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Before we launch ourselves full-bore into the offseason, I think it makes sense to take a look back at Super Bowl XLIV to provide some guidance for NFC North teams. What lessons can we learn from New Orleans and Indianapolis advancing to the final game of the season?

Let’s look at that question in alphabetical order. We won’t force it, so for each team I’ll choose either the Saints or the Colts for guidance:

Chicago Bears

A pressing issue: A defensive approach that has slipped from feared status to one that seems stale and passive.

How New Orleans addressed that problem: By hiring defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, knowing he would shake up and energize a group that was similar to the 2008 Saints with the exception of safety Darren Sharper.

Williams described that attitude change thusly: “It was a culture shock to them from the very first meeting. My aggressive demeanor in the meetings, making them defend themselves with explanations and demonstrations on the field. Every single time we stepped on the field of play in practice, it’s been a game. We had to turn that scout team mentality there on defense.

“I’ve joked with [Saints coach Sean Payton] about this, because a lot of times offensive head coaches want the defense to play scout team in practice. You don’t get better on defense that way. You get worse on defense that way. We had to attack our offense. We had to challenge our offense, and we made our offense better because they had a tough time dealing with us this spring.

“I tried to break their spirits and make them do physically unbelievable things from up-downs and running sprints and all these things for semi-attention deficit disorder mistakes they were making. It made them stronger. When things don’t break you in times of easiness, then they find out they become stronger later on.

“I tell them all the time, ‘When you bleed more in times of peace, you’re going to bleed less in times of war.’ They kind of paid the price in minicamp, OTAs and training camp. It was remarkable to see the leaders come back and say, ‘We want more.’ When they started that swagger and attitude back at me, I knew I had them. Now I have to manage them, and that’s not easy. Our motto has been: ‘Live on the edge, play on the edge, never hurt the team.’”

The Bears have already assigned Rod Marinelli their defensive coordinator duties. Marinelli won’t change the Bears’ scheme, but he would be well-advised to find a way to shake up the complacency that seems to have settled over Chicago’s once-proud defense. He has the kind of fiery personality to do so.

Detroit Lions

A pressing issue: A defense that gave up a staggering 392 yards per game in 2009.

How the Saints addressed it: By making turnovers the great equalizer. For as much as Williams’ defense was celebrated this season, it still gave up an average of 357 yards per game during the regular season. That ranked No. 25 among all NFL defenses.

Those totals actually got worse in the playoffs, where opponents averaged 422 yards per game.

But this season, the Saints balanced that yardage by nearly doubling their takeaway total from 2008. After causing 22 turnovers that season, the Saints created 39 takeaways in 2009. They caused eight turnovers in the playoffs.

That trend was no accident. Williams expected players to take risks to create those turnovers. “If you’re afraid to jump routes, if you’re not willing to play aggressively that way, you’re not going to make it,” he said.

The Lions ranked No. 25 this season with 23 takeaways, including only nine interceptions. There’s no doubt they need to elevate their talent level on defense. But encouraging players to take more risks would help cover for that deficiency. They would probably give up some big plays if the risks backfire, but they were already doing that. What is there to lose by taking more chances given that dynamic?

Green Bay Packers

A pressing issue: An aging offensive line that includes probably two players -- left guard Daryn Colledge and right guard Josh Sitton -- who seem locked into starting roles in 2010. That leaves three open spots, although Jason Spitz could return as center if his back is healthy.

How Indianapolis addressed it: The Colts made a change at left tackle, sliding in Charlie Johnson to replace Tony Ugoh. But to me, the lesson of the Colts is that they didn’t do enough to solidify their line and ultimately paid for it in the Super Bowl.

As my AFC South colleague Paul Kuharsky noted, the Colts’ failure to convert key 3rd-and-short situations proved critical in the playoffs during the past two seasons. Kuharsky notes the Colts might want to re-think their approach to building their offensive line as 2010 approaches.

The Packers could share in that lesson. Their first order of business: Develop a depth chart that avoids using starters as the primary backup at another position. As they learned last season, moving Colledge to left tackle when Chad Clifton was injured weakened two positions.

