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What did you think about the way Green Bay Packers general manager Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy addressed the future of receiver Donald Driver? At the very least, Driver's future with the franchise doesn't appear to have been decided.

Driver, 37, has said he would be willing to re-negotiate his contract to remain with the team, and last week the Packers made two difficult decisions -- releasing left tackle Chad Clifton and safety Nick Collins -- while Driver remained on the roster. But when asked if Driver is set to go to training camp with the team, Thompson told reporters Saturday: "I would never speculate on something like that. He's dancing right now. Doing good, too."

(As you know, Driver remains apart of the "Dancing with the Stars" cast on the West Coast and, according to ESPN.com's Lynn Hoppes, he's scheduled to dance the Viennese Waltz in Monday night's broadcast. That'll be big.)

It's not unlike Thompson to avoid direct answers on personnel matters. But McCarthy was unusually vague when asked the same question, saying: "No reason to speculate on that. I'm just going to follow Ted's answer to that question."

If Driver was definitely set to return, you would think Thompson and/or McCarthy would have said so. If a decision had already been made one way or the other, there would be nothing to avoid speculating on.

One guess is that the sides are trying to work out a restructured deal but haven't completed negotiations. Another, less likely, possibility is that they have agreed to reconvene after Driver's stint on "DWTS."

There certainly are no hard feelings at this point. McCarthy gleefully admitted he and his family have faithfully watched each "DWTS" episode, which is more than I (and possibly you) can say.

"I didn't realize it was such a tough thing for a man [to watch] "Dancing with the Stars," McCarthy said. "And if I'm not at home, we have to DVR it and watch it as a family. We're rooting him on and voting eight times like you're supposed to. He's doing a great job."

The Packers are well into their offseason program, but the early stages are mostly about strength and conditioning, neither of which have ever been a problem for Driver. Stay tuned.

News of the Green Bay Packers' decision to release safety Nick Collins was sad, sobering and inevitable. From my experience, Collins is a quiet and humble family man who was on his way to becoming one of the best and most consistent safeties of this generation before suffering a serious neck injury last September. (Agent Alan Herman confirmed the news to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.)

But I've suspected this moment was coming from the moment Packers coach Mike McCarthy said last month that he wouldn't let Collins return if he were his son. Collins had cervical fusion surgery to repair his injury, a procedure some NFL players have returned from, but McCarthy seemed scarred by seeing Collins immobilized and removed from the field on a stretcher, and the Packers' medical staff must not have offered enough supporting evidence to suggest it was completely safe for Collins to return.

I won't pretend to understand all of the medical details involved in this decision, and your first reaction might be to criticize the Packers for disposing Collins the minute they decided he could be of no use to them. That would be shortsighted, however. The Packers can't prevent Collins from playing again with another team, but it's clear they didn't want the burden of a possible re-injury to fall on their watch. Directly or indirectly, they're trying to help him walk away from the game under his own power.

Think about it. Collins is 28 and a three-time Pro Bowl player. The Packers' pass defense collapsed after his injury last season, and thus they have every reason to want him back on the field. If they were unconcerned about his well being, they would have brought him to training camp regardless of the medical risks and let him play for as long as he could. If he were re-injured, they would release him then. For once, an NFL team appears to have acted with some empathy even if it hurts on the field.

*UPDATE: General manager Ted Thompson indicated as much in a statement released as part of the team's official announcement: "From the beginning of this process, we have taken our time and sought numerous medical opinions while maintaining consistent dialogue with Nick. In the end, we were not comfortable clearing him to play again. As with all of our players, Nick is a member of our family and we thought of him that way as we came to this conclusion. Nick is a part of our core, and this is a very difficult day for all Packers. Making this kind of decision is never easy, especially when it involves someone like Nick Collins. He has meant so much to the community, his teammates and the organization. He is a good man and will always be part of the Packers family."

