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Officially, Thursday is the first day NFL teams can place a franchise tag on players whose contracts are expiring and would otherwise be eligible for unrestricted free agency.

But in one of many twists we can expect in the structure of the 2011 offseason, the NFL Players Association has declared the franchise tag to be irrelevant until a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is reached.

The existing CBA will expire March 3, and the reality is no players will be changing teams this offseason -- whether they are franchised or not -- until the league reaches a labor resolution.

It is possible, however, that players who are franchised now could be grandfathered into the next CBA. So it's at least worth discussing who might be candidates here in the NFC North. The exact salary levels, as well as the number of years required for unrestricted free agency, are yet to be determined. Below we've included players with at least four years of experience.

Team: Chicago Bears
Prominent players with expiring contracts: Defensive tackle Anthony Adams, tight end Desmond Clark, cornerback Corey Graham, quarterback Caleb Hanie, center Olin Kreutz, safety Danieal Manning, punter Brad Maynard, linebacker Nick Roach and linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa.
Comment: Kreutz probably doesn't need to be protected with a tag. Hanie could garner interest around the league but would you guarantee him franchise money to stay?

Team: Detroit Lions
Prominent players with expiring contracts: Safety C.C. Brown, cornerback Chris Houston, defensive end Turk McBride and quarterback Drew Stanton.
Comment: Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com reports the Lions won't use the tag.

Team: Green Bay Packers
Prominent players with expiring contracts: Safety Jarrett Bush, left guard Daryn Colledge, running back Brandon Jackson, receiver James Jones, defensive end Cullen Jenkins and running back John Kuhn.
Comment: Jenkins is a possibility, although the Packers have a young player in Mike Neal who might be ready to take over his spot next season. Colledge's status is uncertain.

Team: Minnesota Vikings
Prominent players with expiring contracts: Defensive end Ray Edwards, linebacker Chad Greenway, linebacker Ben Leber, receiver Sidney Rice, defensive end Brian Robison and nose tackle Pat Williams.
Comment: Greenway and Rice are young players the Vikings would hate to part ways with. They have seemed cooler on Edwards' status.

We've had a season of debatable calls and obscure rulings here in the NFC North, and each Week 15 game provided us new material. In order of occurrence:

The Detroit Lions were the beneficiaries (for once) of a critical decision midway through the fourth quarter of their eventual 23-20 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On a third-and-goal from the Lions' 2-yard line, the Bucs appeared to have scored a go-ahead touchdown on Josh Freeman's 2-yard pass to tight end Kellen Winslow.

But referee Terry McAulay's crew called Winslow for offensive pass interference, nullifying the touchdown and ultimately forcing the Bucs to settle for a game-tying field goal. It was Winslow's second such penalty of the game, a fact that suggests McAulay's crew was either aware of a tendency to push off or had been "encouraged" to look for it by the Lions' bench.

Across the league, offensive pass interference has been called 75 times over 15 weeks. That averages out to five per week, or less than one per game. Winslow is the only player to have more than one in the same game, according to ESPN Stats & Information's penalty database.

The earlier call, in the first quarter, came after a relatively mild push on middle linebacker DeAndre Levy. The second was an odd-looking play from the start. Winslow did not appear to be the first read, and when Freeman finally lofted him the ball, Winslow literally boxed out Lions safety C.C. Brown, never leaving his feet while making the catch.

Replays showed Winslow put both hands on Brown's chest to achieve a level of separation just before the catch. Although Winslow argued vociferously, I had no beef with McAulay's call.

A few hours later, the Green Bay Packers were hoping to take a 10-point lead over the New England Patriots at halftime when they allowed an epic 71-yard kickoff return to offensive lineman Dan Connolly. Almost immediately, you began filling the mailbag with complaints about a number of purported illegal blocks on the play.

I saw two on the TV replay. One I would consider critical and the second relatively moot.

The first came just as Connolly broke open the return at the Packers' 40-yard line. I immediately noticed Packers fullback Quinn Johnson barreling into linebacker Diyral Briggs, creating a collision that gave Connolly 30 yards of open field.

When you watch the replay a few times, you see Johnson was pushed in the back by Patriots linebacker Rob Ninkovich. No interpretation is necessary here: It was a bad no-call for Ed Hochuli's crew.

At the end of the return, Patriots running back Sammy Morris shoved place-kicker Mason Crosby to the ground from behind. That could have been ruled a penalty as well. But assuming Hochuli ruled it a spot foul, the Patriots still would have assumed possession inside the Packers' 15-yard line.

