Bears

Bears RB D’Andre Swift said the team’s lack of execution falls upon the players, not HC Ben Johnson.

“He’s been doing everything he can do,” Swift said, via Bears Wire. “We as players need to follow his lead and execute.”

Packers

• Although Matt Schniedman of The Athletic thinks CB Carrington Valentine will have less playing time with the return of CB Nate Hobbs, he could see certain packages with Valentine involved where Hobbs is playing the nickel.
• Schneidman would be “very surprised” if Green Bay trades WR Romeo Doubs because he’s playing well while WRs Christian Watson and Jayden Reed are still recovering from injuries.
• Regarding Watson’s possible return, Schneidman writes that the receiver could play in Week 6 against the Bengals, but it depends on how he responds in practice.
• As for Reed’s injury, Schneidman thinks rookie WR Matthew Golden will see a bump in playing time and targets.
• Schneidman thinks Tucker Kraft is “inching closer” to being a top-five tight end in the NFL.
• Packers HC Matt LaFleur mentioned OT Zach Tom is still working back from his oblique injury: “We’ll see how he looks today and give him up to Sunday.” (Ryan Wood)

Vikings

Vikings QB J.J. McCarthy is set to miss time after suffering a high ankle sprain, enabling veteran QB Carson Wentz to inherit the starting role. Wentz mentioned that he grew up as a fan of the team, and it’s surreal for him to play in Minnesota.

“Even being here, I would say – I grew up rooting for this team,” Wentz said, via Rob Kleifield of the team’s site. “You know, it’s one of those things, you play long enough and you kind of forget about those things, because it’s just – it’s football, you bounce around teams. But being here, I kind of alluded to it when I first got here, just how cool it is for me to know I used to cheer for the guys that I’m walking down the hallway seeing [on the walls at TCO Performance Center]. I used to come to the Metrodome, and I was waving the towel. … And so running out of that tunnel this week will probably hit me a little bit different – in a really cool, kind of surreal way.”

Wentz said McCarthy is already responding well to his latest injury.

“It’s a bummer, obviously, what happened to him – been there more times than I care to admit,” Wentz said. “But it’s been fun to see how he’s responded already, and exciting for me, I’m not gonna lie. It’s been a couple years since I played in a game like this with real consequences.”

Vikings HC Kevin O’Connell had high praise for Wentz’s performance in practice.

“We had a phenomenal Thursday practice and the ball, I don’t think it hit the ground more than one time,” O’Connell said. *“He was in total command. I was really pushing the group via...