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For once, can we all join together as a division and request that Cleveland coach Eric Mangini, uh, keep our names out of his mouth?

Mangini spent part of his Monday news conference suggesting that several of Detroit’s defensive players faked injuries to force a stoppage in play Sunday and slow down his vaunted no-huddle offense. According to this report from Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Mangini implied it was a strategic decision from Lions coach Jim Schwartz.

I admit I haven’t finished watching the video of the game, but the official gamebook notes four occasions when a Lions defensive player suffered an injury that was classified with a “probable” return. No matter how glaring, however, Mangini should be embarrassed to have brought up the issue. He should be more concerned about how his team lost a 24-3 first-quarter lead and committed a dumb penalty on what should have been the final play of the game.

Here’s the simple truth: FAKING INJURIES IS NOT AGAINST NFL RULES. So even if the Lions did employ that strategy, which nothing short of an overt admission could ever prove, Mangini’s complaint represents nothing but sour grapes.

It’s true that the NFL would prefer teams not make a habit of this strategy. But here’s all it says about the issue in the NFL rule book:

The Rules Committee deprecates feigning injuries, with subsequent withdrawal, to obtain a timeout without penalty. Coaches are urged to cooperate in discouraging this practice.

(Don’t worry. I had to look up “deprecate” in the dictionary. It’s not what you think. It means “disapproves.”)

In this instance, all Mangini has to go by is the circumstantial evidence of “a lot” of injuries while the Browns were on offense, as he put it Monday. Has he looked at the Lions’ weekly injury report this year? If anything, circumstantial evidence should side with the Lions. They’re always getting hurt.

If the Lions were intentionally flopping Sunday, it didn’t help much. The Browns finished with 37 points and 439 total yards. Schwartz termed the accusation “out of bounds” while speaking with Detroit reporters and I agree.

Mangini is the last coach who should accuse another of massaging common NFL practices.

After Minnesota’s 35-9 victory over Seattle, here are three (mostly) indisputable facts I feel relatively sure about:

1. This might only interest me. But by my count, backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson has taken 48 snaps this season in garbage time replacement duty for starter Brett Favre. The Vikings are averaging 64.4 plays per game, meaning Jackson has already played the equivalent of three quarters this season. I know it doesn’t sound like much, but it’s one way the Vikings have been able to keep Favre fresh this season and, potentially, for the playoffs. If this pace continues for the final six games, Favre will have missed the equivalent of more than a game’s worth of snaps and potential wear and tear. Just some grist for the mill, especially to the naysayers who have noted Favre’s late-season struggles in recent years.
2. I didn’t get to it last week, but our friends at Football Outsiders elevated Minnesota’s special teams to their No. 1 overall ranking in the NFL through 10 weeks. It’s a complicated formula, but basically it compares each team’s performance to the NFL average in multiple categories specific to special teams. Percy Harvin’s arrival has certainly helped, but so has the acquisition of a handful of other players who are excelling on special teams. One is rookie safety Jamarca Sanford, who forcefully stripped the ball from Seattle returner Ben Obomanu in the second quarter. Updated special-teams statistics aren’t available yet, but unofficially Sanford has nine special-teams tackles in eight games this season.
3. Chester Taylor’s 73-yard performance was a reminder that he is fresh and still available for spot duty whenever needed. The Vikings have been trying to work Adrian Peterson into more passing situations, and that along with Harvin’s emergence has seemed to minimize Taylor’s role. But Taylor has always provided a reliable change in running style from Peterson’s hard-charging pace. And no, we didn’t miss Taylor and Peterson in the backfield at the same time Sunday. It’s a welcome wrinkle we have always advocated around these parts.

And here’s one question I’m still asking:

Is Ray Edwards finally establishing himself as a consistent playmaking defensive end? A week after notching two sacks against the Lions, and losing a third to penalty, Edwards had three tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He helped the defense limit Seattle to 212 total yards and 10 first downs, season lows in both categories. Edwards has the luxury of playing alongside three 2008 Pro Bowlers, but he has the speed, strength and aggression to routinely make big plays in single matchups with offensive linemen.

