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When we last checked in on the Minnesota Vikings' defensive backfield, they had signed free agent cornerback Zack Bowman to a one-year contract and were continuing to fulfill the mantra of new general manager Rick Spielman: "Value" players from free agency and blue-chippers from the draft.

That's the way to view their latest move, a one-year deal with free agent Chris Carr that the Jason La Canfora of the NFL's web site first reported Wednesday. Carr was a full-time starter for the Baltimore Ravens in 2010 but appeared in only nine games, and 17.5 percent of the Ravens' defensive snaps, in 2011 because of a hamstring injury. He'll turn 29 later this month and will join a crowded if underwhelming group of contenders for the Vikings' 2012 cornerback rotation.

Carr and Bowman will compete for time with holdovers Antoine Winfield, Chris Cook and Asher Allen. If you were hoping for a more significant addition, then I would suggest looking toward the draft. That's where Spielman has said his best players will come from, and it's fair to hold him to that assertion.

Holiday and travel constraints have required us to shorten our weekly Friday injury report. I've got some important bits and pieces to share, but for those who need the entire rundown, please see the injury pages on both ESPN.com and NFL.com.

• The Green Bay Packers ruled out defensive end Ryan Pickett (concussion) and offensive lineman Chad Clifton (back) for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears. Defensive end Mike Neal (shoulder) is questionable, but the Packers are hopeful he can play.
• The Minnesota Vikings ruled out guard Steve Hutchinson (concussion) and cornerback Asher Allen (concussion) for Saturdays' game against the Washington Redskins.
• It doesn't look like Bears running back Marion Barber will play Sunday night, and receiver/kick returner Devin Hester might have a hard time getting on the field as well.

Have a great evening, everyone.

Checking in on Thursday's newsbits in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: Tight end Kellen Davis (back) and defensive end Julius Peppers (not injury related) returned to practice Thursday. Still missing were linebacker Lance Briggs (ankle), running back Marion Barber (calf) and kick returner/receiver Devin Hester (ankle). None have been ruled out for Sunday's game at Lambeau Field.

Detroit Lions: Cornerback Don Carey (concussion), safety Louis Delmas (knee), defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot), defensive tackle Corey Williams (hip) and defensive end Willie Young (ankle) all missed practice. The Lions re-signed cornerback Brandon McDonald to bolster their depth as Carey's concussion lingers.

Green Bay Packers: Running backs James Starks (ankle) and Brandon Saine (concussion) participated fully in practice and should be ready to play Sunday night. Linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf) and offensive lineman Chad Clifton (hamstring/back) made it through their second consecutive day of practice. Defensive lineman Howard Green (foot) was limited in practice. Defensive end Ryan Pickett (concussion) has still not been cleared.

Minnesota Vikings: The decision by USC quarterback Matt Barkley to return to school could have an indirect impact on the Vikings. If the Vikings ultimately want to trade down from their perch atop the first round, it would have helped to have another blue-chip quarterback to increase the value of their pick. Meanwhile, cornerback Asher Allen and guard Steve Hutchinson (concussion) missed practice for the second consecutive day.

Taking a look at Wednesday's newsbits in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: A high number of prominent players didn't practice Wednesday. The list included running back Marion Barber (calf), linebacker Lance Briggs (ankle), tight end Kellen Davis (back), receiver Devin Hester (ankle), defensive tackle Henry Melton (shin) and defensive end Julius Peppers (not injury related). Melton doesn't appear to have a great chance to play Sunday night against the Green Bay Packers.

Detroit Lions: Safety Louis Delmas (knee), defensive tackle Corey Williams (hip), right tackle Gosder Cherilus and defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch (neck) didn't practice. It doesn't appear that Delmas will be ready for Saturday's game against the San Diego Chargers.

Green Bay Packers: Left tackle Chad Clifton finally returned to practice Wednesday but it's almost impossible to imagine him playing Sunday against the Bears. Instead, T.J. Lang is likely to start at right tackle with Evan Dietrich-Smith at Lang's left guard spot. The healthy backups will be Ray Dominguez and newcomer Herb Taylor. Running back James Starks practice an could be on track to play Sunday. Running back Brandon Saine (concussion) also practiced, as did linebacker Desmond Bishop (calf). Defensive end Ryan Pickett (concussion) did not.

Minnesota Vikings: Cornerback Asher Allen and guard Steve Hutchinson both sat out practice Wednesday because of concussions. Joe Berger would start for Hutchinson if he can't play Saturday against the Washington Redskins.

