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For the past five weeks or so, many of you submitted questions about potential matches between NFC North teams and a number of restricted free agents (RFA), from Pittsburgh Steelers receiver Mike Wallace to Baltimore Ravens cornerback Ladarius Webb. You've also wondered if someone would make a run at one of our RFAs, be it Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy, Lions defensive tackle Sammie Hill, or even Chicago Bears running back Kahlil Bell.

The answer in each case was no, no, no, no, no and a big fat no.

As ESPN analyst Andrew Brandt pointed out this week, restricted free agency is a dying classification that appears to have run its course. The NFL's new collective bargaining agreement requires rookies to receive four-year contracts, which eventually will nullify a category that requires an expired contract and three years of accrued experience.

A conspiracy theorist would question what the future of restricted free agency has to do with how it functions in 2012. Are teams in unspoken agreement -- i.e. colluding -- to leave each other's RFAs alone, thus eliminating an entire class of players from movement? I guess everyone can draw their own conclusions on that, but here is what Brandt -- the Green Bay Packers' longtime contract negotiator -- wrote about it:

This is hard to pinpoint, though as a front office executive I was hesitant to present RFA offer sheets, thinking I was negotiating the contract for the incumbent team, as it usually matches. However, as noted above, the Wallace situation finds the Steelers susceptible.

Another factor is an increased emphasis on building through the draft. With a reduced financial obligation compared to the past, especially high in the draft, these picks are more valuable than ever. Combine that with the high financial price of prying away an RFA, and teams are shying away.

Beyond these reasons, however, an overriding concern for players is that teams are spending less on players than in recent years, and RFA inactivity is a symptom of a larger malady.

Friday is the final day for RFAs to sign an offer sheet with another team. Goodbye, restricted free agency. We'll miss you.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Classic sports blogger dream: I'm on a football team. Everyone's wearing white T-shirts and shorts, so I don't know what team it is, and it's quite possible we're in some kind of institution. I'm on offense and defense, it's a day before the first game, and I don't know any of the plays.

I walk into the defensive meeting room. The late Foge Fazio is the defensive coordinator, and he kicks me out because I don't know where I'm supposed to line up. Tells me to go to the offensive meeting room. I can't find it. I wake up breathless. Overslept. BBAO is late!!!!!

True story. I think the dream means I don't know anything about football. Or maybe I have anxiety about not knowing anything about football, which many of you would consider entirely justified.

Anyhoo. Let's get to it:

• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel offers the most thorough picture imaginable of the situation Green Bay Packers safety Nick Collins is facing with his surgically-repaired neck. According to Silverstein, Collins wants to continue to playing but will have to sell the Packers on the idea.
• The 2012 draft will be the most interesting in the tenure of Packers general manager Ted Thompson, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com in his "Hey Wilde" column.
• Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher is excited to see the kind of moves the team has made this offseason, notes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune. Urlacher: "It's exciting to see us making moves like that because we haven't done that a lot in the past. We needed a receiver, we got a receiver, and we still have the draft."
• Urlacher said his injured knee will be "good to go when the time is right," according to Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy will sign his restricted free agent tender in time to participate in the start of offseason conditioning on Monday, according to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions president Tom Lewand noted that defensive end Cliff Avril could participate in the program if he signed an injury waiver, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News. Avril has not signed his franchise tender.
• Lions general manager Martin Mayhew does not reach for need in the draft, writes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak faced a testy crowd at his first pubic forum on the Minnesota Vikings' stadium bill, according to Eric Roper of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings signed free agent linebacker/special teams player Marvin Mitchell to a one-year contract, notes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press speaks with Carolina Panthers center Ryan Kalil about his brother Matt's visit with the Vikings.

The Detroit Lions have accomplished the difficult, complicated and expensive task of retaining the core of the team that lifted them to their first playoff appearance in a decade. The final domino to fall was middle linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who agreed to a five-year contract hours before his potential replacement was scheduled to visit the team's practice facility.