After Detroit’s 38-37 victory over Cleveland, here are three (mostly) indisputable facts I feel relatively sure about:

1. I feel bad for Lions fans who helped sell out Thursday’s Thanksgiving game against Green Bay. It’s hard to imagine a scenario in which they’ll be able to greet their newest hero. I’m not sure how forthcoming the team will be about quarterback Matthew Stafford’s left shoulder, but it would be a minor miracle if he can make a start in three days. Sports Illustrated’s Peter King wrote here about Stafford being fit for a harness and sling after the game. Stafford doesn’t need the left shoulder to throw, but he does need it to take snaps and won’t have the advantage of adrenaline to overcome the pain he would incur the first time he took a hit.
2. I’m willing to acknowledge that rookie tight end Brandon Pettigrew is a better receiver than I originally gave him credit for. His 29 receptions lead all rookie tight ends, and he’s got some ball skills that help him in traffic. With receiver Calvin Johnson sidelined on the game’s final play Sunday, I agree that Pettigrew was Stafford’s best option. With all that said, I’m still not convinced that a team so bereft of talented linemen had the luxury of taking a tight end with the No. 20 overall pick. But to this point, the Lions are getting a pretty decent return from the decision.
3. Stafford’s late-game heroics masked what would have been the most embarrassing performance yet by the Lions’ horrid pass defense. Cleveland quarterback Brady Quinn threw four touchdown passes, one shy of the total number of offensive touchdowns the Browns had scored in their previous 15 games combined. Overall, Quinn completed 64 percent of his passes and had a 133.1 passer rating. I shudder to think what kind of numbers Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers will put up against the Lions on Thursday.

And here is one question I’m still asking:

Should Kevin Smith be a bigger part of the Lions’ passing game? His 25-yard touchdown reception required a mid-air adjustment and showcased excellent hands and ball skills. It’s one thing to have a running back who can catch a checkdown or screen pass. It’s quite another if the player can split the seam, make an adjustment and score. That sequence should open some eyes around the NFL.

After Chicago’s 24-20 loss to Philadelphia, here are three (mostly) indisputable facts I feel relatively sure about:

1. I knew I recognized Kahlil Bell’s name from an NFC North perspective. But I couldn’t remember how until a media friend filled one of the many gaps in my head. Bell played at UCLA, where he caught the eye of Minnesota running backs coach Eric Bieniemy, a former Bruins assistant. The Vikings brought Bell to training camp but waived him Aug. 16. In his first game for the Bears on Sunday night, Bell produced the team’s longest run in its past 9,004 carries, according to Elias Sports Bureau, dating back to 1989. I don’t think Bell is a long-term answer for the Bears, but it sure would be nice if he afforded them another backfield option while starter Matt Forte continues to struggle.
2. Philadelphia receiver DeSean Jackson split safeties Al Afalava and Danieal Manning for his 48-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter. I know it looked like Afalava got beat, but I wouldn’t put him any higher than third on the list of blame for that play. First of all, Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb had far too much time waiting for Jackson to break free. McNabb took three sacks in the game but the Bears were nowhere close to him on that play. Second, I blame any scheme that leaves two safeties to cover Jackson. He’s too fast for either Manning or Afalava. I can’t diss Afalava for one of the NFL’s fastest players having enough time to run past him.
3. Sometimes it's inevitable to adopt the opinions of broadcasters when you watch a game on television, but one thing NBC’s Cris Collinsworth said is still resonating with me. Quarterback Jay Cutler’s mechanics look totally out of whack. He threw some passes while backpedaling. He threw a few others from his toes, including the fourth-quarter overthrow of receiver Johnny Knox. He rarely stepped into his passes. I know this isn’t a new thing for Cutler, and I realize his arm can generally compensate for those oversights. But when you’re as inaccurate as Cutler was Sunday night, it’s fair to inspect such mundane details. He looks like he needs a mechanics boot camp with a mentor he trusts. (Mike Shanahan is available, I believe.)

And here is one question I’m still asking:

How many times will the Bears run a screen to Devin Hester before they realize opponents are all over it? We get it. Hester is a playmaker who just needs the ball in his hands. And even if it only nets 4 or 5 yards, it’s better than the average play the Bears’ running game is producing. But neither Hester nor anyone else can escape three defensive players who pounce on this tired play. On Sunday, Hester managed 2 yards on three bubble screens. Isn’t it time to lay off that one for a few weeks?