Finally, there have been questions from many of you about the final play of Brett Favre's night -- and possibly his career -- in the Minnesota Vikings' 40-14 loss to the Chicago Bears.

Bears rookie defensive end Corey Wootton blew past Vikings left tackle Bryant McKinnie. Wootton grabbed Favre and flipped him to the frozen turf at TCF Bank Stadium. At some point, the ball trickled loose. Should it have been a fumble as well as a sack?

I looked for the two obvious signs on the replay: When did referee Carl Cheffers blow the whistle? And was Favre down when he fumbled?

On the first issue, you can hear a whistle blowing almost simultaneous to the moment when Wootton grabbed Favre. Whether it was early or not, the play was officially over when the ball fell to the ground. Had the whistle blown later, however, it almost certainly would have been ruled a fumble. Favre's left knee landed on Wootton's left knee, meaning he was not down when the ball squirted loose.

(Note: No challenges last week means no change to our most recent Challenge Tracker.)

CHICAGO -- There were no huge surprises among the game-day deactivations just announced in the Soldier Field press box.

Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin (migraines) will play and is in the starting lineup. Cornerback Asher Allen (concussion) is inactive and will be replaced by rookie Chris Cook. Lito Sheppard and Frank Walker will rotate in the nickel. That's a good matchup for the Chicago Bears.

The Bears will be without cornerback Zack Bowman (foot) for another week, but otherwise are at full strength.

In Buffalo, meanwhile, the Detroit Lions announced that left end Cliff Avril won't play against the Bills. Turk McBride will replace him in the starting lineup. Also, Amari Spievey will again replace injured safety C.C. Brown.

Getting inside the Friday injury report, including some interesting machinations among the Minnesota receiving corps.

Chicago Bears: Two players are listed as questionable, but center Olin Kreutz (hamstring) and cornerback Zack Bowman (foot) both seem likely to play Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. Kreutz returned to practice Friday and should make his 127th consecutive start, according to ESPNChicago.com's Jeff Dickerson. Kreutz: "This time of year no one's at full strength. I'm not concerned about it. You just show up and play."

Detroit Lions: Linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee) is listed as doubtful and not expected to play Sunday at the Buffalo Bills. We already knew that quarterback Matthew Stafford (shoulder) and place-kicker Jason Hanson (knee) weren't playing. Defensive end Cliff Avril (quadriceps) didn't practice Friday and is very questionable for Sunday. Three of the Lions' starting defensive backs are also questionable: Safety C.C. Brown (knee), cornerback Chris Houston (shoulder) and cornerback Alphonso Smith (shoulder). Houston and Smith seem likely to play. All other players should be available. Stafford, meanwhile, will have his shoulder examined Monday by Dr. James Andrews.

Minnesota Vikings: Coach Brad Childress initially said receiver Percy Harvin (migraines) would be listed as doubtful, but officially Harvin is questionable. Harvin practiced Friday, and unless there is more going on behind the scenes, should be available Sunday against the Bears. Receiver Sidney Rice could be added to the active roster Saturday, but he seemed hesitant about returning before his hip is fully healed. Cornerback Asher Allen (concussion) isn't expected to play, meaning rookie Chris Cook likely will start and Lito Sheppard will serve as the nickel back. Look out.

Getting inside the Friday injury report:

Chicago Bears: Cornerback Zack Bowman (foot) was ruled out for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills. Tight end Desmond Clark (neck) was added to the injury report Friday and is questionable, but he has been a healthy scratch for three of the past four games. All other players are expected to be available.

Detroit Lions: Safety C.C. Brown (knee) and linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee) were ruled out of Sunday's game against the New York Jets. Quarterback Shaun Hill (forearm) isn't expected to be ready to play. Linebacker Ashlee Palmer (hamstring) and running back Kevin Smith (knee) both practiced on a limited basis Friday and are questionable. All other players are expected to be available.

Green Bay Packers: Receiver Donald Driver (quad) and cornerback Pat Lee (ankle) had already been ruled out. Left guard Daryn Colledge (back) returned to practice and is expected to play Sunday night against the Dallas Cowboys. Defensive end Ryan Pickett (ankle) and tight end Andrew Quarless (shoulder) are both listed as questionable, but Quarless "had a bit of a setback," coach Mike McCarthy said, and wasn't able to practice Friday. Pickett, however, "looked the best he's looked in a number of weeks," McCarthy said.

