We're Black and Blue All Over:
It turns out that Brian Urlacher's potentially season-ending hamstring injury was only the tip of the NFC North's personnel news Tuesday night.
The Detroit Lions ended the season of receiver Titus Young, and possibly his tenure altogether with them, by placing him on injured reserve because of a knee injury the team has downplayed all season. (Fellow receiver Ryan Broyles was also placed on IR, as expected.) Young had been told to stay away from the team for the second time in a span of three weeks, and it's difficult to imagine the Lions giving him another chance.
But the big news came from Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. Green Bay Packers tailback James Starks apparently suffered a knee injury Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, and it's serious enough that it could end his season. Starks is the most talented, but also the most injury-prone, runner on the Packers' roster, and they would be left with the underwhelming Alex Green, fullback John Kuhn and two recent acquisitions -- Johnny White and DuJuan Harris -- to fill in behind him.
To answer your questions on Twitter, yes, veteran Ryan Grant is a free agent and is available after a short stint with the Washington Redskins earlier this season. Whether the Packers have interest at this point is unknown. More is to come on this story, I'm sure.
In the meantime, our morning tour around the division starts now:
Panic is not in the Packers' vocabulary, writes Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
A first-round playoff bye is now within reach for the Packers, notes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
By placing Young on injured reserve, the Lions retain his rights and could trade him in the offseason, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
The Lions' defensive secondary is in a state of flux, and on Tuesday they released starting safety Erik Coleman, notes Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
The staff at Mlive.com looks at the Lions' plans to re-fortify their receiver position.
Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Tribune wonders if the Chicago Bears are nearing the end of their Urlacher era.
Bears cornerback Tim Jennings' arm is in a sling because of a shoulder injury, reports Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com, and that draws into question whether he will be ready for the Vikings on Sunday.
Bears receiver Devin Hester is improving from a concussion he suffered two weeks ago, notes Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, but it's unclear if he has been cleared for contact.
Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com: "Urlacher isn't just the face of the Bears, but also the heart."
Vikings receiver Percy Harvin will attempt to practice Wednesday, according to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com. Apparently, Harvin suffered a complete tear of a ligament in his ankle when he injured it in Seattle, a more serious injury than initially believed.
The Vikings know that the Bears have not always played well at the Metrodome, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.