Tulloch's deal means that 21 of the Lions' 22 offensive and defensive starters from last season are now under contract. The exception is cornerback Eric Wright, whom the Lions wisely chose not to pursue once the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offered him a pricey five-year contract worth $37.5 million.

Otherwise, however, the Lions systematically took care of business over the past month, navigating a tight salary cap situation by using most every tool at their disposal. At times, it required premium cash outlays that not every NFL team would commit to.

In summary, the Lions:

• Restructured the contracts of quarterback Matthew Stafford, receiver Nate Burleson and defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, freeing up some $16 million in cap space.
• Used the franchise tag to prevent the departure of defensive end Cliff Avril, a move that in essence guarantees Avril a one-year deal worth $10.6 million.
• Issued a second-round tender to linebacker DeAndre Levy, essentially giving him a one-year deal worth $1.927 million.
• Took a $1.6 million cap credit as their share of an NFL discipline that took cap space away from the Washington Redskins and Dallas Cowboys.
• Freed up about $9 million more in cap space by extending the contract of receiver Calvin Johnson. For the moment, at least, Johnson is the NFL's highest-paid player with an eight-year deal worth a total of $132 million, of which $60 million is guaranteed.
• Re-signed left tackle Jeff Backus to a two-year deal worth $10 million.

Although it took the longest, Tulloch's agreement was no less important than any of those we just ran through. Tulloch made a substantive impact on the Lions' defense as both a leader and a sure tackler. He proved exceptionally durable, playing on all but 19 of their defensive snaps in 2011, and provided a true fixture that allowed Levy to play a more a natural role on the outside.

Negotiations stalled to the point where the Lions scheduled free agent David Hawthorne for a visit. (Funny how the timing often works.) In the end, however, the Lions have managed to keep together their best team in a generation, and now they can look for ways to supplement it through secondary free agency and the draft.

Following up on Monday morning's post about restricted free agents (RFAs), we have a significant update to pass along.

After clearing around $16 million in cap space, the Detroit Lions assigned a second-round tender to linebacker DeAndre Levy, according to the team. That means Levy now counts $1.927 million against the Lions' salary cap; any team that wants to sign him would be required to give up a second-round draft pick.

Defensive lineman Sammie Hill and offensive lineman Corey Hilliard both received the low tender, which requires compensation equal to the round they were originally drafted in. A team would need to surrender a fourth-round pick for Hill and a sixth-rounder for Hilliard, and for now each player counts $1.26 million against the Lions' 2012 salary cap.

All told, the Lions committed $4.447 million in cap space to their three restricted free agents. The best I can figure at this moment, the Lions are at best a couple million dollars below the $120.6 million salary cap for 2012.

In a matter of a few hours, it appears the Detroit Lions have cut enough salary cap space -- or, more accurately, pushed enough of it to future years -- that they can avoid cutting any any players in order to comply with the NFL's salary cap limit by Tuesday's deadline. Let's quickly catch up on what they've done and try to get a handle on what it means.

The Lions opened the day more than $11 million above the cap, but multiple reports, including this one from the Detroit Free Press and another from the Lions' web site, have confirmed the team restructured the contracts of quarterback Matthew Stafford and receiver Nate Burleson. The team reduced Stafford's cap number by more than $7 million and Burleson's by $2.175 million.

Meanwhile, the agent for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh told Fox Sports Detroit that Suh has also agreed to a restructure, and Suh's new cap number will low enough to account for more than $11 million in total cap savings when combined with the restructures of Stafford and Burleson.