After Green Bay’s 30-24 victory over San Francisco, here are three (mostly) indisputable facts I feel relatively sure about:

1. Coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the worst Monday: Cornerback Al Harris (knee) and linebacker Aaron Kampman (knee) are lost for the season. With a day to think about it, you wonder if this traumatic turn of events has accelerated an expected personnel succession on the Packers defense. Neither player was an ideal fit for the team’s new 3-4 scheme. Kampman is a pending free agent and seems far more comfortable as a 4-3 defensive end. Harris’ contract runs through 2011, but he will turn 35 in December. Tramon Williams seems to be a natural fit to replace Harris. I’m not sure if the Packers have an internal replacement for Kampman, but for now they’re looking at the combination of rookie Brad Jones and veteran Brady Poppinga.
2. I don’t think you can minimize how rewarding it must be for the Packers offense to have run out the final 5:50 of the game after the 49ers closed within one score. Their defense was staggered and there was every reason to believe the 49ers would score again if they got the ball back. But after regaining possession, Green Bay converted three first downs and forced San Francisco to use its final two timeouts. Tailback Ryan Grant ran for 27 yards on the possession, including a 21-yarder that assured the Packers good field position if they had been forced to punt, and made an important statement that he can be relied on in the latter stages of games that have significant playoff implications.
3. Through all of Sunday’s posts, we barely mentioned receiver Greg Jennings’ first 100-yard day since Week 3 at St. Louis. More than half of his yardage came on a 64-yard catch-and-run-touchdown in the second quarter. Jennings credited his position in the slot and the Packers’ increased use of slant patterns in recent weeks, but he also pointed out the return of tight end Jermichael Finley’s from a knee injury. The Packers believe they are a different team with Finley’s inclusion in the route tree. Sunday, they targeted him on a team-high 10 passes. He caught seven of them for 54 yards.

And here is one question I’m still asking:

Will the Packers seek out emergency veteran replacements for Harris or Kampman? New Orleans has signed two veteran cornerbacks in the past week, Chris McAlister and Mike McKenzie. Another available veteran is Patrick Surtain. Otherwise, it’s pretty slim pickings. Anyone who can cover someone and is in decent shape isn’t going to be available this time of year. The same is true at the linebacker position. It’s possible the Packers will bring someone in, but he isn’t likely to be a difference-maker.

Sunday night, I referred to Jay Cutler’s performance as “self-conscious” during a 24-20 loss to Philadelphia. His approach seemed much more cautious after a five-interception game in his previous outing, and ultimately it might have affected his accuracy.

ESPN Stats & Information has some numbers to back up that general observation. Cutler completed only four passes that traveled more than 10 yards past the line of scrimmage. He was much more efficient in the short-range passing game.

Here is the breakdown:

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- We almost did it. I thought we Black and Bluers had a chance to repeat our Week 3 performance and have a perfect 4-0 weekend, but alas, Chicago came up short Sunday night after Green Bay, Minnesota and Detroit each did its part.

Oh well. A 3-1 mark isn’t too shabby, especially when two of our teams remain in the thick of the NFC playoff chase. As of this moment, the Vikings are the conference’s No. 2 seed, while the Packers are competing with Philadelphia and the New York Giants for a pair of NFC wild-card spots.

A lot can change before then, and we’ll dive into all of the issues this week. For now, however, let’s make sure we’re all clear on one item: There can be no division title clinched this Sunday at the Metrodome. The scenario detailed in this post is no longer possible.

Minnesota did its part to create it, defeating Detroit and Seattle in successive weeks. Chicago did as well, losing to San Francisco and the Eagles. The Packers, however, blocked the scenario by defeating Dallas and San Francisco.

OK, let’s take a quick spin around the division while I make my way back to division headquarters:

• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette is worried about the Packers’ final six games of the season after losing cornerback Al Harris and linebacker Aaron Kampman to knee injuries: “The Packers face the grim prospect of trotting out Jarrett Bush as their nickel back and rookie Brandon Underwood as the next-best cornerback option. Opposing quarterbacks are salivating over the prospect of padding their passing stats at the expense of the Packers. If Alex Smith, one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the NFL, can light up the wounded Packers’ defense, what’s going to happen when Joe Flacco, Ben Roethlisberger, Jay Cutler and Kurt Warner get their hands on the ball over the final six weeks of the season?”
• The injuries could “turn the Packers' potentially promising season on its ear,” writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Lost in the injury news were big performances from receiver Greg Jennings and tight end Jermichael Finley, notes Jason Wilde of ESPN Milwaukee.
• Bears quarterback Jay Cutler on his performance Sunday night against Philadelphia: “I think it's fair to think that I missed the throw. I'm not going to hit 100 percent of them. It's a fact.” Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago has more.
• Cutler is supposed “to increase the margin for error, not keep it razor-thin,” writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
• Rick Telander of the Chicago Sun-Times: “It seems Bears fans are destined to ride up and down with this mercurial quarterback, like a glassy speedboat that might hit a wave and disintegrate at any moment.”
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press after the Lions’ wild victory over Cleveland: “Legends aren’t born, fortunes suddenly reversed in games matching the equally wretched. [Matthew] Stafford’s 1-yard touchdown pass to fellow rookie Brandon Pettigrew on the extra play for a 38-37 victory doesn’t change the pathetic course of this franchise -- unless, of course, they get Cleveland on the schedule for the remainder of the season. It’s a win. That’s all. Maybe that’s enough when you lose as imaginatively as the Lions have during the past two years, but the scintillating drama of the closing seconds doesn’t conceal the horrors of the first 59 minutes, when the Lions and Browns provided irrefutable evidence as to why they’re unmistakably the worst teams in the NFL.”
• Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News: “If the story of Matthew Stafford develops as hoped, there's a pretty good chance it started right there, when the Lions finally had a chance to do something unexpected and stirring, and they finally did. It was just one play after one fortunate twist at the end of a bizarre game between two NFL bottom-feeders. But in that moment, on Stafford's 1-yard touchdown pass with no time on the clock, the quarterback prodigy stamped his worthiness and sealed it with a bold signature, written in winces.”
• Don’t forget the Lions’ defense was torched by Browns quarterback Brady Quinn, notes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com in handing out game grades.
• Minnesota coach Brad Childress challenged his players to play their best game of the season Sunday against Seattle. Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune has more.
• Vikings owner Zygi Wilf told reporters he felt no need to wait for the end of the season to finalize Childress’ contract extension. “We've had a great relationship working together," Wilf said. "We feel very comfortable with Brad. There was never that type of thought." Here’s the story from Rick Alonzo of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.

Chicago’s midseason hiccup, along with quarterback Jay Cutler's continuing backslide, has just about ended the competitive portion of the Bears' season.

Sunday night's loss was their third in a row and fifth in their past six games. They’ve fallen to 4-6 after a 3-1 start, their only victory during that stretch coming against 1-9 Cleveland, and stand on the far outskirts of the NFC playoff picture.

Worse, Cutler played what I can only call a self-conscious game in his first appearance since a five-interception performance at San Francisco. He overthrew three passes that would have gone for touchdowns -- one each to Greg Olsen, Johnny Knox and Devin Hester -- and finished with only 171 yards passing despite completing 24 of his 43 attempts.

Cutler telegraphed his only interception of the night, a pass he forced to Olsen on the Bears’ final drive. Overall, he seemed too tentative in response to an overly aggressive stretch of games.

You can only assume that Cutler will eventually work through these issues, but it isn’t likely to come in time to save this season for the Bears.

Research by the NFL office indicates that Detroit’s Matthew Stafford had -- statistically, at least, -- the best game by a rookie quarterback in league history on Sunday. The evidence:

• His 422 yards is a single-game record for a rookie quarterback. The previous high was 405 yards by Arizona’s Matt Leinart in 2006.
• He became the first rookie quarterback to throw five touchdowns in a game since, oh, 1937. That’s right. The only other rookie to do it was Chicago’s Ray Buivid.

Go ahead and impress your friends with that bit of a trivia.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Al Harris pulled on a brown leather coat, turned around from his locker and for a moment I thought I was looking at the wrong guy. There were no crutches to be seen. No medical officials were hovering. Harris looked like any other Packers player departing Lambeau Field.

Then he took a step, and that was it. Harris could not put any weight on his left knee, and it appears a virtual certainty he will miss the rest of the season. The same could be true for linebacker Aaron Kampman, who like Harris, rode a cart off the field in the second half of the Packers’ 30-24 victory over San Francisco. Multiple reports suggested both players tore their anterior cruciate ligaments, but coach Mike McCarthy said only that the injuries "did not look very good."

Regardless, the Packers almost certainly will be left to pursue a wild-card playoff berth without two of their most prominent players.

