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We're Black and Blue All Over:

Over the past few weeks, I've received as many questions about DuJuan Harris as any other NFC North player. Specifically, many of you want to know if the Green Bay Packers will enter the 2013 season with Harris as their top running back.

Running back tends to be a year-to-year proposition in Green Bay, which is exactly why a player signed at midseason to the practice squad can end up starting two playoff games. Harris ran for a combined 257 yards in six games last season, including the postseason, and seemed to have a burst and a good feel for the Packers' offense.

Will that be enough to embed him in the Packers' offseason plans? Several San Francisco 49ers players who faced him in the divisional playoff round were impressed, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

There are two equally compelling arguments here. One would suggest it's time for the Packers to make a draft commitment at the running back position. The other would question why it's necessary. If you can find and develop a DuJuan Harris off the street, why spend a high draft choice to find another one?

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Former Packers linebacker Dave Robinson has a good chance to be elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame this weekend, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Former Packers (and Minnesota Vikings) quarterback Brett Favre will be a part of the NFL Network's pregame show Sunday for Super Bowl XLVII, via ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Vikings consultant Paul Wiggin is close with the Harbaugh family, notes Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune.
• Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com on former Vikings receiver Randy Moss: "Will he wake up one day long after his NFL career is over and realize that he could have been the greatest receiver to have played if only he had elected to apply himself?"
• Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh is headed to China to promote the NFL, notes Tim Twentyman of DetroitLions.com.
• The Lions were among the teams bidding for free agent cornerback Corey Graham, who ultimately signed with the Baltimore Ravens and will start in the Super Bowl. Chris McCosky of the Detroit Lions has more.
• Could the Lions pursue free agent running back Reggie Bush? Josh Slagter of Mlive.com takes a look.
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com examines the list of free agent tight ends the Chicago Bears might look at.
• Bears defensive end Corey Wootton's increased playing time last season shows the progress he made, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Reviewing the Chicago Bears at their bye:

Record: 4-1

Five-game capsule: The Bears are in excellent position after rebounding from a Week 2 debacle at Lambeau Field. Their defense leads the NFL in takeaways (17) and touchdowns (five), getting elite performances from stalwarts (two touchdown returns apiece for linebacker Lance Briggs and Charles Tillman) and relative newcomers (five combined sacks for defensive ends Corey Wootton and Shea McClellin) alike. Quarterback Jay Cutler has settled after throwing four interceptions and taking seven sacks in Week 2, limiting himself to two interceptions and five sacks over the next three games. Importantly, he has worked hard to keep receiver Brandon Marshall (35 receptions, 496 yards) involved in the offense. In short, the Bears have the look of the championship-caliber team they envisioned this summer.

MVP: Briggs and Tillman deserve the attention they've received, and defensive tackle Henry Melton (4.5 sacks) has had a nice start. But the Bears' best player over five games has been cornerback Tim Jennings, who has made teams pay dearly for targeting him over Tillman. Opponents have thrown his way an NFL-high 46 times, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), and he has responded with a league-leading four interceptions and 14 total pass breakups. Those plays have left opposing quarterbacks with a 23.4 passer rating on throws in his direction, the second-lowest rating against a qualified cornerback in the NFL. (Via PFF.) Jennings has locked down one of the few question marks the Bears had on their defense.

Biggest surprise: For as much attention as left tackle J'Marcus Webb has received since the start of training camp, culminating in the now-infamous events of Week 2, he hasn't been half-bad during the Bears' three-game winning streak. Webb gave up a sack to Dallas Cowboys pass-rusher DeMarcus Ware, but otherwise he has done what you'd hope for from a left tackle: Not drawn attention with his play. He has committed a modest two penalties, one false start and one for holding, and has rebounded admirably from the public embarrassment of his performance against the Green Bay Packers.

Stat to note: Offensive coordinator Mike Tice's background is in the power running game, but the most notable aspect of his scheme so far has been the frequency of deep shots down the field. Cutler has thrown 21 passes that traveled more than 20 yards downfield, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the second-highest total in the league. He has completed 10 of them, including four for touchdowns. For comparison, consider that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford have combined for 25 such throws.