We don't yet know how much under the cap the Lions will enter the NFL's new league year with Tuesday, but a rough estimate would put them about $5 million under at this point. A few other points to keep in mind:

1. The Lions will need a certain portion of that surplus to sign their draft picks.
2. They'll need enough room to re-sign linebacker Stephen Tulloch, who appears set to test the free agent market.
3. The Lions have yet to announce the restricted free agent tenders they presumably will give to linebacker DeAndre Levy and defensive tackle Sammie Hill. The minimum combined cap hit of those two tenders will be $3.8 million.
4. Pushing $7 million in cap space into the final three years of Stafford's deal means he will be in a position similar to receiver Calvin Johnson next year at this time. If my math is right, Stafford's salary cap number will exceed $20 million for 2013. Johnson's cap number is about $22 million at the moment, and it will stay that way unless he and the Lions agree to a long-term extension.
5. Stafford's restructure was absolutely necessary and shouldn't result in any change in the cash he will receive in 2012, but it should also work in Stafford's favor when those long-term negotiations begin. The higher Stafford's base salary, the higher is eventual franchise tag number would be. That eventually serves as a baseline for negotiations.
6. The Lions have the option to borrow more cap space, about $1.5 million, from future years under the NFL's new collective bargaining agreement.
7. This is important: While it's not ideal, pushing cap commitments ahead isn't necessarily an irresponsible financial approach. The NFL's new television contracts will kick in for the 2014 season, an event that is expected to elevate the league's total cap space considerably.

With NFL free agency set to begin Tuesday, David of Colorado Springs brings up a fair point: "Why haven't we heard much about RFA tenders this year?"

David specifically wants to know how it relates to the Detroit Lions, who need to shave more than $11 million in cap space before Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET, but it's worth taking a broader look at what is almost always a drama-less segment of free agency.

RFAs -- "Restricted Free Agents" -- are players who have accrued three years' experience in the NFL. They are eligible for a new contract, but teams can restrict their access by requiring draft-pick compensation for them to move on and receiving the right to match any deal a player receives. Rare is the case when a third-year player is valuable enough to merit a lucrative contract and a draft pick, and a result, RFAs usually don't change teams.

So the only news when it comes to RFAs is typically whether they were issued a tender or not. The level of the tender is mostly an issue of the salary cap.

In 2012, according to NFL.com, there are three levels of RFA tenders. A player who requires a first-round compensation will get a tender (and cap number) worth $2.742 million, according to NFL.com. Second-round tenders are worth $1.927 million in cap and cash, and tenders that include right to match only are worth $1.26 million.

The Lions have two significant RFAs: Linebacker DeAndre Levy and defensive tackle Sammie Hill. You would think both would get at least a second-round tender. Would another team give up a second-round pick to acquire either player? Probably not, and every cap dollar will matter this year to the Lions. But they could ensure both players' return beyond a doubt by giving them first-round tenders at a combined additional cost of $1.63 million.

The NFL typically announces tender levels on the day free agency begins, and we'll pass along what we find out before then. Other key RFAs in the NFC North include Chicago Bears running back Kahlil Bell, Minnesota Vikings running back Lorenzo Booker and Vikings linebacker/special-teams ace Kenny Onatolu.

» AFC Free-Agency Primer: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET

Chicago Bears

Key free agents: Tight end Kellen Davis, running back Matt Forte (franchise), cornerback Corey Graham, quarterback Caleb Hanie, defensive end Israel Idonije, cornerback Tim Jennings, quarterback Josh McCown, safety Brandon Meriweather and receiver Roy Williams.

Where they stand: The Bears will have the most salary-cap space among NFC North teams, upwards of $30 million, and have plenty of potential uses for it. Quarterback Jay Cutler needs more targets in the downfield passing game, whether it's at the receiver or tight end position. And new general manager Phil Emery must start restocking a defense led by four players more than 30 years old: Linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, defensive end Julius Peppers and cornerback Charles Tillman.

What to expect: It's widely believed the Bears will be in the running for free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson. But Jackson's price tag could be steep and no one knows if Emery will prove to be a big spender. It seems likely he will re-sign Davis, and Emery should also save some of his cap space to extend Forte's contract. Secondary receiver targets could include Marques Colston. Bears fans are hoping the team will pursue defensive end Mario Williams, but it's hard to imagine the Bears budgeting for Williams two years after breaking their bank on Peppers.

Detroit Lions

Key free agents: Defensive end Cliff Avril (franchise), left tackle Jeff Backus, safety Chris Harris, quarterback Shaun Hill, linebacker DeAndre Levy (restricted), running back Maurice Morris, running back Kevin Smith, quarterback Drew Stanton, linebacker Stephen Tulloch and cornerback Eric Wright.