Minnesota Vikings: Receiver Percy Harvin (ankle) was hardly able to run during practice Friday. He is listed as questionable but would need vast improvement in order to play Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals. Receiver Sidney Rice (hip) hasn't been activated from the physically unable to perform list. Coach Brad Childress said a return to the active roster next week seems "more viable," but it's suspicious that the Vikings haven't yet filled the roster spot of waived receiver Randy Moss. Are they holding open for Rice? No. This team would never consider public misdirection.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Brad Childress' apparent unilateral decision to waive receiver Randy Moss didn't get him fired as the Minnesota Vikings' coach Monday. But it does appear to have angered the man who signs his checks.

Vikings owner Zygi Wilf wasn't happy with the move, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter and others. It apparently didn't rise to a fireable offense, considering it was Childress who released a statement on behalf of the team Monday night. But it's hard to imagine Childress sitting in high standing with ownership after this episode.

I'll have more on the Childress-Wilf dynamic later Tuesday, including a reminder that Wilf has previously warned the coach about imperious management decisions. For now, however, let's take our morning spin around the division:

• Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune reports that Moss declined to return to Minnesota with the team Sunday night. Childress had said Monday that he gave Moss permission to remain in New England and see his family.
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com on where the Vikings' receiving corps goes from here: "Percy Harvin -- who also is represented by [Moss' agent] and quickly grew tight with Moss -- had benefited from seeing more single coverage and leads the Vikings with 31 catches for 393 yards and three touchdowns. Bernard Berrian, Greg Lewis and Greg Camarillo had seen their roles reduced, as had Hank Baskett, who's been inactive in recent weeks. The X-factor is the health of Sidney Rice, who began jogging and catching passes last week as he continues to recover from hip surgery. The Vikings must start practicing Rice by Nov. 9; once that happens, they'll have three weeks to evaluate him and decide when or if he'll be activated from the reserve/physically unable to perform list."
• Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "The good news is that the Vikings have become nutty to the point of being entertaining. All we need is Herschel Walker talking about doing 10,000 pushups every morning and living off one French fry per day. Right now, it's like watching a monster truck tip over on its side and sort of spin in the dirt."
• Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the Green Bay Packers' struggling offense.
• The Packers are upbeat about their prospects, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Packers coach Mike McCarthy awarded game balls to every member of the defense following Sunday's shutout of the New York Jets, reports Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is on pace to break Jevon Kearse's record for most sacks by a rookie (14.5), notes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Sunday was one of the best games in the career of Lions tailback Kevin Smith, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• It appears as though Lions safety C.C. Brown (knee) is going to be sidelined for a while, according to Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.
• Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times checks in with former NFL quarterbacks who, like the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler, got sacked often in their careers.
• This weekend would be a perfect time for the Bears to put their new commitment to the running game on display, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• The Bears are expected to get rookie safety Major Wright back on the field this weekend against the Buffalo Bills, notes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.

After the Detroit Lions' 44-6 victory Sunday over the St. Louis Rams, here are three issues that merit further examination:

Kevin SeifertThe Detroit Lions cheerfully take their turn in the exam room.
1. In this instance, at least, I'll give the Lions a pass on just about everything. When you've only won three of your past 44 games, you get to call a halfback pass midway through the fourth quarter. Nate Burleson gets to raise the ball in the air 10 yards before crossing the goal line, narrowing avoiding having it knocked out of his hand. You get to punt the ball into the stands after said touchdown. Rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh gets to do a stomp-and-grind after tipping an interception to himself and following up with a nifty 20-yard return. Cornerback Alphonso Smith gets to do his own dance after returning an interception 42 yards for a touchdown. At some point, the Lions will want blowout victories to be routine and their reactions will follow accordingly. But on Sunday, the Lions got to have some fun.
2. I can't imagine Smith losing his starting cornerback job anytime soon after picking up his third interception in five games since the Lions acquired him from Denver Broncos. There is much more to playing cornerback than making interceptions, but one big play can compensate for a slew of coverage issues. To this point, I think we can agree that Smith is around the ball a lot. That's a good sign. Another good sign: The Lions got a winning performance out of rookie Amari Spievey, who started at safety for the injured C.C. Brown. When young players like Spievey and Smith contribute to a victory, it offers another level of satisfaction.
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Gregory Shamus/Getty ImagesNate Burleson and the Lions were in a celebratory mood after notching their first win of the season.
3. It goes without saying that the Lions are holding their breath on receiver Calvin Johnson's shoulder. Coach Jim Schwartz said "we'll see where it is" after tests Monday. Initial reports suggested the injury wasn't serious, but it would be an awfully crushing blow for him to miss any time after seeing what can happen when he's on the field at the same time with Burleson, who returned after missing most of three games because of an ankle injury. Quarterback Shaun Hill targeted either Johnson or Burleson on 15 of his 32 passes, and they combined for eight catches, 110 yards and two touchdowns. Burleson's effectiveness on third down was especially notable.

