Lions

Packers

• Packers WR Christian Watson is focusing on staying healthy after dealing with a recurring hamstring issue for the past few years. He expressed his goal of playing in all games and practices, stating, “I want to play 100% of the games, I want to play 100% of the practices. I’m right where I want to be.” (Brandon Carwile)
• With QB Malik Willis stepping in as the starting quarterback while Jordan Love is sidelined, Packers HC Matt LaFleur confirmed, “Malik is on the roster, and he’s our No. 2 quarterback, and that’s the way we’re going to roll.” (Ryan Wood)
• LaFleur clarified that the team never engaged in discussions with any free agent quarterbacks, despite rumors suggesting otherwise. He mentioned, “No. Despite reports. It’s crazy to me how people come up with some of these things. I think you explore every possibility, but at no point in time did we ever have any discussions with anybody.” (Wood)
• According to Howard Balzer, the Packers recently held tryouts for WRs T.J. Luther, Racey McMath, Seth Williams, and DL Jonathan Marshall.
• On Tuesday, the Packers conducted workouts for WR Kwamie Lassiter, QB Rocky Lombardi, TE Johnny Lumpkin, DL Leonard Payne, and DL Keith Randolph, leading to the signing of Lumpkin to their practice squad. (Aaron Wilson)

Vikings

Vikings QB Sam Darnold had an impressive debut with Minnesota, guiding them to a 28-6 victory over the Giants. Head Coach Kevin O’Connell attributed Darnold’s improved mental processing to his time with the 49ers.

O’Connell explained, “I think Sam being around, the Niners and Kyle [Shanahan] and how he coached that group last year, I think he took a lot out of that. And then I think just the way he went about the daily, I really stressed to Sam throughout training camp as we installed plays go through a process of how you were digesting that information, what you were doing at night, if we gave him information early, how he was going about trying to be comfortable with that.”

“What types of questions would he ask either in the quarterback meeting or when I get a chance with him one-on-one? And then that clarity that I can give him going into the games when we go through the whole call sheet the day before Saturday mornings, that red pen meeting where I think that’s the time where any and all uncertainty, gray, where he won’t have a maximum amount of confidence.”