Their second task: Find a long-term answer for at least one of their two tackle positions. Clifton and Mark Tauscher are both free agents. Even if both are re-signed, planning needs to accelerate for their eventual replacement.

Minnesota Vikings

A pressing issue: The conflict between their fundamental desire to run the ball and the current state of the NFL as a pass-happy league.

How the Saints addressed it: By falling into a much more balanced pattern than most people realize. The Saints increased their rushing plays by about 15 percent and decreased Drew Brees’ passing attempts by about 20 percent during the regular season. The Saints, in fact, ranked No. 15 among all NFL teams in passing attempts.

I know I argued several times during the season that the Vikings should recognize their offense had trended toward the passing side, and ride it as far as they could in the playoffs. But based on the way the Vikings are configured, I don’t see that as a good long-term solution.

The Saints provided a paradigm for balance even while recognizing their strength as a passing team. Who would have guessed the Saints would have more running plays and pass fewer times than the Vikings?

But that’s exactly what happened in 2009, and the Vikings would be wise to re-center themselves a bit for the long-term.

Even if quarterback Brett Favre returns, is it reasonable to expect another career year from him? Like the Saints in 2009, the Vikings’ offense would be better in 2010 if they need to throw a few less times because their running game has offered a more viable alternative.

MIAMI -- Greetings from Gate H15 at the Miami International Airport, where I’m continuing what will be a long travel day back to NFC North headquarters. I should probably have my head examined for leaving a cloudless day in South Florida to return in a snowstorm, but I suppose 10 days down here is about as much as I can ask for.

Already today we’ve noted Darren Sharper’s Super Bowl championship and asked for some feedback on Dick LeBeau’s pending enshrinement in the Hall of Fame. Depending on travel conditions, this might be Monday’s last post. If it is, I’ll be back with you Tuesday and throughout this week as the NFL offseason begins in earnest.

Until then, let’s catch up on some NFC North news and analysis:

• Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times takes an in-depth look at the Bears’ “litany of disappointments” since making the Super Bowl three years ago.
• Bears receiver/returner Devin Hester had a chance to “party with my boys” during Super Bowl week in Miami, according to the Chicago Tribune.
• Alex Karras is another former Detroit player who belongs in the Hall of Fame, writes Jerry Green of the Detroit News.
• The grandson of Hall of Fame Green Bay coach Vince Lombardi was part of New Orleans’ championship team. Here’s an Associated Press profile of saints quarterbacks coach Joe Lombardi, via the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• You can view this Facebook page to see outtakes from Brett Favre’s Super Bowl commercial, the one where he discusses his “role” in the Super Bowl 10 years from now.

MIAMI -- Of this, there was little doubt: New Orleans brought a smart and fast defense to Miami. Here was the problem as Super Bowl XLIV approached: Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning was smarter and faster.

(That’s what a few of us thought, anyway.)

And so it was fascinating to watch Sunday night’s game turn when a 23-year-old Saints cornerback outsmarted Manning late in the fourth quarter. Tracy Porter said he knew “immediately” that the Colts were running one of their “bread and butter” 3rd-down plays with 3 minutes, 24 seconds left in the game. Porter stepped in front of receiver Reggie Wayne, intercepted Manning’s pass and returned it 74 yards for a touchdown. The play accounted for the final margin of the Saints’ 31-17 victory.

“I saw it over and over on film the past two weeks,” Porter said. “On third down, the route they ran there was always big for them to convert third downs on. Through numerous amounts of film study we’ve done all week, when the route came, it felt like I was watching it on film. When I saw the ball coming, I knew I was going to be in the end zone.”

The play capped another high-risk, high-reward performance by the Saints defense, one in which they gave up 432 yards but only one score after the first quarter. Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams mixed versions of the 4-3 and 3-4 in a calculating way that I’ll detail in a bit

Before examining Williams’ successful game plan, however, let’s take a closer look at the play that won New Orleans its first championship. Remember, Wayne would have had an easy first down at the Saints’ 26-yard line in a one-score game had Porter not made the interception.

If anything, Saints players and coaches seemed surprised at how predictable the Colts were on the crucial play. Manning and offensive coordinator Tom Moore are known for prescient late-game play calling, but multiple Saints defenders identified the route tree before the snap.