Bonus stat to note: As productive as Marshall has been over the first five games, would you believe he is behind the pace set by former Bears receiver Marty Booker in 2002? Through five games that season, Booker had caught 37 passes for 566 yards. He finished the year with 97 receptions for 1,189 yards.

Looking ahead: The Bears will return from their bye with a Monday night game (Oct. 22) against the Lions, but they won't have another division game until Week 12 against the Minnesota Vikings. That schedule quirk, which leaves them playing NFC North opponents in four of their final six games, will make the final month of the season awfully interesting.

Bye the by series: Last week's post on the Detroit Lions.

After the Chicago Bears' 41-3 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. ESPN.com
   Based on the final score, it's hard to believe the Bears needed a nine-minute drive at the start of the second half just to take a 6-3 lead. It also might be hard to digest that after a 501-yard offensive performance, the Bears' highest total since 1989, the defense deserves top credit for this victory. The floodgates didn't open until cornerback Charles Tillman returned an interception for a touchdown on the Jaguars' ensuing possession. Only then did the offense get in gear. In the end, the Jaguars managed just 189 total yards and 10 first downs. In the Bears' current three-game winning streak, the defense has actually scored more touchdowns (six) than the offense (five). The Bears' defense leads the NFL with 17 takeaways, is tied for the lead with 18 sacks and is the first in league history to return five interceptions for touchdowns in the first five games of a season. No matter what the stat sheet says or media hype suggests, the Bears continue to be a team led by its defense.
2. With that said, the Bears should be encouraged by what they've seen from receiver Brandon Marshall over the past two weeks. Here are the numbers: 19 receptions, 282 yards and two touchdowns. Sunday, quarterback Jay Cutler targeted him 17 times. No other pass-catcher had more than four passes thrown his way. Much of Marshall's success has come once the Bears are already ahead, but let's not diminish the value of putting teams away. It's not surprising that his one-on-one opportunities have come more often with the Bears in the lead and opponents lineup up to stop the run. Here's the next step for the Marshall-Cutler duo: Early success to stake the Bears to a first-quarter lead.
3. All of a sudden, the Bears have a tackle under scrutiny -- and it's not J'Marcus Webb. Right tackle Gabe Carimi, who many thought was the best offensive lineman on the team entering the season, had a rough go of it Sunday. A holding penalty negated as 12-yard pass to tight end Kellen Davis, and Carimi committed consecutive false starts in the third quarter. That brought Carimi's penalty total this season to six in five games. He's been flagged for three false starts, twice for holding and once for unnecessary roughness. The bye will come at a good time for Carimi to reflect on the early portions of the season and presumably make the necessary adjustments.

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

Where did Corey Wootton come from? I know his background, of course. He was a highly-regarded pass-rusher at Northwestern whose production tailed off while recovering from a knee injury, and his first two NFL seasons after the Bears made him a fourth-round draft choice were almost totally vacant. The Bears drafted Shea McClellin in the first round this year, and I wrote off Wootton as a talented player who couldn't stay on the field and was destined to play elsewhere in 2012. Instead, he has made a significant impact in limited playing time. He played 22 snaps Sunday and had two sacks, bringing his season total to 3.5 along with two forced fumbles. He's reached those totals while playing on about 40 percent of the Bears' defensive snaps. Wootton has my vote for perhaps the biggest surprise of the early season in the NFC North.

Of all the matchups in Monday night's game at Cowboys Stadium, the Chicago Bears' defensive line might hold the biggest advantage over a Dallas Cowboys offensive line that has disappointed the team so far this season. In fact, there has been so much discussion about the Bears' reconfigured offense recently that I'm not sure if everyone realizes how efficiently their defense -- and their line in particular -- has played.

The Bears' defensive line has 13 of the Bears' NFL-leading 14 sacks. And of that total, 12 have come when the Bears have sent a traditional four-man (or less) pass rush. There are many factors that go into sacks, even in a four-man rush. But suffice it to say, the Bears' linemen have won many of their one-on-one battles this season. Last season, according to ESPN Stats & Information, the Bears didn't get their 12th sack out of the standard pass rush until Week 7.