“Those are two staples of our defense,” cornerback Charles Woodson said. “They are great guys and teammates. I don’t know the extent of either one of their injuries right now. But not to have those guys is going to be tough going for this team.”

Through all of their trials in pass protection and scheme adjustment, the Packers have strung together consecutive victories to put themselves in position for a playoff spot. At 6-4, they’re part of a second tier of NFC teams behind the division leaders. That group includes the New York Giants (6-4) and Philadelphia (6-4).

Otherwise, the Packers have gained an advantage over Atlanta (5-5), Chicago (4-6), San Francisco (4-6) and Carolina (4-6) with six games to play. I believe they’ve tweaked their offense sufficiently enough to mitigate some problems in pass protection, having rediscovered their running game while targeting checkdown receivers more frequently. (Sunday, tailback Ryan Grant rushed for 129 yards while backup Brandon Jackson and tight end Jermichael Finley combined for 13 receptions.)

But even with Harris and Kampman on the field, the Packers were just starting to turn the corner on defense. To me, the biggest question of their playoff run isn’t whether they can protect Rodgers. It’s whether defensive coordinator Dom Capers can piece together a game plan to match their looming personnel turnover.

Their new mix is likely to include Tramon Williams in Harris’ spot along with rookie Brandon Underwood in the nickel. Rookie Brad Jones and veteran Brady Poppinga would replace Kampman.

“It’s like that in the NFL,” Capers said. “A week ago, when we didn’t have Aaron, Brad went in and did a nice job and we played well. Their job is to get ready and our job is to see how much we think they can handle and what they can do to find a way to play and win the game.”

I think most of us can agree the Packers strung together their best six quarters of defense last week against Dallas and in the first half Sunday against the 49ers. Here’s what the Cowboys and 49ers managed over that stretch:

Points: 10
Yards: 335
First Downs: 18

Now look at what happened from the moment Harris joined Kampman in the locker room at the 10:52 mark in the fourth quarter. See what the 49ers amassed in 10 offensive plays to close out the game:

Points: 14
Yards: 92
First downs: 5

The Packers suddenly couldn’t stop a team they had limited to one first down in the first half. Frankly, the Packers locked down the victory mostly because their offense ran the final 5:50 off the clock.

Capers noted that the 49ers began their comeback before Harris was injured, but I don’t think you can underestimate the domino effect of his departure. I’m well aware that rookie Michael Crabtree beat him for a 38-yard touchdown in the third quarter, but to that point Harris had blanketed him.

Woodson, for one, said Harris had made substantial progress in accepting the scheme recently.

“The last two weeks,” Woodson said, “the way he has studied, knowing what he’s going to get out there on the field, has drastically improved.”

Williams has a nose for the ball and is a decent playmaker, but I’m far from sold on his coverage skills. Crabtree, not noted for his speed, ran right past him on a 35-yard pass that set up the 49ers’ final touchdown.

“The second half, it wasn’t real good,” Williams said. “It’s a win, but deep down inside, we know it wasn’t a winning performance against a good team.”

In the worst-case scenario, in fact, the Packers will have two late-round draft picks in prominent roles for the rest of the season. Underwood (Round 6b) is the likeliest candidate for nickel, and Jones (Round 7) will certainly see significant time in Kampman’s place.

Like Harris, it seemed as though Kampman was beginning to find a comfort zone in the Packers' defense over the past few weeks. After sitting out the Cowboys game because of a concussion, Kampman sacked 49ers quarterback Alex Smith in the first quarter and unofficially finished with a team-high four solo tackles.

If he is lost for the season, you have to wonder if Kampman has played his final game in a Packers uniform. His contract expires after this season, and while it’s clear he can be part of a successful 3-4 defense, it’s equally clear his skills are not maximized in it.

But Sunday’s sack came from a nickel-like package in which Kampman rushed from a down-lineman’s position. Kampman’s productivity has increased since Capers began giving him more opportunities to rush as a defensive end.

“I’m not sure how he felt about the defense this season and switching schemes,” Woodson said. “But I know one thing: Nobody worked harder at it trying to be a productive member of this team. I know he was excited, especially how we did last weekend [and with us] doing some good things today. To see a guy [seriously injured] that you know works hard at the game and loves the game, both him and Al, is a tough thing.”

And not just for Woodson. Overcoming these injuries, while maintaining their recent standard of defensive play, will be the key to the Packers’ season.