“I can tell now that Tracy pays attention in the film room,” safety Darren Sharper said. “Because he read that play well and trusted his instincts.”

Before the snap, Porter noticed receiver Austin Collie as the outside receiver and Wayne in the slot position. “We knew Collie wasn’t normally a guy they liked in that spot,” Porter said.

In previous instances of that formation, Porter said, Collie had gone into late motion and run the slot position’s route. The slot man, in turn, ran what’s known as a “stick route” -- essentially a 6-yard pattern designed to reach the yardage “stick” and convert a first down.

On cue, Wayne ran that route. He had no chance to make the catch.

“It was just a great play by Porter,” Manning said. “That’s all I can really say about it.”

Indeed, everything about the Saints’ defense on that play suggested a stick route would work. Williams blitzed all three linebackers, leaving open the underneath for what should have been an easy conversion. Who would expect a young cornerback, even one who intercepted Minnesota’s Brett Favre late in the fourth quarter in the NFC Championship Game, to take the risk of jumping a route? Had he missed the ball or guessed wrong, Wayne might have scored.

If you watched the Saints’ defense all year, however, it probably wasn’t a surprise. New Orleans ranked second in the NFL with 39 takeaways, a number you don’t normally achieve if you simply sit back in coverage. Williams, in fact, said he has encouraged his players “to be aggressive, to take chances and to jump routes from the first day I got here.”

Williams added: “If you’re afraid to jump routes, if you’re not willing to play aggressively that way, you’re not going to make it.”

Williams took his own calculated risk Sunday, holding back his trademark blitz packages until the fourth quarter. He employed a 3-4 defense in the first quarter, switched to a 4-3 scheme in the second quarter and then mixed those two fronts with a 3-3 nickel scheme.

“Peyton Manning is too smart to just do the same thing the entire game,” Williams said. “We knew we needed a first half game plan and a second half game plan. And if we could split it between quarters, we would do that too. If you keep doing the same thing against him, he’ll pick you apart.

“But we also said this: If we got to a close game at the end of the Super Bowl, we were going to be who we are. And that’s a pressure defense.”

The blitz didn’t get to Manning on the Porter play. “We had it blocked up fine,” Colts center Jeff Saturday said.

But to me, the triple-linebacker blitz was the reason Manning was so quick to throw in Wayne’s direction -- and play right into Porter’s hands.

“He’s so smart that he’ll figure you out if you stay stagnant as a defense,” Sharper said. “We showed something in the first half and then did something different in the second. That’s what we practiced for the past two weeks. I think by the fourth quarter, we did confuse him a little.”

Ultimately, the Saints did what they had done to Arizona and Minnesota in previous weeks -- limit scoring through turnovers despite giving up massive yardage totals. The Cardinals rolled up 359 yards but only 14 points thanks to a pair of turnovers. The Vikings scored 28 points but committed five turnovers amid their 475-yard effort.

“Everybody wanted to predict and say this and say that,” Sharper said. “But we took it personally that everyone believed Peyton was going to dice us up and that it was going to be a scoring fest. To hold an offense like that to 17 points is a testament to our team.”

And, as much as anything, its intelligence. The Saints outsmarted Peyton Manning. Who would have predicted that?

MIAMI -- Thanks for indulging me on a non-NFC North topic earlier Thursday. I thought Anthony Hargrove’s story might be of interest to some of you.

Anyway, back to the nuts and bolts of our division.

Some of you might be a member of this fan page over at Facebook, which spurred this independent Web site, which led to the billboard you see in the picture accompanying this post.

To me, this is the definition of a modern-day grass roots effort. Through Facebook and the Web site, a group of 90,000 Vikings fans raised enough money to rent that billboard for a week. It stands close to Brett Favre’s home in Hattiesburg, Miss.

We’re probably going to spend a good part of this offseason wondering if Favre will return to the Vikings in 2010. We know at least some of you want him back.

MIAMI -- Will the arrival of offensive coordinator Mike Martz lead to a turf swap at Soldier Field? Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune broaches that question Wednesday, and I think it’s an excellent idea.