The chart provides details of that improvement compared to the same time frame last season. Overall, the Bears have sent their standard pass rush on 77.5 percent of opposing dropbacks, the sixth-highest rate in the NFL. As we have discussed many times, the luxury of a consistent four-man pass rush is rare and allows defenses to maximize coverage elsewhere on the field.

The uptick in production is more difficult to explain than it is to demonstrate, but one factor has been first-round draft pick Shea McClellin. The Bears have followed a plan we discussed this summer, picking and choosing his spots, much like the San Francisco 49ers did last season with rookie Aldon Smith. McClellin has two sacks while playing 40.5 percent of the Bears' snaps (79 of 195, via Pro Football Focus).

As Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune noted, McClellin has helped form a more competitive environment. The surge has included notable performances from fellow defensive ends Israel Idonije (2.5 sacks) and Corey Wootton (1.5). Defensive tackle Henry Melton (3.0) is off to a strong start, as is defensive end Julius Peppers (2.5 sacks), and nose tackle Stephen Paea (0.5 sacks) has established himself as a starter after making minimal impact as a rookie.

I can't think of a more important matchup Monday night for the Bears. The Cowboys are the NFL's lowest-scoring team, lead the league in false starts and last week allowed their running backs to be tackled behind the line of scrimmage eight times by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Swarming the Cowboys' offense, and quarterback Tony Romo in particular, seems to be the Bears' clearest path to victory.

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. -- Some thoughts and observations on the Chicago Bears' practice Saturday night:

• More than 12,000 fans showed up to watch the Bears' full-pads practice, surrounding a field outfitted with portable lights. I classified that attendance as yet another example of the buzz surrounding this team. It was a perfect night from a weather perspective, but keep in mind this practice was not even held in a stadium setting. As the team jogged onto the field, some fans were chanting, "Super Bowl! Super Bowl!"
[+] Enlarge
AP Photo/Nam Y. HuhBears receiver Brandon Marshall wowed observers in training camp on Saturday night.
• By far, the star of the evening was receiver Brandon Marshall, who rebounded from an injury scare early in practice to educate the Bears and their fans on what it's like to have a true No. 1 receiver. He made spectacular catches all over the field in 1-on-1, 7-on-7 and 11-on-11 drills. The one that caught my eye was what appeared to be an ad-lib play between him and quarterback Jay Cutler, who moved in the pocket toward the right sideline before firing about across the field toward Marshall, who was running toward the left sideline about 40 yards away. Marshall leaped and caught the ball over close coverage from cornerback Charles Tillman and appeared to keep both feet in bounds on the far sideline. "He's a scholarship player," coach Lovie Smith said. "I think we can all agree on that."
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune was among those impressed. Pompei: "Marshall easily is the most talented offensive skill position player I've seen on Bears since No. 34," referring to Walter Payton.
• Marshall's injury scare came early in the practice when he fell in a non-contact drill and flexed his legs for several minutes. Fans were hushed for a moment before Marshall finally got up and walked to the sideline. He re-entered drills about five minutes later after the initial fall. Cutler was among those who came to check on him during those tense moments.
• I spent a good portion of my time watching the offensive and defensive lines, particularly to see what first-round draft pick Shea McClellin looked like in pads. McClellin definitely displayed a good first step and agility, but in 1-on-1 drills he was frequently run around the quarterback by his opponent. I wouldn't read too much into that, however. His best play of the night came when he knocked down a pass by Jason Campbell after penetrating the pocket in 11-on-11 drills.
• If anyone unexpected stood out in pass-rush drills, it was defensive end Corey Wootton, whose standing on the team is jeopardized by McClellin's arrival and two previous years of minimal production. Wootton looked quick and confident on the edge.
• I counted two fumbles by tailback Michael Bush, one in 9-on-7 drills and one in 11-on-11.
• Receiver Alshon Jeffery made a nice adjustment on a ball thrown short in 1-on-1 drills, stopping his go route and waiting for the ball while safety Major Wright struggled to do the same.

Let the anticipation continue building for a certain rookie defensive tackle's NFL debut as we review the final injury report of the week:

Detroit Lions: Defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot) practiced for a fourth consecutive day and is listed as questionable for Monday night's game. Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham said Fairley worked with the first-team defensive line during a two-minute drill Saturday in practice. It's been more than two months since Fairley had surgery on his foot. If he plays, expect it to be in a limited package.