My guess is the Packers have been planning for this eventuality all offseason. They didn't sign a free agent safety, but it's fair to assume that position is among their priorities in this week's draft. Veteran safety Charlie Peprah had a better year in 2010 when he replaced fellow safety Morgan Burnett than when he stepped into Collins' role last season.

With the NFL's attention mostly on the draft, the Packers have now released two franchise cornerstones this week. Chad Clifton, their starting left tackle since 2000, departed Monday. The two moves cleared about $9 million in salary-cap space. But from a big-picture perspective, the Packers have undergone some monumental changes this week -- and the draft hasn't even begun.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill continues to ride a tide of momentum that began after last week's mini-crisis. The bill was officially revived in the state's House of Representatives late Monday night, putting it in position for a floor vote, while also continuing to move through the committee process on the senate side.

Once again, it's worth noting how quickly this process began moving once the NFL made clear it was serious about pursuing alternatives if the issue was addressed now. Although no one knows where this momentum will lead, one of the bill's chief sponsors told the Star Tribune: "There's an increasing sense that people want to get it to the floor for a final vote -- even the people who likely are going to vote no."

The 2012 state legislative session is scheduled to end at the end of the month. This week is critical for stadium supporters.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder is optimistic about having a winning season in 2012, writes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Free-agent receiver Jerome Simpson, who visited the Vikings last weekend, will be suspended three games by the NFL for his role in a felony drug arrest, reports ESPN's Adam Schefter.
• The Green Bay Packers re-signed linebacker Erik Walden, notes the Associated Press, but are still expected to pursue linebacker help in the draft.
• The Packers seem likely to draft a running back, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Releasing left tackle Chad Clifton left the Packers nearly $9 million under the 2012 salary cap, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com takes a look at multiple mock draft projections for the Detroit Lions' No. 23 overall pick.
• The Lions might have more of a need at linebacker than you might think, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• The Lions are not committed to taking a cornerback in the first round on Thursday, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com takes a look at the Chicago Bears' needs at linebacker.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune thinks the Bears should look to trade back and accumulate extra picks. Pompei: "The way I see it, this draft isn't about acquiring one player who can push the Bears over the top. It's about acquiring a number of players who can help establish a foundation for the future. The Bears have a solid core of veteran players who can compete for a Super Bowl. What they don't have is enough young players to make them as confident about tomorrow as they are about today."
• A cornerback could tempt the Bears at No. 19 overall, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

When we last checked in on Chad Clifton, it was clear the Green Bay Packers were hoping to find a way to get their veteran left tackle back for 2012. At the NFL owners meetings, coach Mike McCarthy termed Clifton's future "a medical decision" after his postseason back surgery.

The Packers made that decision Monday, and it ended a 12-year run that included a Pro Bowl berth as recently as two years ago. Just as important, the move should save the Packers more than $5 million against the 2012 salary cap.

In truth, the Packers' pending release of Clifton -- as reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter -- has been building for years. The team essentially extended his career by limiting practice time to help manage knee, shoulder, back and hamstring ailments. But the back issue developed last season while rehabilitating a hamstring injury, and it was fair to question whether the Packers could rely on a left tackle in his condition who will turn 36 in June.

Knowing this moment was coming, the Packers have drafted possible replacements in recent years. Bryan Bulaga was initially a left tackle as a first-round pick in 2010, but he has moved to right tackle. Derek Sherrod, the Packers' top pick last season, played guard and tackle before suffering a season-ending broken leg in December.

But the likeliest replacement could be Marshall Newhouse, a fifth-round pick in 2010 who filled in admirably for Clifton last season. As the playoffs approached, quarterback Aaron Rodgers offered this ringing endorsement of Newhouse's performance:

"Starting the season out, I didn't look at Marshall the way I look at him now. I look at him now as a guy who really has a strong, legitimate chance to be the left tackle of the future. I think he has the personality makeup to do that, the athletic ability to do that, the feet and the smarts to be a very, very solid left tackle for us."