The current grass field has to be re-sodded several times during the regular season and is annually rated as one of the NFL’s worst in a poll of players. Replacing it with FieldTurf would cost the Chicago Park District $1.5 million, but obviously wouldn’t require six-figure replacements and would pay for itself in a couple of years.

As important, it would provide a more consistent and faster surface for Martz’s offense. The Bears have always considered the dirt/grass field a home-field advantage, but it might be time to consider what is best for their own team as well. Tight end Desmond Clark, among others, have long advocated for change.

Continuing around the NFC North at the midpoint of Super Bowl week:

• Are the Bears targeting Indianapolis assistant Alan Williams for their defensive coordinator job? Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com checks it out.
• The Bears are targeting San Francisco assistant Shane Day as their quarterbacks coach, according to Brad Biggs of the Tribune.
• Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times: “The Bears never have fired a head coach during a season and have no plans to do so with [Lovie] Smith. But if they did, they have options on the staff like never before. And it's not just the former head coaches. [Dave] Toub remains one of the best special-teams coaches in the NFL and is seen widely as a possible future head coach.”
• This is the first time in a decade that Detroit hasn’t changed either its offensive or defensive coordinator during the offseason, writes Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press.
• Martz’s arrival spells trouble for the Lions’ troubled pass defense, writes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.
• Released by Green Bay, defensive tackle Daniel Muir has turned into a reliable starter for Indianapolis. Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
• New Orleans safety Darren Sharper wonders if Green Bay safety Nick Collins will face the same fate that he did: Allowed to leave via free agency. Tom Silverstein of the Journal Sentinel has more.
• Jason Wilde of EPSNMilwaukee.com wonders what motives Brett Favre and agent Bus Cook would have for allowing pictures of Favre’s injuries in the NFC Championship Game to be published online.

MIAMI -- There’s been plenty of discussion about Minnesota’s penalty for 12 men on the field near the end of regulation in the NFC Championship Game. But the intrigue extended to the next play, where New Orleans cornerback Tracy Porter's interception ended the Vikings’ chance of breaking the tie before overtime.

The interception came only after a last-second adjustment by the Saints defense. Hall of Fame safety Rod Woodson -- appearing Tuesday at Super Bowl media day as part of the NFL Network contingent -- picked it up right away.

“If you go back and look at that play, you see [Saints linebacker Jonathan] Vilma make a check to bring Porter to the other side,” Woodson said. “And what happens? Porter gets the pick.”

Indeed, the Saints changed from a man-to-man to a cover-2 look that proved advantageous on the play. Coach Brad Childress said last month that Favre’s first read was receiver Bernard Berrian, but the coverage dictated he move to his third read, which was Rice.

Woodson made the observation as a way to illustrate how Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has empowered his players to make on-field adjustments.

“That’s the sign of a great defensive coordinator,” Woodson said. “He’s not going to limit what his players can do. He allows his players to make plays for him.”

MIAMI -- As you recall, Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre was pretty beat up after the NFC Championship Game. How beat up? Check out the photographs on Rick Cleveland’s blog at the Clarion (Miss.) Ledger.

You’ll see some pretty grotesque pictures of Favre’s ankle and hamstring. According to Cleveland, the pictures were taken the day after the game and were e-mailed by Favre’s agent, Bus Cook.

New Orleans was called twice for roughness penalties on Favre and the NFL later said it should have been three.

I don’t know when the hamstring injury occurred, but the ankle was sprained when New Orleans defensive end Bobby McCray yanked his ankle from behind. The league said McCray should have been penalized for the play; he was later fined $20,000.

Regardless, I'd say both injuries should be healed up by, oh, sometime in mid-August.

Your response to our initial All-NFC North team was overwhelming, quite literally. At one point, it was impossible to post comments on the original post. I can only assume the cause: Black and Blue readers jamming up the lines, old-school style.

Seriously, I got more than 1,200 offers for help on the 15 positions I left open. Most related to the Brett Favre-Aaron Rodgers choice at quarterback, and I took many of them into account in compiling the final list. I did so with a clear conscience, knowing (or at least, strongly assuming) that no NFC North player has a bonus written into his contract for making this team.

