Two significant defensive injuries have knocked two Detroit Lions starters out for the year. DE Kyle Vanden Bosch already missed last week, and now they'll be without CB Alphonso Smith too. However the Lions pass rush didn't slip too much in Vanden Bosch's absence as DE Cliff Avril had "a monster game" against the Bears. While Smith has been a pleasant surprise for the Lions at times this season, he's had a brutal stretch lately including a disastrous game against the Patriots. On the other hand, the Lions secondary might need all the help they can get. They haven't held a quarterback to a QB rating of under 100 over their last three games (QB Jay Cutler, QB Tom Brady, and even QB Jon Kitna).
Mike McCarthy announced that LT Chad Clifton suffered a concussion against the 49ers. It wasn't reported until Wednesday because the symptoms didn't appear until Monday. He'll be evaluated by an independent specialist on Thursday to see if he can return to practice. Hopefully he can come back this week (see Cliff Avril above). Also, CB Charles Woodson injured his ankle, but the extent of the injury was unclear.
QB Aaron Rodgers has been named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week. It's always well deserved when he gets recognized for his awesomeness. Take that Drew Stanton!