The Packers' depth chart at the position depends partially on this week's draft. But for now, we can at least say that the Packers will have a new left tackle this season for the first time since 2000.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Long before he led a team of investors in purchasing the Minnesota Vikings in 2005, Zygi Wilf's family owned a real estate company that had significant investments in Southern California. His frequent visits have often provided convenient fodder for the rumor mill, mostly because his private plane has an unmistakable Vikings logo painted on its tail and the team has always been rumored to be a candidate to relocate there.

So when the Los Angeles Daily News reported Thursday that Wilf's plane was spotted at a Southern California airport, in the same week when his stadium bill in Minnesota was quashed, the news spread quickly.

As we've discussed, we are now in a phase of increased pressure and dramatic rhetoric as the franchise's future is sorted out. Whether the plane's arrival in Southern California was coincidental, an expensive message or an indication that Wilf is in negotiations to sell the team to a Los Angeles investor, the overlying point hasn't changed: The Vikings will eventually leave Minnesota if they don't secure a stadium deal.

Are they already angling to leave with 10 days remaining in the state's legislative session? I can't answer that. Just consider it another reminder of a potential future reality.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Regardless of the plane's purpose in California, the NFL is sending commissioner Roger Goodell and other executives to Minnesota for meetings Friday on the stadium, notes the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Vikings have met two league requirements for a relocation, notes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings' contingency plan at running back is incomplete, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• It's safe to assume the Green Bay Packers will select an outside linebacker relatively high in the draft, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Offensive lineman Chad Clifton has been working out in the Packers' offseason program, a good sign that he will get a chance to return in 2012. More from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Packers general manager Ted Thompson said he is "fine with" having Graham Harrell and Nick Hill as the backups to starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best (concussion) has been working out in the team's offseason program, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Lions general manager Martin Mayhew's draft philosophy can be boiled down to "the best player for us." More from the Detroit News.
• The Lions haven't changed how they evaluate prospects after having three of their 2011 draft class members have legal entanglements related to marijuana, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com takes a look at the Chicago Bears' prospects for drafting a receiver.
• Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery's approach is rooted largely in the "Patriot Way," writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicago Bears

One of the Giants' playoff heroes, wide receiver Devin Thomas, signed with the Bears.

Coach Lovie Smith feels Brandon Marshall's "big, physical presence" was a perfect fit for the Bears, writes the Chicago Tribune's Dan Pompei.

Smith is optimistic that Matt Forte’s contract status will be resolved soon. “My glass is always half-full,” Smith said Wednesday morning, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Sean Jensen. “Everything you’ve ever heard from us, Matt Forte is our running back."

Detroit Lions

Kyle Vanden Bosch and Stephen Tulloch said the Titans did not have a bounty program when they were with the team, reports the Detroit News' Chris McCosky.

The Lions are in favor of extending the trade deadline by two weeks, but the proposal was tabled until May at the NFL owners meetings.

Wideout Titus Young might be used as a punt or kick returner this season, writes McCosky.

Green Bay Packers

Packers safety Nick Collins will meet with coach Mike McCarthy, GM Ted Thompson, the team doctor and his two agents sometime next week to determine whether it's safe for him to resume his NFL career following the serious neck injury he suffered last season, writes the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel's Tom Silverstein.

The Packers still have plans for veterans Chad Clifton and Donald Driver, according to Silverstein.

If faced with a similar situation in the future, McCarthy would sit Aaron Rodgers again in a meaningless Week 17 game, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

Minnesota Vikings

Emails released by the city of Minneapolis reveal the "behind-the-scenes frustrations and horse trading that preceded a March 1 agreement between the Vikings, the city and the state" to land the new stadium, according to a report by Star Tribune writers Eric Roper and Mike Kassuba.

The Vikings expect star running back Adrian Peterson to begin running soon on his surgically repaired left knee, reports the Star Tribune's Dan Wiederer.

Coach Leslie Frazier would still like to add a speedy receiver, writes Weiderer.