Catching up on Mondays newsbits in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: Receiver Johnny Knox had successful back surgery Monday, the team announced, and the prognosis for continuing his career is good. Meanwhile, coach Lovie Smith refused to name a starting quarterback for the Bears' next game, sparking speculation that he will bench Caleb Hanie for either Josh McCown or Nathan Enderle.

Detroit Lions: Coach Jim Schwartz said he hasn't ruled out any player on the active roster for Saturday's game against the San Diego Chargers. That includes defensive end Lawrence Jackson (thigh), cornerback Chris Houston (knee) and safety Louis Delmas, who had arthroscopic knee surgery on Saturday.

Green Bay Packers: Right tackle Bryan Bulaga has a sprained knee cap and isn't likely to play Sunday night against the Bears, coach Mike McCarthy told reporters. Rookie offensive lineman Derek Sherrod has already undergone surgery on his broken leg. McCarthy indicated the Packers will practice this week with T.J. Lang at right guard and Evan Dietrich-Smith at left guard, but he also said that veteran left tackle Chad Clifton is expected to return to individual drills Wednesday.

Minnesota Vikings: Two players are being monitored after suffering concussions Sunday: Left guard Steve Hutchinson and cornerback Asher Allen. Meanwhile, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe told reporters that some of his teammates quit in Sunday's loss to the New Orleans Saints. "Not a lot though," Shiancoe said. "Like a very small handful of guys."

The Minnesota Vikings will attempt to slow down the New Orleans Saints' passing game with a cornerback duo of Asher Allen and Benny Sapp. Former starter Cedric Griffin has been benched, and it's not clear what role he'll play Sunday.

As we noted earlier in the week, the Vikings' pass defense hasn't been, uh, good this season. They haven't intercepted a pass in eight games, tying an NFL record.

Griffin has struggled to return from his second torn anterior cruciate ligament. Sapp re-joined the team last month.

We'll keep you posted.

After the Minnesota Vikings' 35-32 loss to the Denver Broncos, here are three issues that merit further examination:

Kevin SeifertFollowing their loss against the Broncos, the Vikings take a seat in the examination room.
1. Coach Leslie Frazier has deserved some criticism this year, but let's cut him a break from demands that he should have allowed the Broncos to score once an interception gave them possession at the Vikings' 15-yard line. As the theory goes, the Vikings would have been better off giving the Broncos a 39-32 lead and then launching their own potential game-tying drive rather than letting the Broncos run off the rest of the clock and kick a short field goal to win. I checked with ESPN's analytics team to see if the Vikings would have increased their mathematical win probability with such an unorthodox move. The short answer from Alok Pattani was no, based on an ESPN model built off thousands of individual play results over the past decade. The Broncos had a 95.3 percent chance to win the game the moment they made the interception. Had the Vikings allowed an immediate touchdown, their chances of driving the field for a touchdown on their ensuing possession and ultimately winning the game in overtime was 2.5 percent. So statistically speaking, the Vikings had a better chance of stopping the Broncos' final possession, as they tried to do, than pulling off a non-traditional miracle.
2. Frazier made a starling admission Monday at his weekly news conference when asked about struggling cornerback Cedric Griffin. In essence, Frazier said Griffin wouldn't be playing if the Vikings had a better option. Griffin is trying to come back from the second of two career ACL tears and has looked hesitant and a step slow all season. Frazier: "He's not the Cedric we saw before the second ACL injury and he's tried to battle through some things. But his confidence level has not been where it needs to be to able to play at a high level in our league. I'm sure it has a lot to do with coming off a second ACL. We're just so depleted depth-wise that we have to have him out there. I know he'd like to play better. I know he's trying to play better. It's been a tough year for him." That said, I would imagine that Griffin won't open training camp in 2012 as a starter.
3. Quarterback Christian Ponder played most of Sunday's game with a hip pointer and is going to be limited, at best, in practice this week. Frazier said the team's medical staff is confident Ponder will be ready for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, but it's interesting to note that Frazier shot down the idea of newly-acquired backup Sage Rosenfels as a potential replacement if Ponder suffers a setback. Joe Webb would take whatever first-team snaps that Ponder doesn't this week. I'm fine with that. A 2-10 team might as well give young players every opportunity to gain experience provided they're equipped to give a credible performance.

And here is one issue that I still don't get:

Frazier told the truth Sunday when he expressed incredulity at how bad his defensive backs covered the Broncos' receivers. But given the situation, I'm not sure what anyone expects right now. The Vikings opened the game without a single defensive back who deserves to be part of their long-term plan. Antoine Winfield, Chris Cook, Husain Abdullah, Tyrell Johnson and Asher Allen -- five of their top seven Week 1 defensive backs -- were inactive for the game. Few teams have the depth to absorb that kind of attrition.