Where they stand: The Lions are tight against the salary cap after franchising Avril and aren't likely to be big spenders on the free-agent market. They could relieve the situation by reaching long-term agreements with Avril and/or receiver Calvin Johnson, who has a $22 million cap figure for 2012. Tulloch made a big impact last season after signing a one-year deal, but so far the Lions' attention has turned elsewhere.

What to expect: The Lions' best-case scenario is to keep their 2011 core together without mortgaging their future relative to the salary cap. That would mean getting Tulloch re-signed to preserve the linebacker group they upgraded last season by signing him and veteran Justin Durant, moves that allowed Levy to play on the outside. Hill seems likely to re-sign as Matthew Stafford's backup, while Stanton might test the free-agent waters to see if he has a chance to do better than third on a team's depth chart.

Green Bay Packers

Key free agents: Cornerback Jarrett Bush, quarterback Matt Flynn, running back Ryan Grant and center Scott Wells.

Where they stand: The Packers took care of a big challenge by signing tight end Jermichael Finley to a two-year contract last month. They will let Flynn depart for a possible starting job elsewhere and it appears Grant will test the free-agent market. Discussions with Wells haven't led to an agreement, but the Packers often go to the final moments before reaching a deal. There are no obvious internal replacements for Wells, making his return a priority.

What to expect: The Packers will have some flexibility with the salary cap, but general manager Ted Thompson's aversion to veteran free agency is well known. It's been three years since he signed a veteran unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The Packers have needs at defensive line, outside linebacker and possibly at center if Wells leaves. But let's put it this way: Thompson's strong preference is to find depth and future replacements in the draft, not on other teams' rosters.

Minnesota Vikings

Key free agents: Safety Husain Abdullah, receiver Devin Aromashodu, receiver Greg Camarillo, defensive lineman Fred Evans, defensive lineman Letroy Guion, linebacker E.J. Henderson, linebacker Erin Henderson, safety Tyrell Johnson, quarterback Sage Rosenfels, cornerback Benny Sapp and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

Where they stand: The Vikings seem poised for a major roster overhaul in their first offseason since Rick Spielman was promoted to general manager. Players like Shiancoe, E.J. Henderson, Camarillo and Johnson all seem poised to move on. There aren't many positions on the team that appear secure.

What to expect: If the Vikings don't plan to draft USC left tackle Matt Kalil at No. 3 overall next month, the first clue will be if they pursue a free-agent left tackle. That seems unlikely. But they'll need to combine their draft with at least a few veteran free agents if they intend to compete for a playoff spot in 2012. Cornerback could be a point of focus, where Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan are among those available. Another could be receiver. The Vikings had major interest in Jackson two years ago.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

After four years of quarterback transition here in the NFC North, I was feeling a bit nostalgic and a little left out Tuesday night as the Indianapolis Colts' divorce with Peyton Manning became official.

I thought back to Brett Favre's departure from Green Bay and Aaron Rodgers' ascension in 2008. I remembered how the Chicago Bears swooped in to trade for Jay Cutler in 2009. A month later, the Detroit Lions made Matthew Stafford the No. 1 pick in the draft. And after two years of Favredemonium, the Minnesota Vikings jump-started their long-term plan by drafting Christian Ponder in 2011.

Manning's departure is the talk of the NFL and will be debated for years in Indianapolis, presuming his neck heals and he resumes his career elsewhere. But as we in the NFC North know, quarterback transitions are often sudden and painful, and they don't always seem to be the obvious decision at the moment.

Oh well. We might be booked for the moment, but I'll set our next transition cycle to begin around, say, 2018. See you then!