Cunningham added he has done some "political maneuvering" during the week as it relates to Fairley's availability.

"I think he's practiced really well," Cunningham said, "and all I said to [defensive line coach Kris Kocurek] was, 'I guess we weren't wrong' when I watched him in practice.' He’s moving really well, he’s running and I think he's got a cheering section out there. The linebackers all noticed him and I thought [linebacker Stephen Tulloch] was going to throw up after he saw him make a play. He said, 'My God is he fast.' And I said, 'I think he was faster than you at the combine.'"

Cornerback Aaron Berry (groin), defensive end Lawrence Jackson (hamstring) and safety Amari Spievey (hamstring) are also questionable. Keep an eye on Spievey. He didn't practice much this week.

Chicago Bears: Defensive end Corey Wootton is listed as probable despite a hand injury that was heavily wrapped during practice Saturday. Receiver Earl Bennett (chest) and offensive lineman Gabe Carimi (knee) remain out. All other players, including safety Chris Harris (hamstring) will be available.

Getting inside our first Friday injury report of the week:

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

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

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

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

You saw it just like I did. In their first game since the NFL mandated the 35-yard line for kickoffs, the Chicago Bears twice kicked off from their 30-yard line in Saturday's preseason opener. Referee Jeff Triplette allowed it twice until Carl Johnson, the NFL's vice president of officiating, put a stop to it via a phone call to the Soldier Field press box.

So what gives? Why did the Bears add 5 yards to their kickoff coverage territory? And why were they initially allowed to do it? Was it a matter of strategy or confusion?

The answer appears to be both.

At the start of the Bears' locally-produced broadcast, announcers Sam Rosen and Erik Kramer -- presumably reflecting the team's position -- said the rule gives each NFL team an option to mark the ball as high as the 35-yard line. The Bears, Rosen said, had chosen not to take that option. In fact, coach Lovie Smith later told reporters that he wanted to see his coverage teams cover a kick that was more likely to be returned.

Smith: "We know [place-kicker] Robbie Gould. We can put it on the 35, and he can kick it out each time."

One problem: The rule was not intended to provide a choice. Its intent was not to limit kickoff returns but to improve safety on kickoffs. Only a deeply interpretative analysis of the rule's wording would suggest otherwise. Here is how Rule 6, Section 1, Article 2(a) is written in the 2011 NFL rule book: "The restraining line for the kicking team shall be its 35-yard line for a kickoff and its 20-yard line for a safety kick."

I guess you could define "restraining line" as the furthest possible point a team can kick off, and infer that a team could line up further back even though it would seem to create a better chance for a return. Otherwise, I'm not sure why Triplette allowed it, and Johnson's call made clear he shouldn't have.

To be fair, I can see where the Bears were coming from. Generally speaking, kickoffs at the 35-yard line should increase the likelihood of touchbacks and/or short returns. But based on what Gould told the Chicago Tribune, the Bears aren't convinced that touchbacks will rule the day when the weather turns colder.

"By moving it to the 35," Gould told the Tribune, "they think there are going to be more touchbacks and there may be in warm-weather places but not in Chicago, Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh. There are going to be plenty of places where you're not going to get touchbacks."

On a warm night like Saturday, Gould's kickoffs were likely to carry deep into the end zone. But if touchbacks do indeed diminish later in the season, the Bears ostensibly wanted to practice their coverage schemes in the preseason.

Let's not be completely naive here. The Bears opposed the rule change in March because it will diminish the annual field-position advantage they get from their strong return game. So let's not completely rule out the possibility of gamesmanship and/or that the Bears were making a one-time passive protest to the rule change.

Two people could reasonably argue whether a kickoff from the 35-yard line, combined with a 5-yard limit on head starts for cover men, will actually improve safety. But when a rule is changed for safety reasons, there is no leeway.

It's worth noting that Bears defensive end Corey Wootton was lost for four weeks because of a knee injury on the opening kickoff. I doubt whether the extra 5 yards contributed to the injury. But unless I'm missing something here, the Bears won't get another opportunity to "test" their coverage teams unless they take a delay of game penalty and Triplette shouldn't have allowed this one.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

I'll say it again: I don't think that Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's 15-yard penalty in Friday night's preseason opener was anywhere close to the penalty he earned last summer for ripping off the helmet of Cleveland Browns quarterback Jake Delhomme. Friday night, he hit Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton and Dalton's helmet came off -- an important distinction.