Getting inside the Friday injury report on what has become a frantic day here in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: The Bears listed two players as questionable for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs -- Defensive tackle Anthony Adams (back) and cornerback D.J. Moore (ankle). Neither is expected to play.

Detroit Lions: Safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee) are doubtful for Sunday night's game at the New Orleans Saints. Neither practiced this week and both are expected to miss the game. Running back Kevin Smith (ankle) is questionable but told reporters he would play Sunday night. Cornerback Brandon McDonald (thigh) did not practice this week and is listed as questionable. The Lions might end up starting Aaron Berry at cornerback and using Alphonso Smith at nickel. Finally, running back Jahvid Best (concussion) has been cleared to begin working out, according to the Lions' website. Best is on injured reserve and can't play again until next season.

Green Bay Packers: Rookie linebacker D.J. Smith is likely to make his first NFL start Sunday against the New York Giants after the Packers ruled out inside linebackers A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop, who have calf injuries. Robert Francois could start at the other inside spot, but you never know when defensive coordinator Dom Capers will come up with a new alignment that minimizes the number of inexperienced players on the field. Smith will call the defensive signals. Tight end Andrew Quarless missed practice Friday because of a groin injury but is probable. Meanwhile, Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) returned to practice Friday and is expected to play Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings: As we noted earlier, the Vikings ruled tailback Adrian Peterson (ankle) out for the second consecutive game. He has never missed three consecutive games in his career. Receiver Percy Harvin (illness) missed practice and is listed as questionable, but at this point the Vikings believe he will play Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Middle linebacker E.J. Henderson (shoulder) returned to practice but is questionable for Sunday's game. Cornerback Asher Allen (shoulder) and tight end Kyle Rudolph (quadriceps) are also questionable, but coach Leslie Frazier indicated that Henderson and Rudolph have good chances to play. Finally, guard Anthony Herrera (knee) is probable and should play for the first time in more than a month.

A few thoughts on another loss for the NFC North's last-place team:

What it means: Down 17-0 at halftime, the Minnesota Vikings made it interesting but ultimately absorbed their ninth loss of the season. It's the franchise's first 2-9 start since 1962.

Harvin Watch: With tailback Adrian Peterson sidelined by a high ankle sprain, receiver/running back Percy Harvin was the team's lone remaining offensive playmaker. And Harvin made two huge plays to give the Vikings a chance in this game, hauling in a 39-yard touchdown pass on fourth-and-13 in the fourth quarter and also returning a kickoff 104 yards to the Atlanta Falcons' 3-yard line with six minutes, 28 seconds remaining. Harvin caught eight passes for 95 yards and, including special teams, accounted for 200 all-purpose yards.

Late-game questions here: The final seven minutes in this game will be hotly debated among Vikings fans. Here are the primary questions: Even without Peterson, were the Vikings justified in using Harvin on two consecutive inside running plays on the goal line after his kickoff return? Should coach Leslie Frazier have challenged Harvin's second run, in which he appeared to have crossed the plane on second effort? Down by 10 points, should the Vikings have taken an easy field goal rather than go for a touchdown on fourth down? And should they have given the ball to tailback Toby Gerhart, who hasn't been much of an effective short-yardage runner in his career?

Opinion here: My quick reaction to those questions goes as following. I'm fine with using Harvin. He was the Vikings' best player Sunday. Frazier would have had nothing to lose by challenging the ruling on third down. I would have taken a field goal, but either way you need a field goal and a touchdown to force overtime. But handing the ball to Gerhart on fourth down, especially with a quarterback in Christian Ponder who excels at plays that give him a pass-run option on the outside, was the least defensible of the decisions we saw from Frazier and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave.

Injury report: Already playing without safety Husain Abdullah and cornerbacks Antoine Winfield and Chris Cook, the Vikings lost safety Tyrell Johnson (hamstring) and cornerback Asher Allen (shoulder) during the game. I thought their defense played well considering they had Benny Sapp, on the street two weeks ago, playing at one cornerback spot and rookie Mistral Raymond at safety. The Vikings also lost long snapper Cullen Loeffler to a back injury. Defensive end Jared Allen did a flawless job as Loefller's replacement and even made a special teams tackle after his first snap.

What's next: The Vikings will host the Denver Broncos next Sunday at the Metrodome. Remember, the game has been moved from CBS to FOX. As of last week, the team had more than 5,000 tickets to sell to avoid a local television blackout.