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

What is it about Hill and the Rams? Hill has made 19 starts in his NFL career and is 4-0 against the Rams. In his past two starts against them, Hill's teams have won by a combined score of 79-6. Sunday, Hill had his best all-around game for the Lions this season -- completing 66 percent of his passes and throwing three touchdown passes without a turnover. His 117.6 rating was the second-highest of his career.

Getting inside the Friday injury report, including a significant injury revealed in Minnesota:

Chicago Bears: To no one's surprise, the Bears declared quarterback Jay Cutler (concussion), left tackle Chris Williams (hamstring) and safety Major Wright (hamstring). All other players will be available for Sunday's game at the Carolina Panthers.

Detroit Lions: Linebacker DeAndre Levy (ankle) has been ruled out, along with quarterback Matthew Stafford (shoulder). Levy will have missed four of the Lions' first five games. Running back Aaron Brown (hand) is doubtful and not expected to play Sunday against the St. Louis Rams. Running back Jahvid Best (toe), safety C.C. Brown (quadriceps) and tight end Tony Scheffler (concussion) are questionable. Best is expected to be available, but the forecast is less clear for Brown and Scheffler. Receiver Nate Burleson (ankle) will play.

Green Bay Packers: Four players have been ruled out of Sunday's game at the Washington Redskins: Linebacker Brandon Chillar (shoulder) and Nick Barnett (wrist), fullback Quinn Johnson (glute), and cornerback Sam Shields (calf). Right tackle Mark Tauscher is doubtful and unlikely to play. Coach Mike McCarthy hasn't said whether Bryan Bulaga or T.J. Lang will replace him. All other players will be available.

Minnesota Vikings: The team won't classify the status of players until Saturday in advance of Monday night's game at the New York Jets, but the Star Tribune is reporting that cornerback Chris Cook is out after tearing the meniscus in his right knee. He missed the first two games after suffering the same injury in his left knee. All other players were at least limited participants in Friday's practice.

After the Detroit Lions’ 24-10 loss Sunday to the Minnesota Vikings, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. I thought it was interesting to hear how the Vikings prioritized the task of stopping the Lions' offense. “The key was not letting 44 get going,” said Vikings defensive tackle Kevin Williams, referring to tailback Jahvid Best -- and not receiver Calvin Johnson. Best had 25 yards rushing and 13 yards receiving at halftime and was limited the rest of the way by a toe injury. We’re not certain how serious the injury is, but this much seems clear: After two NFL games, Best was drawing more defensive attention than Johnson. We’ve been discussing this dynamic since training camp. If Best eases pressure on Johnson, the latter should have more opportunities for big plays. When Best was in the game Sunday, however, that didn’t seem to be the case.
2. The Lions showed some spunk mixed with frustration as the game turned chippy in the second half. You never know how these things get started, but one early flash point came midway through the third quarter when Vikings nose tackle Pat Williams flattened receive Derrick Williams at the end of a play, drawing an unnecessary roughness penalty. It culminated with quarterback Shaun Hill, of all people, shoving and chasing after Vikings defensive end Jared Allen in the fourth quarter. “All I have to say about that,” Hill said, “is that I , we, are not going to be anybody’s punk out there. You know what I mean? That’s all I have to say about that one.” It’s nice to have a quarterback defending his teammates, but you can view it as a frustration release as much as anything.
3. I got handfuls of tweets during the game on Ed Hochuli’s officiating crew, which called a total of 20 penalties on the two teams -- 12 for the Vikings and eight for the Lions. To be sure, there were some questionable calls against the Lions, among them a holding penalty on center Dominic Raiola that wiped out Jerome Felton's run to the Vikings’ 8-yard line in the second quarter. But it’s hard to gripe too much about officiating when the Lions made as many unforced errors as they did. Safety C.C. Brown had a rough game in particular, failing to cover Vikings receiver Percy Harvin on a wide-open touchdown in the first quarter and then getting sucked too far playside on Adrian Peterson’s 80-yard cutback run in the third quarter.