Bob Sansevere's column provides us with another instance of Minnesota Vikings general manager Rick Spielman going out of his way to suggest that he is far from certain to draft USC tackle Matt Kalil with the No. 3 overall pick in the April draft.

Last month, Spielman on multiple occasions noted how important it is to surround a young quarterback with playmakers, and fill in at left tackle as needed. More recently, Spielman asked Sansevere to name the starting left tackles of the past two Super Bowl champions and apparently talked up LSU cornerback Morris Claiborne.

I judged the first instance to be blatant draft posturing, and the second might well fall into the same category. But let's take a closer look and make sure we all understand why Kalil is the presumed pick at No. 3 rather than Claiborne, Oklahoma State receiver Justin Blackmon or even Alabama running back Trent Richardson.

First off, it's true that the Giants won Super Bowl XLVI with a replacement left tackle, David Diehl, who took over during the season for an injured Will Beatty, a second-round draft pick in 2009. The Packers won Super Bowl XLV with left tackle Chad Clifton, a second-round draft pick in 2000 and two-time Pro Bowler. For good measure, we should note that the New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers advanced to the title games with Matt Light and Jonathan Scott starting at left tackle, respectively. Light was a second-round pick in 2001 and is a four-time Pro Bowl player; Scott was a fifth-round pick of the Detroit Lions in 2006.

That cross section of history allows Spielman to make an obvious point: There is no step-by-step manual for building a championship team, other than having a good quarterback, and a contending team does not necessarily need an elite left tackle. But to me, the argument for Kalil is not so much that he plays left tackle but that he is widely assessed -- at least by media draft analysts -- to be the third-best player in the draft.

The Vikings shouldn't target Kalil just because he is a left tackle, nor should they zero in on Claiborne because they are thin at cornerback or Blackmon because they want a downfield threat for quarterback Christian Ponder. The only relevant question is who the best player is.

So we will give Spielman some leeway here. I still think his public statements lend themselves more to posturing than honest assessments. But if he and his scouts truly judge Claiborne or Blackmon or even Richardson as a better prospect than Kalil, then by all means they should draft that player and put up that evaluation to stand the test of history.

If that's the case, however, you can only hope that Spielman will have made a position-neutral decision. At such a high spot in the draft, it seems like splitting hairs to debate which position is more valuable. The only choice at No. 3 is to take the best player. The media consensus suggests it's Kalil, but the media has been wrong before.

I've gotten a few angry notes about largely ignoring the Green Bay Packers over the first two days of the NFL's new league year. Yes, I admit I couldn't even muster up a "BBAO IV" to complete the cycle Wednesday morning.

Most of you, however, get that this isn't the Packers' typical busy season. There have been no reports of free agent visits to Lambeau Field, and if the Packers have addressed the contracts of veteran left tackle Chad Clifton or receiver Donald Driver, it hasn't been made public.

The only mild drama facing the Packers at the moment is the future of center Scott Wells, whose contract expired Tuesday. On Wednesday, my AFC South colleague Paul Kuharsky reports, Wells became a primary free-agent target of the Tennessee Titans, who are hoping to upgrade their interior offensive line. Wells is a Nashville native who attended the University of Tennessee.

If Wells departs, the Packers' general aversion to free agency would be tested. He didn't have a true backup last season -- guard Evan Dietrich-Smith technically had that role -- and it's risky to assume that a rookie center would be ready to start right away. We'll get to that when and if it happens.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

This is it. Tuesday is the day we find out who among our pending free agents will test the free-agent market, and who will sign last-minute deals to remain in the NFC North.

We have a good idea on most of them, and among those who appear set to hit the open market are Detroit Lions left tackle Jeff Backus, Lions middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, Lions cornerback Eric Wright, Green Bay Packers running back Ryan Grant and Minnesota Vikings linebacker E.J. Henderson.

Packers center Scott Wells is one of the few players whose next step won't be clear until 4 p.m. ET, when the new league year begins. It's also not clear if the Packers will keep veteran receiver Donald Driver and left tackle Chad Clifton under their current contracts, whether they will restructure them or if they both will be released.