After the Green Bay Packers' 45-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertFollowing their win over the Vikings, the Packers take a seat in the examination room.
   This week's crazy Aaron Rodgers statistic comes from Pro Football Focus (PFF), which uses video study to separate "aimed" passes from those that are obviously thrown away, spiked or otherwise intended to be incomplete. Rodgers completed 23 of his 27 "aimed" passes Monday night, and PFF judged three of those four incompletions to be dropped passes. That means by one measure, Rodgers was at fault from an execution standpoint for one incompletion among a total of 30 attempts. On the season, according to PFF, Rodgers is completing 82.5 percent of his "aimed" passes, which is five percent higher than the any other quarterback.
2. Packers players appreciated the plentiful blitz calls from defensive coordinator Dom Capers. But they were also quick to point out they provided Capers a favorable template for calling so many blitz (74.4 percent of the Vikings' dropbacks). "The key is we were more able to shut the run down on first and second down," defensive tackle B.J. Raji said. "That's when Dom can do that, as opposed to always being in third and three. He doesn't know what to call at that point, because they could do anything." Here's one way to measure that circumstance: Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson had four runs on first down. They went for two, one, one and minus-6 yards. Overall, Peterson finished with 51 yards, his second-lowest production in a game this season.
3. Rookie receiver/returner Randall Cobb has scored three touchdowns this season and has lost three fumbles. That's about right for a rookie playmaker who turned 21 during training camp. The Packers are taking a calculated risk by using a young player who clearly is having some ups and downs as their sole returner. A poorly-timed fumble could scuttle a playoff game, a cynic might say. But just the same, a well-timed touchdown return could win one. Overall, I think the Packers are doing the right thing with Cobb. Rare is the dynamic returner that doesn't have at least some risk-reward element.

And here is one issue I still don't get:

I'm curious how I missed the invention of the phrase "throwing open." That what I've heard several people around the Packers refer to what Rodgers is doing this year with so many of his passes. In essence, Rodgers is throwing to players that aren't open by conventional measures but are routinely coming down with the ball. These aren't wild passes. They represent calculated and premeditated strategy among a group of players that knows each other well. The two throws that stood out to me Monday night were a 22-yarder to Donald Driver, who was blanketed by Vikings cornerback Asher Allen, and a 25-yarder to tight end Jermichael Finley, who was surrounded by three defenders. They were open only in the sense that Rodgers felt confident they would come down with the pass.

After the Minnesota Vikings' 24-21 victory over the Carolina Panthers, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertFollowing their win over the Panthers, the Vikings take a seat in the examination room.
   There was plenty to like about quarterback Christian Ponder's first NFL victory, but the word many people keep returning to is "poise." It's difficult to tell from Ponder's movement or body language whether a play is running perfectly or has totally broken down. There is also no discernible change in his blood pressure between a first-quarter series and a potential game-winning drive. I think that's why Ponder is having some early success in critical situations. Sunday, he completed nine of his 10 third-down attempts, converting seven into first downs. And in both of his NFL starts, he has led long fourth-quarter scoring drives. Sunday's game-winning drive took 7 minutes, 10 seconds off the clock, traveling 72 yards on 13 plays. At the start of his NFL career, Ponder has at least demonstrated the game isn't too big for him.
2. A couple of encouraging events occurred in the final few plays of the game. On a second-and-3 play from the Vikings' 14-yard line, safety Husain Abdullah got excellent position on Panthers tight end Greg Olsen to break up a pass in the end zone that would have given the Panthers a lead with 50 seconds remaining. It's rare and notable when you see a member of the Vikings' secondary make a play like that. Second, coach Leslie Frazier wisely called a timeout after the Panthers failed to make a first down one play later. If nothing else, Frazier bought his team about 30 seconds to get into position for a winning field goal and avoid overtime if Olindo Mare had converted a 31-yard field goal. It's worth noting that Frazier missed an opportunity to save his offense some time in a similar situation last month against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Live and learn, right?
3. Somehow the Vikings survived against the Panthers' offense with cornerback Asher Allen locked in single coverage against receiver Steve Smith for a good portion of the game. Allen, a third-round draft pick in 2009, opened the season as the Vikings' dime back but has started the past two weeks because of Antoine Winfield's neck injury and Chris Cook's suspension. Allen has made some progress since his rookie season but wouldn't be the first choice of many people to match up with Smith, who caught seven passes for 100 yards, including a 22-yard touchdown. It's notable the Vikings tapped Allen for that role and not veteran Cedric Griffin, who is gamely trying to play on a pair of surgically repaired knees.