(There’s always next year, though!)

My final choices are in the chart to your right. Below, I’ve offered my reasoning for some of the more difficult decisions. We start with the toughest:

• In the big picture, Favre and Rodgers’ passing statistics are a wash. Rodgers led the NFL in rushing for a quarterback, but he was also sacked an NFL-high 50 times. (And yes, Rodgers shares in the responsibility for that.) Ultimately, I gave Favre the nod because he was the quarterback of the team that went to overtime in the NFC Championship Game. Wins and losses aren’t the only thing quarterbacks should be judged by, but they can certainly break a tie.
• Based on what I’ve written previously, you might be surprised to see Dominic Raiola as the NFC North’s top center. Here’s where I came from: Chicago’s Olin Kreutz had a tough year by everyone’s standards, and Thursday we learned it was because of a bone spur was causing irritation on one of his Achilles tendons. Green Bay used two centers this season, Jason Spitz and Scott Wells. Minnesota’s John Sullivan was in his first year as a starter and had the expected ups and downs. Start to finish, Raiola might have been the division’s steadiest, if not most talented, center. Here’s the way Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan put it: “He's always there and doesn't miss anything, and that's what you've got to have in your center.”
• Tight end was by far the most difficult choice, even after using my TE/WR option to add a second. I went with Greg Olsen and Visanthe Shiancoe, and bypassed Jermichael Finley, for several reasons. Olsen had 60 receptions and eight touchdowns in an offense that struggled for a good part of the season -- while facing coverage commensurate with a No. 1 receiver. Shiancoe led the NFL with 11 touchdowns by a tight end. Finley’s final statistics were close to both players, but he missed three games and had the fewest touchdowns among the three. You couldn’t go wrong with any of this trio.
• Some of you went bonkers when I left running back open to argument rather than immediately tap Adrian Peterson. I wanted to see if anyone could make a convincing argument for Ryan Grant. I didn’t see one.
• Green Bay’s Cullen Jenkins had 4.5 sacks as a defensive end, not a bad total in a 3-4 scheme. More important, I thought Jenkins adapted well to his new role in the second half of the season and was a big part of the Packers’ No. 1-ranked run defense. He also forced three fumbles and is well-suited for this scheme.
• The Packers’ Nick Barnett got the nod at “middle” linebacker because he was the steadiest throughout the season. The Vikings lost E.J. Henderson in early December. Chicago’s Brian Urlacher made only one start, and Detroit’s Larry Foote couldn’t finish the season.
• Chicago’s Charles Tillman got the second cornerback spot because he led all NFL defensive backs with six forced fumbles. He’s the best at stripping the ball in the league.
• At punter, Minnesota’s Chris Kluwe and Chicago’s Brad Maynard were close throughout the season. I gave the nod to Maynard because he had a bit more control over his kicks. He had two touchbacks versus Kluwe’s nine. He also kicked the ball out of bounds 17 times as opposed to Kluwe’s nine. Both statistics are good measures of field position gained.
• I realize that Minnesota’s Heath Farwell was named to the Pro Bowl as the NFC’s coverage man. He is top-notch, but he’s actually had better seasons. Chicago’s Tim Shaw might have had the best cover season of anyone in the NFL. Among other things, he led the league in special teams tackles and, according to the Bears’ unofficial statistics, was involved in a team-record 30 stops in 15 games.

Greg A. Bedard of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has a long Q&A here with Green Bay general manager Ted Thompson. I thought Thompson’s most interesting response related to the Packers’ backup plan on the offensive line heading into the 2009 season.

Left tackle Chad Clifton was coming off surgeries to both shoulders and knees, and he entered camp without a clear-cut backup. Ultimately, the Packers moved left guard Daryn Colledge to left tackle when Clifton was injured early in the year, with disastrous results. Rookie T.J. Lang later took some turns. Here’s a portion of what Thompson said:

“The thing that I think is overlooked sometimes is you can't have a left tackle ready to play that's sitting on the bench in the NFL. There's not that many of them. There's not 32 of them. We happen to have one and we actually have a couple of young guys, including T.J. Lang, that we think can play out there. But when you get hurt at a position as valuable as left tackle, you're going to take some lumps. Now, we've done that in the past and we've been able to play our way through it and win some games. We struggled a little bit more this year.”