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

I agreed with coach Jim Schwartz when he said: “I think if you look at our first three games, I think it’s obvious that we have enough ability to play.” The Lions look better than their recent teams, and in particular they have more spark and fight in them. But ultimately, they’re 0-3. Schwartz, meanwhile, is 2-17 in his first 19 games in this job. What is keeping this team from getting over the hump? “We need to be able to make plays that win us the game rather than have the play that cost us an opportunity at the game,” Schwartz said. He has accomplished the task of raising the energy level and competitiveness of the team, but that next step is proving more difficult than he might have anticipated.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 2:

The Dallas Cowboys better get their nickel defense ready, because the Chicago Bears are a three-receiver offense. That's what we expected when Mike Martz took over as offensive coordinator, and it played out in Week 1 against the Detroit Lions in an obvious way. Receivers Johnny Knox, Devin Hester and Devin Aromashodu were all in the starting lineup, and the Bears had three receivers on the field for 71.4 percent of their plays, according to ESPN's Stats & Information. In addition, they were in that set on 83.7 percent of their passes. Quarterback Jay Cutler averaged a strong 8.4 yards per attempt on plays when three receivers were on the field. It will be an interesting matchup because, like the Minnesota Vikings, the Cowboys have only three true cornerbacks on their active roster: Terence Newman, Mike Jenkins and Orlando Scandrick.

The Vikings miss receiver Sidney Rice in many ways, but none more than when quarterback Brett Favre is under pressure. Rice was Favre's most dependable safety valve when blitzed last season, and the Miami Dolphins would be wise to test his ability to adjust Sunday at the Metrodome. According to ESPN's Stats & Information, Rice caught 80 percent of the passes Favre threw his way last year when facing a blitz. In the Sept. 9 season opener, the New Orleans Saints blitzed Favre on 13 of 28 dropbacks. Favre completed just three of those 13 passes, including 1-of-6 to receivers Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin. The Dolphins would be silly to sit back in coverage.

Attention, Minnesota defense: Play close to the line of scrimmage, especially when the Dolphins are in the red zone. According to ESPN's Stats & Information, Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne hasn't had much luck throwing into the end zone in his career. Since the start of last season, Henne has completed only 20 percent (five of 25) of those passes. It's obviously not the easiest pass to throw, and for some perspective, you should realize Favre has led the NFL over that stretch with a 53.8 completion percentage on passes into the end zone. But with Henne, you're much more likely to see a shorter pass that asks the ball carrier to zip into the end zone.

Ryan Grant's season-ending ankle injury removed a player who took at least some attention from Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley. After his strong second half of last season, Finley entered 2010 as arguably the Packers' top offensive weapon. The Philadelphia Eagles certainly approached him that way with regular double-teams, and occasional triple-teams, during last Sunday's 27-20 Packers victory. The Buffalo Bills have no reason not to follow the same pattern, especially when the Packers take the field without a proven running back on their roster. I realize we're talking about running games and passing games here, but ultimately the Bills have one less player to keep track of in the Packers' offense. Grant might not have been a world-beater, but he reliably picked up yards. Will backup Brandon Jackson do the same? That's uncertain. If possible, Finley will be more of a marked man this Sunday.

As much as I like the Detroit Lions' defensive line, I'm not confident in the team's chances against Eagles quarterback Michael Vick. Unless the pressure is sudden and fierce, Vick has a pretty good chance of escaping the pocket against any team. And if he does that against the Lions, Vick will be off to the races against a hobbled and unproven back seven. Even if middle linebacker DeAndre Levy plays, he is nowhere close to 100 percent because of a groin strain. The same goes for safety Louis Delmas. And the Lions still have two starters -- safety C.C. Brown and cornerback Jonathan Wade -- playing with a fractured forearm and finger, respectively. The Lions' best hope is to get to Vick before he gets out of the pocket.

Long-time blog readers know that I typically circle back Friday morning on our Have at It topic. I plan on continuing that schedule this season, but Thursday night's game in New Orleans temporarily set me back. So, better late than never, right?