I'll station myself in front of the computer for as long as my eyes can stay open, and as always, we'll call 'em the way we see 'em. Hop aboard. The ride is about to begin.

Dashing through the division:

• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune looks at the top free agents available on the market.
• David Haugh of the Tribune doesn't think the Chicago Bears have the luxury of pursuing defensive end Mario Williams. Haugh: "Sturdy offensive line and big-play wide receiver aren't terms I recall using in relation to the Bears offense since the [Jay] Cutler trade three years ago."
• Go here to vote in ESPNChicago.com's Hot Button debate on which receiver -- Vincent Jackson or Mario Manningham -- makes better sense for the Bears.
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times looks at how the Bears could afford Williams.
• The Packers will start free agency with at least $7 million in cap space after the NFL gave most teams an additional $1.6 million, notes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Grant on reports of the New Orleans Saints' bounty program, via Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com: "Not everybody is coaching from the right place, not everybody is playing from the right place. And that’s just the reality."
• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on the state of the Wells negotiations: "The Packers and Wells have done such a good job of keeping negotiations secret that it's hard to know whether they have bridged at all a huge gap they faced as late as the middle of February. Typically, the Packers get deals done with their free-agents-to-be right under the gun, so it may take until Tuesday afternoon for Wells' fate to be known."
• If the Vikings seek big-name cornerbacks on the free-agent market, it could be a sign they are planning a schematic change, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Vikings cornerback Chris Cook could take the stand in his own defense as early as Tuesday in his ongoing trial for felony strangulation of his girlfriend, notes Abby Simons of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings appear set to let a number of their veteran free agents depart, including tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, according to Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• It's not clear if the Vikings' stadium bill will clear its first committee this week, according to Doug Belden of the Pioneer Press.
• Chris McCosky of the Detroit News wonders if the Lions have enough salary-cap room to re-sign Tulloch.
• The Lions want backup quarterback Shaun Hill back in 2012, but it doesn't appear he'll be signed before Tuesday's deadline, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

I have no idea if this is our last post of the day or if we'll have five more before we call it a night. That's how crazy the NFL news cycle is at the moment. But we've had a collection of newsbits hit the wire in the past few hours, so let's bring them all together while we have a moment — in quick-hitting fashion, of course.

Item: The NFL has taken $36 million in salary cap space from the Washington Redskins and $10 million from the Dallas Cowboys for two-year-old contract violations.
Comment: Each NFC North team will receive $1.6 million in additional cap space as a result. Yee-haw!

Item: The Detroit Lions released tight end Will Heller.
Comment: Heller was due a roster bonus of $200,000 and would have received a base salary of just under $1 million in 2012. As cold as it sounds, you don't need to pay your third tight end that kind of money.

Item: The Chicago Bears issued a low tender of $1.26 million to running back Kahlil Bell, a restricted free agent.
Comment: The Bears have the right to match any contract offer Bell might receive, but they would get no compensation if he departs. At this moment, he appears in line to be Matt Forte's primary backup in 2012. Marion Barber isn't expected back.

Item: The Vikings aren't expected to tender linebacker/special teams ace Kenny Onatolu, according to Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
Comment: The fate of the Vikings' other restricted free agent, running back Lorenzo Booker, has yet to be learned.

Item: The Green Bay Packers are entering into their final hours of exclusive negotiating with center Scott Wells, a pending free agent.
Comment: The Packers have a history of last-minute agreements, but Wells might feel compelled to test his market value before being satisfied with what the Packers have offered.

Item: I can't count how many people have asked for updates on the status of Packers left tackle Chad Clifton and receiver Donald Driver.
Comment: If either player has restructured his contract and/or been informed of his release, it hasn't been made public. That's all I can tell you at this moment.

Chicago Bears

The fact that the Bears have yet to place the franchise tag on running back Matt Forte means the two sides remain in serious discussions, writes ESPNChicago.com's Michael C. Wright.