Obviously, the violence of the hit had something to do with the helmet coming off. But it didn't strike me as blatantly dirty. Neither did Suh.

Suh, via Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press: "There's always a fine line of dirtiness and a fine line of aggressiveness. I know to this point that in my own heart that I haven't crossed that line by any means."

If anything, the hit just puts another incident on tape for two entities: opposing quarterbacks and future game officials. Both will have a close eye on him in upcoming games.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Lions receiver Calvin Johnson is day-to-day because of a bruised left shoulder, according to Phillip Zaroo of Mlive.com.
• Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew (ankle) returned to practice on Sunday, notes Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News.
• Lions receiver Nate Burleson hopes that teams single-cover Johnson this season, as ESPN analyst Cris Carter recently suggested. Monarrez has more in the Free Press.
• Chicago Bears defensive end Corey Wootton will miss at least a month because of damage to the meniscus in his right knee, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. Wootton suffered the injury on the opening kickoff of Saturday's preseason opener.
• With 73 yards on 13 carries, and another 46 yards on two catches, Chicago running back Kahlil Bell is getting noticed. Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times has more.
• Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald thinks the Bears need to move Roberto Garza back to guard and insert Chris Spencer as their starting center.
• Bears rookie offensive lineman Gabe Carimi was solid in his preseason debut at right tackle, according to Dan Pompei of the Tribune.
• Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com on the Bears' offensive line: "The whole unit needs to improve. But reflection usually offers clarity, and a day after what appeared to be a nine-sack debacle at Soldier Field, the truth is that what transpired really wasn't out of the realm of what was expected."
• Backup quarterbacks Matt Flynn and Graham Harrell both played well Saturday night, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Competition is supposed to make you better, but if you're the Green Bay Packers, you might not want to bring in a punter for, say, the next 10 years. Not with Tim Masthay on the roster."
• Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "Early in training camp, Randall Cobb insisted he can be more than just a slot receiver, which was what many scouts had him pegged for coming out of the University of Kentucky. Even if he's limited to that role as a rookie this season, it looks like he might be able to do some damage."
• The Minnesota Vikings appear to be moving away from the zone-blocking run scheme, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Bob Sansevere of the St. Paul Pioneer Press pulls back the curtain on new Minnesota Vikings defensive coordinator Fred Pagac. A little bit.
• The Vikings had a tight end next to new left tackle Charlie Johnson on eight of his 11 plays over the first two series of Saturday's preseason opener, notes Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.

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.)

We're Black and Blue (and a bit late-rising) All Over:

The Detroit Lions are entering another practice week with significant uncertainty, at least from the outside, about the identity of their starting quarterback.

Drew Stanton has started the Lions' past three games but suffered a third-degree separation of his left shoulder in Sunday's victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, according to Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News. Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com reports that the injury might not be a deal breaker for Stanton, who obviously throws right-handed.

But No. 2 quarterback Shaun Hill (finger) returned to practice last week and might be ready to start regardless Sunday at the Miami Dolphins. It seems unlikely that starter Matthew Stafford (shoulder) will be ready for this game.

Continuing a quick mid-morning tour of the NFC North:

• Lions coach Jim Schwartz's exuberant postgame celebration Sunday is all over YouTube, writes John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• The Lions don't want Sunday's game to be the highlight of their season, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune after the Chicago Bears clinched the NFC North title Monday night: "We can stop wondering how good the Bears are now. They are good enough to be one of 12 NFL teams to qualify for the playoffs, currently in position for a first-round bye. We can stop referring to their coach as 'Lucky' Smith too. Breaks every step of the way indeed have been part of the Bears' surprising resurgence -- and it was again with Adrian Peterson missing Monday night's game with a leg injury. But the Bears can say without apology they are more good than lucky."
• Rick Morrissey of the Chicago Sun-Times: "They won a division title by knocking [Brett] Favre out of the game and ignoring all the pregame focus on the conditions at the University of Minnesota's field."
• Bears rookie defensive end Corey Wootton on the sack that gave Favre a concussion, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com: "We had a pass-rush stunt and I just came around the edge and was able to get by Bryant McKinnie. I was able to get the sack and throw him to the ground, and I looked up and saw he was down. I didn't know [he was hurt] until I looked back. I didn't even know the ball came out, people were telling me it was a fumble."
• Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com: "Despite clinching the playoff berth that comes with a division title, the Bears want to hold on to their No. 2 seeding, which assures them a bye for the first round of the playoffs. That's the reason for the team's all-business demeanor in what should have been a celebratory postgame locker room."
• Jon Greenberg of ESPNChicago.com: "[Lovie] Smith usually shows as much emotion as a parking meter, but he was glowing after the game in his NFC North title hat and shirt."
• The Green Bay Packers don't know if they'll have quarterback Aaron Rodgers (concussion) for Sunday's game against the New York Giants, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. But they're more confident than ever with backup Matt Flynn.
• Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "So how in the world did the Packers lose, 31-27, at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night? The same way they lost their other five games this season: by failing to convert in critical short-yardage situations, by committing costly penalties and by making game-changing blunders on special teams."
• Sunday's game at Lambeau Field must be considered a playoff game, writes Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune: "Vikings executives spent last week working diligently to make sure Monday night's game was played in front of their home fans in part because it was meant to serve as a celebration of the franchise's 50th season in Minnesota. That was their first mistake. Given the team's performance in its 40-14, five-turnover loss to Chicago at TCF Bank Stadium, those execs might have done their fans a greater service by having shifted this game as far away from snowy Minnesota as possible. That way, many in the announced crowd of 40,504 wouldn't have had to witness a second consecutive listless performance from a team that might have played in the elements but mentally appeared to be in Maui."
• Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "How do you squeeze 62,000 ticket holders into a 50,000-seat stadium? It's very easy when 22,000 of them say "no thanks" and stay home. There was plenty of elbow room. Unfortunately for those hearty souls who did brave the slippery roads, the Vikings don't play any better outdoors than they do indoors. My guess is that they wouldn't play any better under water or at zero gravity, either. They will not win another game this season. And, please, somebody put poor Brett Favre on the injured reserve list before he winds up permanently taking his meals through a straw."
• Monday night's loss to the Bears was a "sleepwalk," writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.

Thanks to everyone for taking part in Tuesday's intense but abbreviated SportsNation chat. You provided your usual thought-provoking questions, and let's take this opportunity to amplify a couple of our answers.

Original exchange:

Minn Sports Fan (MN)

Of all the NFC north rookies, which has impressed you most in camp?

Kevin Seifert (2:04 PM)

Interesting. So far, I would say I liked what I saw (briefly) of Ndamukong Suh. Just his personality. He's a serious, serious man. I also think Chris Cook looked pretty smooth at cornerback for the Vikings.

Amplifying:

Let's name a rookie that stood out in each NFC North training camp.

Chicago Bears defensive end Corey Wootton: I hope this doesn't sound too simple, but Wootton definitely looks the part. When you see a legitimate 6-foot-6 defensive end with long arms walk past, you think, "This guy has a chance to have a chance." I didn't notice him overpowering any offensive linemen, but it was early in camp. From a physical standpoint, Wootton has all of the tools.

Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh: In addition to his serious demeanor, Suh wasted no time making his presence known on the field after a brief holdout. His first-practice battles with right guard Stephen Peterman and left guard Rob Sims were intense.

Green Bay Packers defensive end Mike Neal: This guy is a rock-solid 294 pounds and was getting extensive playing time with the second-team defense. Once he learns the Packers' scheme, you can envision Neal splitting time with left end Ryan Pickett.

Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook: It's not often that you see a 6-2 cornerback, let alone one that runs the way Cook does. Whether he can cover won't be determined until the preseason, but like the rest of these rookies, he has the physical attributes to have a chance.

Original exchange:

Dan (Wisconsin)

Do you buy that Sidney Rice is exaggerating his hip injury because he's mad about his contract?