I agree with the first part. There aren’t even 32 good left tackles in the NFL, let alone enough to staff the bench as well. But I’ll repeat this: Upending multiple positions to replace one player, no matter who it is and where they come from, was a shaky first choice. If you’re going to be worse at left tackle when your starter gets hurt, to me it didn’t make sense to get worse at two positions.

Thompson said he hopes to re-sign Clifton and right tackle Mark Tauscher, but it’s early in the offseason to really know how that will play out. As we’ve discussed before, Lang seems in line for a starting role -- somewhere.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Packers have flipped the jobs of their strength and conditioning coaches, making Mark Lovat the primary coordinator and Dave Redding the assistant. According to Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, that plan was hatched last year when Redding first joined the team.
• Chicago’s insistence that numerous coaches would be eager to join the team as coordinators created the current anxiety level surrounding the Bears’ search, writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune.
• Bears receiver Johnny Knox never thought he would be in the Pro Bowl as a rookie, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Minnesota cornerback Asher Allen could figure prominently in training camp next season because of starter Cedric Griffin’s knee injury, writes Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune.
• Via Sportsradiointerviews.com, Hall of Fame quarterback Fran Tarkenton rips Brett Favre. Again.
• Detroit right tackle Gosder Cherilus worked with doctors at Wayne State to help them fly to his native country of Haiti to help with relief efforts. Here’s the wire service story, via the Detroit Free Press.
• John Niyo of the Detroit News heard nothing during the Senior Bowl festivities to suggest the Lions won’t draft a defensive tackle at No. 2 overall.

As the Senior Bowl practices build up to Saturday’s game, I figured we could have some fun and try matching one participant with each NFC North team. I did my best to consider where each team is drafting, but this is mostly about filling needs -- and enjoying ourselves in the dark days of the early NFL offseason.

Remember, our friends at Scouts Inc. are putting together a daily blog of practice evaluation over on our draft page. Here goes nothing:

Chicago Bears
Player: Nebraska safety Larry Asante
Comment: Safety might be the Bears’ top need, and we all know they don’t have a pick in either the first or second rounds of the 2010 draft. So it’s worth noting that Asante has impressed Todd McShay and Co. with his across-the-board skills. He might not be an elite cover safety, but you don’t have to be in a Cover-2 scheme like the Bears’.

Detroit Lions
Player: Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount
Comment: I know I’ve advocated the Lions focus on improving both of their lines, but that doesn’t mean they should ignore a pretty significant need at running back. Kevin Smith’s torn anterior cruciate ligament makes him a question mark for next season. We all know Blount has some serious character issues, but the Lions’ coaching staff is getting an up-close look at him as one of their players this week on the North squad. If nothing else, the Lions should leave Mobile, Ala., with a good idea of whether his reputation is valid. If they are comfortable with him, he could be a draft value. If they’re not, the Lions are also getting long looks at offensive linemen like Idaho’s Mike Iupati. Here is McShay’s running evaluation of Blount, available to Insider subscribers.

Green Bay Packers
Player: UMass offensive lineman Vladimir Ducasse
Comment: Ducasse comes from a smaller program, but he fits the profile of many lineman the Packers have drafted: Players who could potentially develop into a tackle or guard depending on need. The draft’s best offensive linemen aren’t at the Senior Bowl, but Ducasse is scouts have paid attention to during practices. Here is McShay’s evaluation.

Minnesota Vikings
Player: Cincinnati quarterback Tony Pike
Comment: The Vikings need to identify a long-term answer at quarterback, whether or not Brett Favre returns in 2010. The top arms don’t attend the Senior Bowl, but Pike is a mid-round draft pick with the size (6-foot-6) and arm strength to develop into an NFL starter. Here is what McShay thinks of him. Pike’s biggest obstacle is transitioning from a spread offense to more of a pro style.

Speaking from Miami, Vikings running back Adrian Peterson talks about how he vows to "do a better job" of protecting the ball next season. Peterson also touches on Brett Favre’s future.