Some of you were taken aback by the sharp nature of our topic for Week 1, typically a time for sunshine demeanors and happy thoughts. (Ba, humbug.) I wanted to know who you thought will get the best of the matchup between the Chicago Bears' still-developing offense and the Detroit Lions' still-undermanned defense Sunday at Soldier Field. I called it an occasion of a completely resistible force confronting a highly movable object, and Tdbuddah was the only one hung up by that analogy:

"I always wondered, what about a mass of salt and a mass of water? The salt dissolves into the water, right? So aren't they occupying the same place at the same time?"

Luckily, Behr-34 set the topic straight: "No. They are not. The spaces they are occupying are infinitely smaller due to the salt dissolving into its individual atomic masses, but each element's atoms still do not occupy each other's space. They move around and next to each other, but do not occupy the *same* space."

Thanks, Behr-34, for edumacating all of us. Now, for the topic at hand....

My sense is that you're pretty split on that state of both teams. Benmzion was among many who downplayed the significance of any ineptitude we might have seen during the preseason: "I understand that there isn't much to go on, at this point, but can we stop pretending that anything the Bears or anyone else did in the pre-season matters? There is literally no correlation at all between preseason performance and performance during the regular season. Concerns arising from the fact that they looked bad in preseason are meaningless."

But there is a difference between overlooking preseason performance and buying into rhetoric suggesting the Bears didn't use the good parts of their offense this summer in order to maintain the Week 1 surprise factor. I'm sure their calls were vanilla, but many of you noted the execution of what they did run was still poor.

Wrote Realfootballisplayedongrass:

I think its possible the Bears were holding back some of their offense and maybe putting players alone on an island just to see what they could do and how they would react, but I really doubt that when their offense comes out in game one it will be a completely different result.

The Bears need to gel fast on offense so why would they not work on a majority of their offense in live action against a real opponent? I also don't think the Lions improvement at D. line can improve other positions a whole lot, I'm sure it will help but even the best defensive line can't make up for inexperience and lack of skill.

That said, many of you aren't ready to believe the Lions' talented line can cover for the rest of the defense in a substantial way. Wrote sonealcti "I think people are giving way too much credit to the 'new look' Lions defensive line. Sure, the players are of a higher caliber than were on the line last year, but the new version still has a lot of potential holes.

"Corey Williams is a journeyman who has been traded multiple times and has been unable to settle in successfully as either a 4-3 tackle or a 3-4 defensive end. Kyle Vanden Bosch is disciplined and a high-motor guy. Great -- he also has 7.5 sacks combined over the last two seasons. Cliff Avril was there last year, and Ndamukong Suh remains a question mark until he actually does something in the NFL.

"So I'll take the Bears on this one, and I don't think it will be close."

That assessment was pretty harsh, I thought. Williams was a good 4-3 tackle with the Green Bay Packers. He flamed out in Cleveland because he's not really a 3-4 end. And I think we all know Suh is going to be special. RestoreTheRoarMan thinks the group will be plenty against a team in flux like the Bears: "I think if there's any game this year where the Lions secondary will look good, due to the Dline creating pressure, it will be this game. My only question is how many sacks/hurries Jay Cutler gets."

My take? My gut keeps telling me this game will be a shootout for both sides. No matter how disjointed the Bears offense seemed this summer, you have to take the fact of the Lions' defense into account. They'll be playing without middle linebacker DeAndre Levy, and three of their starting defensive backs are playing with significant injuries. Safety Louis Delmas has a sore groin, cornerback Jonathan Wade has a fractured finger and safety C.C. Brown has a fractured forearm.

I do think the Lions' defensive line will create some havoc for Cutler. But it will have to be overwhelming and constant to cover for a back seven that is as limited as the Lions appear. I think the Bears should get the better of that matchup. But more than anything, I'm on board with Bigwalt2990, who wrote, simply: "Can't wait for Sunday."

Every Friday, NFL teams are required to classify each injured player's availability for the next game. And so traditionally on this blog, we take that occasion to translate the information as best we can. The big Week 1 news is that Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy (groin) appears awfully, awfully unlikely to play against the Chicago Bears.

Let's get to it:

Chicago Bears: The only player at risk is safety Craig Steltz (ankle), who participated fully in Friday's practice but is still listed as questionable. At most, Steltz would be a special teams participant Sunday against the Lions. Linebacker Lance Briggs (ankle), who missed practice earlier in the week, is listed as probable and will definitely play. The same goes for tight end Desmond Clark (ankle).