I guess we'll just spend the next six years taking our morning stroll around the NFC North:

• The Bears have informed quarterback Caleb Hanie that he won't be re-signed, according to Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com. Kyle Orton is a possible replacement to back up Cutler.
• A source close to Lions running back Jahvid Best would be shocked if he isn't cleared to participate in football activities by this summer, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Best is recovering from multiple concussions.
• Lions linebacker Justin Durant believes the team will have one of the NFL's best group of linebackers if Stephen Tulloch an DeAndre Levy re-sign. Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press has more.
• The Green Bay Packers want running back Ryan Grant back in 2012 but he is expected to hit free agency, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• It's not clear if the Packers plan to bring back special teams-ace Jarrett Bush, according to Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Packers receiver Donald Driver spoke with Mike Spofford of the team's website about his "Dancing With the Stars" rehearsals.
• Politicians writing the Vikings' stadium bill might have to consider the possibility that electronic pull-tabs won't cover the total $398 million state commitment to the project, according to the Associated Press.
• Minneapolis officials still are trying to get a renovation of the Target Center as part of the Vikings' stadium bill, according to the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings have made clear they want to retain free-agent linebacker Erin Henderson, according to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.

Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher somewhat randomly fell into this week's news cycle via an HBO interview he did on the use of Toradol, a pain-killer. Urlacher admitted he has used Toradol, a legal and non-addicting injection, to mask pain so he could play when injured.

Urlacher added a star element to the story, which mostly focused on long-term health issues that could result from repeated Toradol use. But whenever the pain-killer issue arises publicly, I'm always surprised by reactions that illustrate how many fans don't realize (or ignore) how routine the use of pain-killers are in the NFL.

Here's how Detroit Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy reacted on Twitter: "*gasp* Urlacher gets injections of Toradol before every game?! HBO sports is really breaking ground. Sometimes I forget how little people on the 'outside' actually know what goes on in this profession."

HBO's "Real Sports" story was important because it advanced the story of long-term Toradol side affects. Hopefully it also raises awareness in public about the measures players take to stay on the field in a violent game. Players have discussed these issues publicly before, but I'm pretty sure it's an out-of-sight, out-of-mind thing for many of us. I'm not sure how many people are willing to accept how often the game they love watching is supported not just by raw toughness but also by chemically masking agents.

I recall, for instance, then-Minnesota Vikings center Matt Birk acknowledging he took several pain-killing injections during the 2004 season to push through 12 games with a painful sports hernia injury that eventually required surgery and contributed to a torn hip labrum that cost him the 2005 season.

You might think a pain-killer is no big deal. But you should understand that pain is our body's natural warning sign to pull back and give injuries time to heal. Pain-killers override that instinct but run counter to the body's healing process.

In the video below, former NFL players Damien Woody and Jerome Bettis acknowledge the use of pain-killers is prevalent because players want to be on the field for their teammates. But I would suggest there is also an economic element in play as well.

There is a saying in the NFL that you "can't make the club in a tub." Players know their financial future depends on their ability to answer the bell and stay on the field -- by any (legal) means necessary.

In this week's edition of "Field Pass," ESPN analyst Mark Schlereth introduces a solid question: Who from the Detroit Lions defense will cover New Orleans Saints running back Darren Sproles out of the backfield Saturday night at the Superdome? Sproles caught 86 passes this season for seven touchdowns, including one in the Saints' Week 13 victory over the Lions. Should it be one of their athletic outside linebackers, DeAndre Levy or Justin Durant? How about safety Louis Delmas? Maybe a combination? Warning: Lions fans might not like Hugh Douglas' prediction at the end of this video.

After the Detroit Lions' 34-28 victory against the Minnesota Vikings, here are three issues that merit further examination:

