We're Black and Blue All Over:

With their bye on the horizon, you wonder if the Green Bay Packers will try to steal two more weeks of rest for receiver Jordy Nelson's hamstring injury -- at the cost of only one more missed game.

Nelson didn't practice Wednesday and won't practice Thursday, according to coach Mike McCarthy via Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. He'll be tested Friday to measure the progress of an injury that occurred last week in practice and forced him out of last Sunday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Presumably, he could be cleared to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals if he tests well Friday, but next week's bye is an awfully tempting prospect if Nelson is at all on the borderline. The Packers have already had one receiver, Greg Jennings, regret a quick return from a groin injury this season.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Packers receiver James Jones is having the best season of his career, writes Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He hasn't been credited with a single drop.
• Cardinals lineman Daryn Colledge doesn't have any hard feelings about his departure from Green Bay, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Minnesota Vikings tight end John Carlson could miss his second consecutive game because of a concussion, notes Ben Goessling of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Star Tribune has a chart of the Vikings' 12 three-and-out series on offense over the past two games.
• Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder on the team's offensive problems, via Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com: "Everything is fixable, so we just have to fix it."
• Detroit Lions safety Louis Delmas does not have significant damage in his re-injured left knee and is day-to-day, notes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Lions defensive end Cliff Avril is looking forward to playing in his hometown of Jacksonville this Sunday, writes Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
• The Lions have made trade-deadline deals in three of general manager Martin Mayhew's five years at the helm, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune on receiver Brandon Marshall: "Marshall came to the Bears with a reputation as a guy who could tear a locker room apart. Instead, he has built the locker room up."
• Bears cornerback D.J. Moore considers himself the best player on the team from Vanderbilt, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. The candidates also include quarterback Jay Cutler and receiver Earl Bennett.
• Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times takes a look at Cutler's clutch play this season.