Detroit Lions: Levy never practiced this week and is listed as doubtful. Veteran Landon Johnson is expected to start in his place. Safety Louis Delmas (groin) has been limited in practice but is expected to play. Safety C.C. Brown (fractured forearm) and cornerback Jonathan Wade (fractured finger) are both probable and will play with heavy padding.

Green Bay Packers: Cornerback Brandon Underwood (shoulder) was declared out. The only other players at risk are linebacker Desmond Bishop (hamstring) and defensive lineman Mike Neal (side). They're listed as questionable, but neither participated in practice on Thursday and Friday. That's not a good sign. Linebacker Brady Poppinga (knee) returned to practice Friday and is probable. Linebacker Clay Matthews (hamstring) had full participation all week.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 1:

1. With national discussion centering so squarely on the Green Bay Packers' postseason chances, we've probably failed to address adequately their far-from-a-gimmee regular-season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Packers have opened on the road only four times in the past 25 years, and their recent history in Philadelphia hasn't been great. In fact, the Packers have lost nine consecutive games there. But that type of history is irrelevant to this game. In reality, the Eagles are a team in flux as they transition from Donovan McNabb to Kevin Kolb at quarterback. And as we discussed earlier this week, Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is equipped to nullify the Eagles' pressure defense. We should always account for the inevitable surprises of Week 1, but the fact remains that the Packers will have the better team at kickoff.

2. The Packers should find out whether their pass defense made any progress this offseason. They have made some personnel moves, among them moving B.J. Raji to nose tackle, inserting rookie safety Morgan Burnett into the starting lineup and shifting Pro Bowl linebacker Clay Matthews to the other side of the line of scrimmage. But depth at cornerback remains an issue with Al Harris (knee) and Brandon Underwood (shoulder) sidelined by injury. Rookie Sam Shields could be the Packers' nickel back against an offense that attempted the fourth-most pass attempts of 15 yards or longer last season, according to research by ESPN's Stats & Information. With or without McNabb, the Eagles will try pushing the ball downfield. We'll find out if the Packers can handle it.

3. It's been a while since the Detroit Lions' defense had a notable advantage in any type of matchup. But it's hard to ignore the intensity and production with which their defensive line played this preseason, and if nothing else they'll carry a newfound confidence into Soldier Field. More than anything, I'm interested in seeing whether left end Cliff Avril is able capitalize on the presence of better-known teammates Kyle Vanden Bosch, Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams. As we've discussed, the Bears' offensive line didn't inspire much confidence during the preseason. We'll find out if Avril is capable of capitalizing against Bears right tackle Frank Omiyale. I'm also interested in whether Bears left tackle Chris Williams can match Lions right end Vanden Bosch's intensity.

4. It will be interesting to see how heavily the Chicago Bears rely on a passing game that struggled all preseason. It doesn't fit the history of offensive coordinator Mike Martz, but the best way to slow a pass rush is to establish your running game. Tailback Matt Forte appeared to have regained his burst during the preseason, most notably on an 89-yard touchdown run, and backup Chester Taylor had a nice 34-yard burst during the preseason as well. Running the ball straight at the Lions doesn't sound exciting or even a long-term answer, but it might be a good way to eat up yardage, control the clock and keep the Lions' explosive offense off the field while the passing game gets settled.

5. Credit goes to Chris Burke of NFLFanHouse for this one. Technically, the Minnesota Vikings' loss to the New Orleans Saints lifted the Lions out of last place in the NFC North for the first time since December 2007. Let's take it one step further. A win against the Bears would give the Lions a share of first place for the first time since September 2007. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. The Lions should have as much pause about their linebackers and secondary as they do excitement about their offense. Middle linebacker DeAndre Levy is struggling with a groin injury and might not play. Safety C.C. Brown and cornerback Jonathan Wade are both playing with bone fractures, and safety Louis Delmas has been limited by a groin injury. That's a lot of limitations to overcome.

As we enter the final week of the preseason, position battles and depth chart competition should be nearing their conclusion. No clear answers generally means trouble. So with that timing in mind, let's take a look at the key summer issues in each NFC North locale:

Chicago Bears
Unsettled positions: Both safeties and strongside linebacker
Comment: The safety issue will come down to how quickly rookie Major Wright can return from a fractured finger. If it's soon, he could be the free safety with Chris Harris at strong. If not, the Bears might have to patch the position together with Harris at free safety and Danieal Manning or Craig Steltz on the strong side. Meanwhile, Nick Roach seemed to have the linebacker job won before having knee surgery. Can Pisa Tinoisamoa hold him off?