Kevin SeifertFollowing their win against the Vikings, the Lions take their turn in the examination room.
1. As scary as that fourth quarter was for the Lions, they ultimately demonstrated an important step in their development on the final play of the game. Coach Jim Schwartz admitted the Lions were at a loss for how to deal with Vikings quarterback Joe Webb, saying: "We tried everything." But on the final play of the game, the Lions were determined to prevent Webb from running into the end zone. Schwartz called for a 6-man blitz, with linebacker Stephen Tulloch apparently spying on Webb as a seventh defender. Linebacker DeAndre Levy broke free and forced a fumble by Webb, who was looking to throw to tight Kyle Rudolph. The Lions didn't get lucky and take advantage of an opponent's mistake. They caused an opponent's mistake on the final play of the game. Big difference.
2. I'll be interested to get a sense for defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh's state of mind when he re-joins the team Monday. Will he be humbled after a two-game NFL suspension? Angry? Determined to move on? If nothing else, Suh should be supremely fresh and energetic for the final playoff push. After seeing his teammates short-handed and gasping for air as they chased Webb in the fourth quarter Sunday, I hope Suh has resolved to never leave them in that position again.
3. Sunday showed us that the Lions might have to open their wallet to several players this offseason. Atop the list, at least for me, is Tulloch, who had nine tackles Sunday and also recovered a Christian Ponder fumble for the first touchdown of the game. Tulloch probably isn't going to win many postseason honors, but the Lions' defense has been noticeably tougher and more credible from the moment he took over at middle linebacker this summer. I also think that defensive end Cliff Avril has made himself some money this season. Two sacks Sunday lifted him to a career-high nine through 13 games. He has also forced six fumbles. The Lions have a lot of money tied up in their defensive line, so it's not a lock that they'll spend more to retain Avril. But I imagine someone will throw him some money this winter. He has 17.5 sacks in his past 26 games.

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

I was surprised at how angry the Lions, their fans and their NFC North blog readers were by the mere mention that Levy grabbed Webb's face mask on the final play of the game. The unemotional fact is that the Vikings should have gotten one more chance to score the winning touchdown. It was an obvious and unambiguous missed call. That doesn't mean that the Lions should have lost or the Vikings should have won. It's not even a top-5 reason for the final outcome. Calls are missed in every NFL game, and the Vikings got their share of favorable calls Sunday. The Levy play was a little more important than the others, given when it happened. But let's just have some consistency here. If you're going to complain when a call is missed against your team, it's tough then to also complain when it's pointed out that you benefited from a missed call later.

Judge for yourself. Here is the photo evidence of a clear face mask penalty that occurred on the final play of the Detroit Lions' 34-28 victory over the Minnesota Vikings.

Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy sure seems to have a firm grasp of Vikings quarterback Joe Webb's face mask, an act that by NFL rules should have given the Vikings one untimed down at the Lions' 1-yard line. Mike Pereira, former NFL vice president of officiating, said via Twitter that officials missed the call but noted the play occurred with Webb's back to the official in charge of monitoring the play and that it was "hard to see."

Lions coach Jim Schwartz considered it payback, if anything. The Lions have one of the NFL's highest total of accepted penalties this season.

"All I saw was the ball come out," Schwartz said. "I haven't seen the replay. But don't tell me about getting away with penalties."

The visiting team came thiiiiiiiiiis close Sunday at Ford Field:

What it means: The Detroit Lions improved to 8-5, giving them their first non-losing season since 2000 and keeping them in the mix in the NFC playoff race. Although they were one play away from a dramatic comeback victory, the Vikings fell to 2-11 and are 0-5 in the NFC North this season.

Final play chaos: The Lions have gotten their fair share of questionable calls against them this season, but they certainly seemed to benefit from an uncalled face mask penalty on the final play of the game. As he moved in to sack and force a fumble on Vikings quarterback Joe Webb, linebacker DeAndre Levy got a piece of Webb's face mask. No call was made, preventing the Lions the embarrassment of losing a game they led 21-0 and 31-14.

What I thought was interesting: The Lions got nice contributions from all three of the players who drew fire for personal-foul penalties in Week 13 at the New Orleans Saints. Receiver Titus Young had a 57-yard touchdown reception in the first quarter. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew caught a team-high six passes, including a 12-yard touchdown. And returner Stefan Logan had a 42-yard kickoff return and a 28-yard punt return. None of the three received substantial playing time cuts Sunday after a week of speculation that they could be benched.