The team made the release of defensive tackle Anthony Adams official, and announced that offensive lineman Frank Omiyale has also been cut. Those two moves cleared $3.15 million in salary-cap space.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune looks at the Bears' options if they look to upgrade their tight end corps in free agency.

Detroit Lions

In an interview with KTAR-AM in Phoenix, Ndamukong Suh said he'd like to model his game after Ravens defensive tackle Haloti Ngata. "I think I have a lot of work ahead of myself to even be considered [among the best defensive tackles]," Suh said. " ... One of them that I definitely consider a top defensive tackle is Haloti Ngata. He's consistently doing it from year-in and year-out, and I look to kind of follow in those footsteps in being a consistent football player." Listen to the full interview here.

Green Bay Packers

The Packers sold more than 268,000 shares in the team's fifth ever stock sale, adding more than 250,000 new shareholders, reports Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Are the Packers going to go with Chad Clifton or Marhsall Newhouse at left tackle?

Minnesota Vikings

Gov. Mark Dayton and Vikings owners Mark and Zygi Wilf unveiled a tentative agreement to build a $975 million stadium next to the Metrodome in Minneapolis. The plan still has to be approved by Minneapolis' city council and the state legislature. Under the plan, the team will pay $427 million to build the stadium.

Running back Adrian Peterson has been doing some light running in a pool at Vikings headquarters as part of his rehabilitation program from a torn ACL, Jeremy Fowler of the Pioneer Press reports.

INDIANAPOLIS -- There is a moment at most NFL combines when I see a highly regarded prospect and am surprised at what he looks like in person. Friday, that player was USC left tackle Matt Kalil, one of a handful of players the Minnesota Vikings might draft at No. 3 overall.

Dressed in a baggy sweatsuit, Kalil looked as much like a tight end as he did a left tackle. He played last season at 300 pounds and said he weighed in this week at 306. But suffice it to say, there are plenty of pounds left to be packed on his 6-foot-6 frame.

"Definitely [I would like] to put more bulk on my frame," Kalil said. "I'm so tall and slender, I could weigh 310, and it wouldn't look it. I can definitely add more weight, and I will be training the next few months -- getting bigger, getting stronger, working on my body."

To be clear, I don't think Kalil needs to go on a massive weight-gaining expedition in the next few months. He credits his success to playing light on his feet and moving well, and for that reason it wouldn't make sense to jump, say, 30 pounds in a year. But weight is one of the measurables people will fixate on here at the combine, and for comparison, consider that Green Bay Packers left tackle Chad Clifton weighs 320 pounds and J'Marcus Webb of the Chicago Bears is listed at 333 pounds.

Last year, Colorado left tackle Nate Solder was considered a project in part because he had 319 pounds spread out over his 6-foot-8 frame. The New England Patriots selected him with the No. 17 overall pick. But to this point, most draft observers have agreed that Kalil is polished from a technique standpoint and ready to start in the NFL immediately.

He'll have a chance to convince Vikings officials of that Friday when he meets them for a formal interview. Kalil will also speak with the St. Louis Rams, who own the No. 2 overall pick and could make the Kalil discussion a moot point for the NFC North. Stay tuned.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

To date, 50 percent of the NFC North has elevated ticket prices for 2012. The other 50 percent, to my knowledge, hasn't made its plans public.

The Green Bay Packers' prices will rise from $3 to $5 per ticket, depending on location, as Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com notes. Last week, the Detroit Lions announced a 7.9 percent hike in prices, their first since 2007.

I hope no one is surprised by either move, especially after NFL teams largely kept their prices steady during last season's lockout. The Packers have a season ticket waiting list of 90,000 people, giving them extraordinary leverage when it comes to setting prices. And the Lions had actually lowered some prices in recent years before selling out all of their home games during their breakthrough 2011 season.