And here is one issue I still don't get:

Did you have Marcus Sherels atop your list as the Vikings' surprise young player of the first half? I can't say I did. In winning the punt return job, and now assuming the kickoff return role while Percy Harvin and Lorenzo Booker nurse injuries, Sherels has proved to be a shifty and aggressive open-field runner. His 78-yard kickoff return Sunday didn't directly lead to a score but helped flip field position early in the Vikings' favor. Sherels ranks No. 13 in the NFL with an average punt return of 10.6 yards, including a 53-yard scamper in Week 3 against the Detroit Lions. The Vikings don't have a roster spot dedicated for a return specialist, so Sherels is making the most of his opportunity thus far.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Greetings from the Metrodome, where I've been keeping an eye on the two early games in the NFC North while also watching Minnesota Vikings rookie quarterback Christian Ponder start his pregame warm-ups about an hour ahead of most other players.

The Vikings have one surprise on their list of inactive players: Receiver Bernard Berrian won't play for the second time in three games. Berrian didn’t appear on the injury report this week; his previous deactivation was for disciplinary reasons, according to coach Leslie Frazier.

As expected the Vikings will be without four other key players: cornerback Antoine Winfield (neck), cornerback Chris Cook (arrest), center John Sullivan (concussion) and safety Jamarca Sanford (concussion). Asher Allen will start at cornerback alongside Cedric Griffin.

The Packers had no surprises among their list of inactives. It includes cornerback Sam Shields (concussion). Defensive end Ryan Pickett (concussion) is active, as expected. So is linebacker/fan favorite Vic So'oto.

As of Saturday morning, it was not clear whether Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook will be available for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers.

Cook was expected to start the game in place of injured veteran Antoine Winfield (neck), but as Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com reported, Cook is currently incarcerated at the Hennepin County jail after an early-morning arrest on two domestic assault charges.

Online records show that Cook is being held without bail and has a court appearance scheduled for Monday. So unless he is released Saturday via some legal maneuvering, Cook will be in jail during the game, scheduled for a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff at the Metrodome.

This story is obviously fluid, so I wouldn't say anyone knows for certain whether Cook will be available. Even if he is released, coach Leslie Frazier would have to decide whether to administer immediate discipline.

If Cook can't or doesn't play, the Vikings will be without two of their top three cornerbacks against Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Without Cook and Winfield, I would imagine Asher Allen would start opposite Cedric Griffin. Marcus Sherels would presumably serve in the nickel. Stay tuned.

Getting inside the Friday injury report, which is only half complete because Saturday is the Friday for our two Monday Night Football participants. We'll touch on the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions in a separate post to come.

Green Bay Packers: Right tackle Bryan Bulaga (knee) will miss his second consecutive game and be replaced by Marshall Newhouse for Sunday night's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Tight end Andrew Quarless (knee) is doubtful and isn't likely to play, either. Linebacker Brad Jones (hamstring) is questionable.

Minnesota Vikings: Cornerback Antoine Winfield (neck) hasn't practiced all week and is listed as doubtful. Unless he makes significant progress over the weekend, Winfield will miss Sunday's game against the Arizona Cardinals. Chris Cook would be his replacement in the starting lineup, with Asher Allen working in the nickel. Punter Chris Kluwe (hamstring) is listed as questionable but expected to play.

Getting inside our first Friday injury report of the week:

Chicago Bears: The team declared tailback Marion Barber (calf) out for the game, removing any mystery that remained about his status for Sunday's game against the Atlanta Falcons. Defensive end Corey Wootton (knee) is listed as questionable but not expected to play. Receiver/special teams man Sam Hurd (ankle) fully participated in practice Friday but is questionable as well.

Detroit Lions: None of the three players declared out for Sunday's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a surprise. Defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot), offensive tackle Jason Fox (foot) and cornerback Alphonso Smith (foot) are all at least a few weeks away. All other players are expected to be available.

Green Bay Packers: Coach Mike McCarthy delivered good news Friday afternoon. Cornerback Tramon Williams suffered a bruised right shoulder in Thursday night's victory over the New Orleans Saints but apparently avoided a more serious injury. The Packers have the weekend off and don't have to update their injury report again until Wednesday.

Minnesota Vikings: Cornerback Asher Allen (foot) is the only player whose health makes him even questionable for Sunday's game against the San Diego Chargers. Marcus Sherels would probably serve as the dime back with Allen sidelined. All other players will be fully available, including tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who missed the preseason because of a hamstring injury. Shiancoe participated fully in practice all week.