PonderWatch: Did the Vikings make a mistake by playing rookie quarterback Christian Ponder after a hip injury limited his practice time this week? Or did Ponder just have a horrendous game? How about both? Ponder committed four turnovers -- three interceptions and a fumble -- in 2.5 quarters before the Vikings replaced him with Webb. Two of the turnovers led to Lions defensive touchdowns, and the Vikings trailed 31-14 when he departed. It wasn't immediately clear if Ponder was benched or if the Vikings made a health-related decision. Regardless, he now has 13 turnovers in seven starts this season.

WebbWatch: Webb had the perfect skill set to come into a game fresh in the second half. The Lions' defense couldn't keep up with him, and he finished with 109 yards rushing -- including a 65-yard touchdown run. He also threw a 3-yard touchdown pass, the first of his career, to running back Toby Gerhart and later had the Vikings at the Lions' 1-yard line with less than 20 seconds remaining. Let the quarterback controversy begin!

AllenWatch: Defensive end Jared Allen had three sacks in the first half, giving him six against the Lions this season and bringing his season total to 17.5 through 13 games. He'll need 5.5 sacks over the Vikings' final three games to break Michael Strahan's single-season record of 22.5.

Injury report: The Lions finished the game without cornerback Aaron Berry (shoulder), linebacker Justin Durant (hamstring) and cornerback Eric Wright (hamstring). Cornerback Alphonso Smith helped mitigate the injuries with two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

What's next: The Lions will travel to take on the Oakland Raiders next Sunday. The Vikings will host the New Orleans Saints.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Week 13 might have given us our most wild collection of games yet here in the NFC North.

You had the Green Bay Packers clinching the NFC North with a precision drive in the final 58 seconds of regulation at MetLife Stadium.

You had the Chicago Bears losing tailback Matt Forte to a sprained knee, possibly for the next two weeks, and losing to the Kansas City Chiefs, 10-3, at home. The margin of victory? An improbable Hail Mary at the end of the first half.

You had the Minnesota Vikings scoring 32 points with tailback Adrian Peterson sidelined by an ankle injury, only to be bested by a near-perfect passing day from Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow.

And finally, you had the Detroit Lions playing a closer-than-expected game at the New Orleans Saints, but ultimately absorbing a 14-point loss amid three costly personal fouls.

The series of events left the NFC playoff picture mostly unchanged from last week. If the season ended Monday, the Bears (7-5) and the Atlanta Falcons (7-5) would be the two wild-card teams. The Lions would be bumped out because of their loss earlier this season to the Falcons.

And away we go into the final quarter of the 2011 season. ...

• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "Combine the Packers’ talent and confidence with their level-headed approach every week, and it’s an unbeatable combination. Winning isn’t just a goal for this team, it’s an expected result."
• Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal on Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers: "If he hadn't won the award already, Rodgers clinched it by coming to New York and wowing everyone with a performance that illustrated perfectly how important he is to the NFL's reigning champion and best team."
• It sounds like Packers coach Mike McCarthy has decided whether he will rest his starters late this season, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. McCarthy just isn't ready to talk about it.
• Packers tailback Ryan Grant, via Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "We feel like we're playing for greatness."
• Lions center Dominic Raiola was one of several players livid about the penalties in the postgame locker room, notes John Niyo of the Detroit News. Raiola shouted "Grow the [expletive up]" multiple times.
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz was critical of his team for the penalty total, according to Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press. Receiver Nate Burleson, who committed three offensive pass interference penalties, did not escape his wrath. Schwartz: "When there's tight coverage, you've gotta be able to create separation without a push-off."
• Schwartz said he won't play "guys who get penalties," according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Via Twitter, Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy said: "All bad. WE gotta give yall better/smarter football. This is getting old."
• ESPN.com is reporting that Forte has a second-degree sprain of the medial collateral ligament in his right knee, an injury that could cost him at least two games.
• The Kansas City Chiefs' only touchdown Sunday was a Hail Mary play a the end of the first half. Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher on the play, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com: "Same thing we always do: bat it down. The guy happens to catch that one. About 100 times, first time anyone's caught one."
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune: "[T]he Bears weren't beaten by an answered Chiefs prayer. They were beaten by their own godforsaken offense."
• Before you blame the loss on quarterback Caleb Hanie, writes the Tribune's Dan Pompei, don't forget that he had one touchdown pass called back and another that should have gone for a touchdown get intercepted.
• Bears receiver Roy Williams took the blame for causing that interception, according to ESPNChicago.com.
• Vikings coach Leslie Frazier was among those who was livid with the way the team's pass defense played against Tebow. Tom Pelissero's column over at 1500ESPN.com includes this quote from Frazier: "Just a poor job, and we've got to identify somebody who can come back there and make a play for us when the ball's in the air."
• Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder threw for 381 yards but also had three turnovers. Ponder, via Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "It's hard to look Jared Allen in the eyes and tell him I had two picks and a fumble and I cost us the game. You can't win ballgames that way in the NFL."
• Ponder got outplayed by Tebow, writes Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has professed unwavering loyalty to the team's offensive scheme from the moment Mike Martz arrived as offensive coordinator. But in the midst of a second consecutive year of physical punishment and uncertainty in pass protection, Cutler has finally said what many have feared: The pressure is getting to him.