Detroit Lions
Unsettled positions: No. 2 cornerback, strong safety
Comment: Jonathan Wade held down the cornerback job in camp until a finger injury knocked him from the lineup. Eric King or Dre' Bly could be his short- and/or long-term replacement. C.C. Brown was the first-team strong safety for most of camp, but his hand was in a cast last week. Randy Phillips has been the primary replacement, but fellow rookie Amari Spievey was moved from cornerback to safety last week.

Green Bay Packers
Unsettled positions: Left guard and punter
Comment: Daryn Colledge won the left guard job by default after a hip flexor slowed rookie Bryan Bulaga. Tim Masthay appears to have an edge on Chris Bryan in the punting battle, but the Packers will take the competition through the end of the week.

Minnesota Vikings
Unsettled positions: No. 2 cornerback, strong safety, center, third-down back
Comment: Rookie Chris Cook appears on the brink of beating out Lito Sheppard and Asher Allen for the right cornerback job. Tyrell Johnson is trying to hold off Jamarca Sanford at safety. That battle is too close to call. The Vikings are worried that center John Sullivan's calf injury has put him too far behind to be ready for the Sept. 9 season opener at New Orleans, leaving them to decide whether to play backup Jon Cooper or move over right guard Anthony Herrera. The Vikings have rotated Adrian Peterson, Toby Gerhart and Albert Young in the third-down role and might use a combination when the season begins.

Let's set up the summer's most important night of preseason football in the NFC North. All three games will be played Saturday.

Chicago Bears

Opponent: Arizona Cardinals

Location: Soldier Field

Time: 8:30 p.m. ET

Personnel notes: Starters will play at least a half and possibly into the third quarter. Middle linebacker Brian Urlacher (calf) won't play, and we probably won't see him again until the Sept. 12 opener against the Detroit Lions. Safety Craig Steltz (ankle), receiver Earl Bennett (hamstring), linebacker Nick Roach (knee) and quarterback Caleb Hanie (shoulder) are all expected to be sidelined. It's also unlikely that new quarterback Todd Collins, signed this week as the likely replacement for Hanie, will be ready to play much in this game.

Focal point: The preseason is to be taken with a grain of salt, but it would be nice if the Bears could take at least a granule of optimism with them into the regular season. Their first two outings have been a toxic mix of poor pass protection, special teams gaffes and defensive lethargy. A crisper outing in preseason Week 3 would allow us to file previous efforts in the "learning pains" category. But if it's more of the same Saturday night, Bears fans will have real reason to worry.

Detroit Lions

Opponent: Cleveland Browns

Location: Ford Field

Time: 5 p.m. ET

Personnel notes: Starters will play at least a half. Place-kicker Jason Hanson (knee) might kick beforehand but isn't expected to participate in the game. Safety Louis Delmas (groin) is expected to make his preseason debut, but it's not clear if fellow starter C.C. Brown (hand) can play. We're not expecting to see defensive ends Jared DeVries (knee) or Lawrence Jackson (hamstring).

Focal point: We haven't given the Lions defense much credit this summer, so it will be interesting to see the impact of Delmas' return. First of all, is he finally healthy? Assuming the answer is yes, how much can he impact the entire group? Denver Broncos quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 177 yards in the first half of last week's game. Let's see if Delmas can help the Lions have a better showing against Cleveland's Jake Delhomme.

Minnesota Vikings

Opponent: Seattle Seahawks

Location: Metrodome

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Personnel notes: Starters are expected to play into the third quarter because most will sit out next week's preseason finale for precautionary reasons. As was the case in 2009, that makes this game the primary building block for the offense following the late arrival of quarterback Brett Favre. And like last season, Favre will be playing with a whole new set of receivers. Javon Walker and Greg Camarillo could make their Vikings debut. Receiver Percy Harvin (migraines) isn't expected to play. Neither is defensive tackle Jimmy Kennedy (unknown injury).

Focal point: The Vikings' first-team offense hasn't scored a touchdown this preseason, so its development is a crucial storyline Saturday night. So is the continuing competition at right cornerback, where rookie Chris Cook is getting a chance to win the job vacated (temporarily) by the injured Cedric Griffin. Veteran Lito Sheppard and second-year player Asher Allen remain in the mix.

Earlier: Our review of the Green Bay Packers' 59-24 victory Thursday night over the Indianapolis Colts.