Kevin Seifert (2:06 PM)

I think it's a really interesting issue. Something strange has happened. He participated in minicamp in mid-June without a hitch. Then, after that, he started saying that his hip was still bothering him. The Vikings don't seem to think it's a big deal, and there have been mixed messages throughout. I think he's probably mad about his contract, but it's an awfully serious allegation to suggest that he's dogging it. At this point, there isn't enough evidence to say that he is.

Amplifying:

I still feel the same way, but I remain curious about what happened between minicamp and training camp. I also think it's notable that agent Drew Rosenhaus announced Rice's injury information via his Twitter account. It's not often that Rosenhaus, or any other agent for that matter, publicly proclaims that his player his injured. I'll say this: Rice should be well-rested and in excellent condition when he eventually does return.

Jmscooby offered a fair critique of Wednesday's Pressure Cooker post, suggesting I had overlooked a more obvious Chicago Bears player -- defensive tackle Tommie Harris -- in favor of defensive end Mark Anderson:

I think you have a poor pulse on the Bears to think Anderson is in the pressure cooker over Tommie. Worst case scenario, Izzy [Idonije] and [Corey] Wootton can cover LDE. Tommie was suspended by the team 1 game (and the year before), ejected early on another, and makes a heck of a lot more than MA. Who would back up Harris? [Marcus] Harrison? [Jarron] Gilbert? [Henry] Melton? What position is more of a priority in Chicago's scheme? Undertackle or LDE? Not to mention [Adewale] Ogunleye is still out there, although I don't want him. Is there a replacement on the street to replace Tommie?

All good points, jmscooby. In putting together the post, a few things came to mind. First, Harris appeared in our 2009 version of the Pressure Cooker. As we all know, he fell far short of those expectations and, in my mind, took himself off the list of potential playmakers for the 2010 season. I just think it's folly to suggest that, after mostly disappearing for two-plus years, Harris will once again become a player the Bears can count on for consistent disruption inside.

The Bears need more pass rush, whether it comes from the defensive tackle or defensive end. This offseason, the Bears bid farewell to defensive ends Alex Brown and Ogunleye. Tossing Anderson into the lineup suggests the Bears consider him an upgrade. They're counting on him in a way that I don't think anyone can reasonably be counting on Harris: To provide consistent pass rush. And I don't have any illusions that Idonije can be a full-time defensive end, or that Wootton is ready for that role.

That's where I'm coming from, at least. Often I'll respond to individual comments in the comment section, but I thought this one deserved a broader discussion.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears

ChicagoBears.com started a video series covering the team’s rookie minicamp. The first installment features rookies Corey Wootton, Zeke Markshausen, Josh Moore and J’Marcus Webb.

Detroit Lions

The Lions placed defensive end Copeland Bryan on the injured reserve list with a knee injury.

Coach Jim Schwartz liked what he saw from versatile first-round pick Jahvid Best at a recent minicamp. Schwartz: "We've used him as a wide receiver. We've used him in the slot. We've used him as a running back. We've ran the ball, thrown the ball. He's been exposed to everything. He's a good, smart player. That's why we drafted him."

Green Bay Packers

Charles Woodson thinks Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers is the best in the league.

The man convicted of robbing and beating former Packers receiver Javon Walker was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without parole.

ESPNMilwaukee's Jason Wilde talks with offensive lineman Allen Barbre, who lost his job in the starting lineup and will be in a battle just to make the Packers' roster this summer.

Minnesota Vikings

Cardinals receiver Larry Fitzgerald fully expects Brett Favre to return this season, but he wouldn't mind if he didn't.

I had to check my calendar Wednesday after the Chicago Bears announced they had signed the third of their five draft choices. At this rate, they'll have everyone signed before minicamp -- let alone training camp.

Defensive end Corey Wootton was the latest to sign. That leaves third-round safety Major Wright and sixth-round quarterback Dan LeFevour as the Bears' remaining targets. The timing of rookie deals is largely irrelevant unless negotiations continue into training camp, but Bears contract negotiator Cliff Stein has long been known for setting the market rather than waiting for it to develop.

The Bears also announced two other expected moves. Safety Danieal Manning signed his restricted free-agent tender, clearing up any ambiguity about his status for this week's veteran minicamp. The Bears also released quarterback Brett Basanez, whose role as the No. 3 quarterback this season is almost certain to go to LeFevour.