Cutler told reporters that he is "hoping" to see Martz make changes to reflect the issues the Bears are facing. In comments I would be concerned about if I were a Bears decision-maker, Cutler implied the team doesn't have the personnel makeup to pull off what it's trying to do. (A sentiment I think many would agree with.)

"At a certain point you're gonna have to evaluate what you can do in the passing game and what you can't do," Cutler said, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. "That's not up to me, though. I don't really want to be under pressure a lot. Physically, [the pressure is] not that big of a deal. Mentally, it just speeds up my clock. It just makes me uneasy in the pocket. Psychologically and mentally [it's more an issue] than anything [else]. I just don't want to take a sack, just [want to] try to get rid of the ball as fast as possible."

Speeding up a quarterback's clock is the hoped-for impact of any pass rush, and it's a primary ingredient in turnovers and other mistakes. Cutler has received criticism for his public deportment over his career, but I applaud him for voicing, in a non-critical manner, what seems like an obvious flaw in the Bears' scheme.

The Bears can't protect the quarterback well enough to do what Martz wants to do. They also don't have a crew of pass-catchers that can bail Cutler out of pressure situations. If they want him to play his best, they're going to have to find a way to pull back. That's much more practical than waiting for improvement from multiple players at different positions.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times examines the Bears' defensive woes.
• It wouldn't be surprising for the Bears to make some personnel changes Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, especially at safety. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune has more.
• Detroit Lions running back Jahvid Best grew up "hating" the San Francisco 49ers, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions linebacker DeAndre Levy has made the adjustment to playing on the outside, notes Tim Twentyman of the Detroit News.
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz gave fans the game ball for Monday night's victory over the Bears, notes Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com. The ball will be painted and displayed at Ford Field.
• Bryan Bulaga "almost certainly" would play right tackle for the Green Bay Packers on Sunday if his knee holds up, reports Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Former Packers cornerback Al Harris is likely to start for their opponent this weekend, the St. Louis Rams. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines that possibility.
• Packers coach Mike McCarthy isn't happy about public discussion of his wide receivers' playing time, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. Donald Driver, whose snaps have diminished of late, said: "Do I think I can still play? Yeah. I'm OK with whatever the numbers are. We have a bunch of great receivers and tight ends, and you get to the point where everybody can't get the ball. Back in the day when I was 'The Guy,' I got all the balls. It didn't matter how many people I had on me. Now when you have so many weapons, you have to spread that ball around so everyone can feel the love. I think everybody feels it right now."
• Minnesota Vikings fans are filled with venom these days, writes Patrick Reusse of the Star Tribune.
• Vikings receiver Bernard Berrian has moved past his game-day deactivation last Sunday, writes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Vikings owner Zygi Wilf said that a state report on his stadium project in Arden Hills, Minn., confirms that "the site is ideal, and the costs … are close to being solvable." The St. Paul Pioneer Press has more.