Thanks to everyone who offered up their favorite NFC North Super Bowl moments. As you recall, I offered up three suggestions Wednesday and left two spaces open for you to reach a total of five. Well, as the Supreme Ruler of all NFC North blogs on ESPN.com, I’ve made an executive decision to expand the list.

You brought up three really cool moments that I think belong on this list. I’ve published all six below, including your comments on the latest additions.

I realize this list doesn’t include a moment from any of Minnesota’s four Super Bowl appearances. There are a few reasons for that. First, the Vikings lost all four games. Second, their last appearance was 33 years ago. For most of us, there is a generational gap that has probably muted the progression of any highlights from those games.

OK, on with it:

1. Play: Green Bay receiver Max McGee’s one-handed, 37-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter of Super Bowl I.
Comment: As the story goes, McGee didn’t expect to play in the game and missed curfew while spending the evening on the town. He was, uh, not at full capacity at kickoff.

2. Play: Green Bay kick returner Desmond Howard’s 99-yard kickoff return in Super Bowl XXXI.
Comment: The final score of the game sealed the Packers’ victory.

3. Play: Devin Hester’s 92-yard return of the opening kickoff in Super Bowl XLI.
Comment: You can’t start a game better than that.

4. Play: William Perry’s 1-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XX.
Comment from Bshuma1: You just can't beat the big guy's celebration and toothless smile after he owned that linebacker.

5. Play: Brett Favre’s 54-yard touchdown pass to Andre Rison on the Packers’ second play in Super Bowl XXXI.
Comment from Capdogg13: One of the best NFC North moments, what with Favre running up the field. That image, along with being one of the best Super Bowl images, defines exactly how Favre approaches the game, no matter his age.

6. Play: Bears players carrying defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan off the field along with coach Mike Ditka after Super Bowl XX.
Comment from bcrawford85: Awesome moment in Bears history, let alone the NFC "Central" history.
Comment from me: I agree. It was the ultimate sign of respect and appreciation for the leader of one of the best defenses in NFL history.

At the risk of opening old wounds, I’d like to bring you the NFL’s response to several key officiating calls in Minnesota’s 31-28 loss at New Orleans in the NFC Championship Game.

Appearing Wednesday night on both the NFL Network and NFL.com, vice president of officiating Mike Pereira admitted there should have been a 15-yard penalty on the third-quarter play where Vikings quarterback Brett Favre suffered a left ankle injury. We questioned the no-call on Monday, and Pereira said: “We just missed it.”

On the play, Saints defensive end Bobby McCray hit Favre in what Pereira called “pretty much a direct shot into the back of the legs.” That contact violated an NFL rule prohibiting low hits on quarterbacks.

“It’s the type of hit that we don’t want,” Pereira said, “… because clearly we’re trying to protect the knees and we need to focus on this to make sure we don’t miss [them].”

Had the penalty been called, Jonathan Vilma's interception would have been nullified and the Vikings would have re-gained possession with a first down at the Saints’ 19-yard line.

Pereira was less direct about two instances involving instant replay during overtime, both of which went in the Saints’ favor. I agree that both fell in a gray area, as Pereira explained.

On the first, a 9-yard reception by receiver Devery Henderson, Pereira admitted the ball touched the ground. “But the issue is not whether it hit the ground or not,” he said. “The issue is whether he had control [of the ball before and after it hit the ground]” On that question, Pereira agreed with referee Peter Morelli: Replays didn’t show enough to reverse the original call.

“I think if we had called it incomplete on the field,” Pereira said, “it stays incomplete” after a review.

The same premise applied to the next play, Pierre Thomas's 2-yard run on fourth-and-1. There has been some discussion about where Thomas’ forward progress should have been marked, especially after Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway appeared to have knocked the ball loose.

“One of those situations where it’s so hard to tell [on replay]” Pereira said. “Did he lose possession? Hard to say. Was he short of the line to gain? Equally hard to say.”

If Pereira addressed a third controversial call in overtime, a 12-yard pass interference penalty against Vikings linebacker Ben Leber, I didn’t see it.