It's simple economics, and it wouldn't be surprising to see the Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings follow suit. Stay tuned.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Packers offensive lineman Marshall Newhouse remains an option if the team doesn't bring back left tackle Chad Clifton, notes Rob Reischel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• If all things are equal, the Chicago Bears should look to draft a defensive end in the first round, writes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• There remains some distance between the Bears and the NFC's top teams, writes Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Writing for the Tribune, former NFL player Matt Bowen says the Bears scored a coup by hiring Jeremy Bates as their quarterbacks coach. Bowen: "[T]here are those rare cases in the NFL where a player builds an extraordinary relationship with his position coaches, a working relationship on the field and in the classroom when a veteran buys into everything his coach is selling."
• The national profile of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford is changing, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• The Lions should consider drafting cornerback Janoris Jenkins, writes Justin Rogers of Mlive.com.
• Minneapolis leaders are not concerned about a shortfall in their financing plan for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium, writes Frederick Melo of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Chris Doleman's life has turned upside down since he was elected Saturday into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mark Craig of the Star Tribune explains.

We'll make this as easy as we can: Of the 106 players on the combined active rosters of the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers, only two are unlikely to be available for Sunday's divisional playoff game at Lambeau Field.

The Giants have ruled out linebacker Mark Herlzich, who is sidelined by an ankle injury. And Packers linebacker Robert Francois is doubtful because of a hamstring injury that prevented him from practicing Friday.

Everyone else is probable or unlisted on the final injury report of the week. That includes Packers left tackle Chad Clifton, who took a veteran rest day Friday, and offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith (illness). Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) returned to practice Friday and is probable.

Is it game time yet?

» Divisional Final Word: Saints-49ers | Broncos-Patriots | Texans-Ravens | Giants-Packers

Three nuggets of knowledge about Sunday's New York Giants-Green Bay Packers divisional playoff game:

Home-field advantage: The playoffs will return to Lambeau Field for the first time in four seasons. The Packers are 15-3 all-time at home in the postseason. They've also won 13 consecutive regular-season games at Lambeau. Over that stretch, which began in Week 7 of last season, the Packers have outscored opponents by an average spread of 37-18 and have a +23 advantage in turnovers. The Giants have won two of their last three games at Lambeau, including the 2007 NFC Championship Game, but have won a total of three games in the state of Wisconsin since 1957. What does all of this mean? The Packers no doubt prefer playing at home over the alternative, but their opponent Sunday can draw on some relatively recent success to minimize the intimidation factor Lambeau would otherwise carry.

Key matchup: We've spent time this week discussing the challenge facing the Packers' defense. (They are trying to become the first team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl after finishing the regular season with a defense ranked below No. 25 overall, based on total yards allowed.) We've also noted that the Packers have scored 83 points in two games against the Giants in the last 13 months. (All of our coverage is available through this handy "Giants-Packers" link.) But one of the most interesting subplots will be the return of Packers left tackle Chad Clifton to full-time duty -- just in time to face one of the NFL's top players in 2011. Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul earned first-team All-Pro honors after compiling 16.5 sacks, including six in the Giants' final four regular-season games. Pierre-Paul is expected to start at right end, and when he takes a break or moves elsewhere, the Giants probably will use veteran pass-rusher Osi Umenyiora. Clifton hasn't played a full game since Week 4 because of hamstring and back injuries, and at 35 he's giving up 12 years to Pierre-Paul. But Clifton knows every veteran trick in the book, and he has traditionally fared well against elite pass-rushers, most notably Jared Allen. The Packers trust Clifton to figure out a way to keep the pass rush away from quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Philbin factor: After the death of Michael Philbin this week, the NFL community learned just how revered his father is by those who know him. The grief of Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin deeply touched the entire organization, and dealing with those emotions was an undeniable part of the team's preparation this week. Coach Mike McCarthy referred to it as a "punch in the heart" and fought back tears during a news conference Wednesday. It's too clichéd to speculate whether the tragedy will help or hurt the Packers' mindset when they take the field Sunday, or whether it affected their week in a tangible way. But if nothing else, we learned that Joe Philbin is deeply intertwined within the Packers' structure and success.