliminate those only helps our chances of winning,” Williams remarked. “Being able to just keep being efficient, as much as I can, and that doesn’t just mean when I throw the football. That’s with all the alerts, the time, the play clock, making sure cadence and things like that, helping offensive linemen out, whatever the case may be.”

Lions

• The Lions have recently signed quarterback Teddy Bridgewater out of retirement. Head coach Dan Campbell commented that Bridgewater adds a “veteran presence” as they prepare for the postseason: “It just brings a level of professionalism, a veteran presence, somebody that’s great for our team, great for the position.” (Source: Dave Birkett)
• Campbell clarified that Bridgewater’s acquisition does not reflect negatively on the development of quarterback Hendon Hooker, emphasizing that the playoffs represent “a different world,” as per Birkett.

Packers

• Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley noted that linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. has proven he deserves more playing time, especially before the trade of linebacker Preston Smith to the Steelers: “I clearly remember the day he was on the look team, and our guys were having trouble blocking him.” (Source: Ryan Wood)