I know these comments won’t satisfy everyone. NFC North readers react more emotionally to officiating than just about any other topic, and that’s why we tried to address it weekly through our Dirty Laundry feature.

In the end, of course, there is nothing you can do about erroneous calls -- admitted or otherwise -- after the game is over. Officiating imperfection is part of sports at all levels, and ultimately -- although unscientifically -- I believe they even out over time. If anything, I give Pereira credit for speaking to some of the bigger questions on a weekly basis.

In this post, NFC Beastmaster Matt Mosley suggests Minnesota is the likeliest destination for Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb should the Eagles look to part ways with him. While I’m skeptical that the Eagles would trade McNabb -- first off, do we really think Kevin Kolb is ready to replace him? -- I do agree that the Vikings would be a real contender if that moment arrives.

But as we stand here today, the Vikings have returned to a familiar position: Having no clear idea who their starting quarterback will be when training camp rolls around in seven months. That’s how they’ve started each of the past four offseasons, resulting in six different starters over that span. That figure could swell to seven if Brett Favre doesn’t return in 2010.

Speaking to reporters Tuesday, it seemed clear that coach Brad Childress was still processing his team’s loss in the NFC Championship Game and hadn’t yet switched gears to the offseason. He said the team would “plan both ways” while awaiting Favre’s decision.

If Favre returns, the Vikings will be a top preseason contender for the 2010 NFC championship. But after failing to develop Tarvaris Jackson into a viable starter, they’ve put themselves in a bind if Favre actually retires. In that scenario, they would have to hope McNabb or some other established veteran somehow becomes available in a league where teams rarely give up good quarterbacks.

Otherwise, they would be left with the situation that prompted their move to Favre in the first place: A competition between Jackson and Sage Rosenfels. Nothing we saw during training camp or the preseason last summer makes that an attractive scenario.

That’s why I think that the Vikings, more than ever, have an urgent need to identify and pursue a long-term solution at the position. Would McNabb, 33, qualify? Possibly. But the only way to truly achieve that goal is through the draft.

The Vikings are slotted at No. 30 in the 2010 draft, and it’s possible that three or four quarterbacks will already be off the board at that point. But whether it means trading up or otherwise maneuvering themselves to get an elite-caliber prospect, I think the Vikings owe it to themselves to develop another option besides their annual search through the rosters of other teams and the free-agent market.

Childress said the Vikings would “no question eventually … like to be able to do that” but indicated he doesn’t want to force the move.

“You don’t want a round peg in a square hole,” he said. “I am too far away from it right now to tell you what the quarterback class of this year looks like. And I know we’re picking down there at 30, so we’ll just see what’s there and I’m sure we’ll ably man that position one way or the other.”

I agree. Reaching for a quarterback prospect won’t solve this problem. But whether or not Favre plays in 2010, and despite the potential availability of McNabb, the Vikings need to work toward a goal of avoiding their annual offseason rotation at the game's most important position.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Minnesota officials are contemplating two related issues Tuesday evening: The futures of quarterback Brett Favre and his Vikings position coach.

Coach Brad Childress said in a news conference he has neither a timetable nor an expectation for knowing whether Favre will return to play in 2010. “It would not surprise me one way or the other,” Childress said.

Childress pledged to “ably man that position one way or the other” in 2010. Given how successful the marriage was in 2009, I would think the Vikings will give Favre all the leeway they can before seeking a decision. As we noted Monday, the precedent has already been set for Favre to wait until after training camp to sign.

Long before then, however, the Vikings will have to decide whether to grant quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers permission to interview for the Bears’ offensive coordinator job. Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune has the story.

I’ve heard great things about Rogers from every Vikings quarterback who has played for him. But you have to wonder if it’s merely a coincidence that the Bears have now sought out two NFC North quarterback coaches. (Green Bay denied Tom Clements permission to interview earlier this month.)

Do the Bears consider Rogers a serious candidate for their job? Or are they looking to pick the brain of a division rival? That’s what the Vikings will have to decide before granting Rogers permission. They’ve worked hard to retain Rogers before, giving him a raise in 2006 when the University of Miami wanted him to be its offensive coordinator.

Stay tuned.