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Thursday's Big Question series was intended mostly as a post-draft gathering point than an attempt to break new ground, but many of you were left with further questions about the Green Bay Packers' open safety position after reading the post. Lance of Beloit, Wis., writes:

Are Charlie Peprah and Jerron McMillian the only to viable options to replace Nick Collins? I have read reports that Charles Woodson may be moved to safety. Casey Hayward would be moved into Woodson's starting role. This was talked about on the Packers' website. I see this being an option also replace Collins and prolong Woodson career like Rod Woodson and Ronnie Lott.

Yes, Packers.com guru Vic Ketchman wrote: "[C]onsensus opinion is that a move from cornerback could do for Woodson’s career what it did for Ronnie Lott and Rod Woodson, which is to have lengthened its greatness." And defensive coordinator Dom Capers didn't exactly reject the idea last week after the Packers not only drafted McMillian, but also cornerback Casey Hayward.

"Charles is a bright guy," Capers said. "It's not like it would be a radical move because of the way we've used him in the last three years, basically. We feel he can play any one of those positions. That's one of the things he brings to the table is the flexibility that he gives you that he can."

Capers uses one of the more creative schemes in the game, and in some of his more elaborate formations, it's difficult to tell who is playing what position. Technically, Woodson has lined up as a cornerback, a slot nickel man and as a linebacker at various times over the past three years. The only way to tell if Woodson is a full-time safety is if he lines up there in the rare occasions when the Packers use their standard 3-4 base formation.

We've hit this topic often both in the blog and our weekly SportsNation chats. My take remains the same. Cornerback is a more important position and more difficult position than safety. Moving Woodson to safety only makes sense if the Packers have a strong option to replace him at cornerback.

Is that the case? Last year at this time, we might have thought Sam Shields was ready for that role. Shields took a step back last season. Could Hayward be that player? That might be a lot to ask a rookie. In February, at least, coach Mike McCarthy strongly implied that Woodson primarily will be a cornerback in 2012.

McCarthy could change his mind, of course, but at this point I wonder if he's more willing to take a chance with an unproven player at safety than he is at cornerback.

How will the Green Bay Packers replace safety Nick Collins?

There was a noticeable drop-off in the play of the Packers' secondary last season after Collins suffered a neck injury that ultimately led to his release last month. Veteran Charlie Peprah replaced him, but his struggles were one of numerous reasons the Packers set an NFL record in passing yards allowed in 2011.

The Packers didn't sign a replacement via veteran free agency but did draft Maine safety Jerron McMillian in the fourth round of last week's draft. Are they prepared to put a rookie alongside third-year player Morgan Burnett? Or will Peprah get another chance?

Defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters last week he thinks Peprah is better for the experience of replacing Collins in the lineup last season and Burnett in 2010. That suggests he'll get the first opportunity, at least, to win Collins' old job. But it's worth keeping an eye on McMillian, and it's fair to say this position will be the most wide-open spot on the Packers' depth chart when training camp opens.

I wish there were a tangible way to illustrate what the Green Bay Packers have been searching for defensively this offseason. Coaches call it "juice," a term that isn't in my edition of "Football for Dummies" and is hard to define but is probably best considered in the context of children drinking sugar-dense orange juice. They bounce off the walls with boundless energy, leaving a path of destruction no ordinary parent could stop.

In football, "juice" doesn't necessarily lead to sacks or tackles behind the line of scrimmage or any other easily-measured statistic. It's more about the energy a player employs, the stress it puts on an offensive line and the way it interrupts the rhythm of a quarterback's mental progression. It leads to mental mistakes by opponents, along with inaccurate throws and poor decisions.

The Packers' defense fell short in a number of key areas last season. One of the most critical deficiencies, it's now clear, was a relative lack of juice up front. Despite a pair of Pro Bowl players in linebacker Clay Matthews and nose tackle B.J. Raji, the Packers were too often neutralized -- both inside and on the edge -- and thus exposed themselves to the kind of big plays that left them with an NFL record for passing yards allowed (4,796).

The team's response has been notable as much for its methods and as its targets. General manager Ted Thompson broke from tradition on multiple occasions, dipping into veteran free agency to sign defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove and trading up three times in last week's NFL draft to select half of the six defensive players he opened the draft with.

When you put Hargrove in a group with first-round linebacker Nick Perry and second-round defensive end Jerel Worthy, you see a profile of exceedingly athletic players with the ability, in their own way, to be natural havoc-wreakers beyond the line of scrimmage. No one would admit to such a detail, and in fact Thompson claimed he had not so much as prioritized the defense this offseason, but I think it's clear the Packers have set out to ratchet up the juice among the defensive players they will use near the line of scrimmage.

"We've got to find a way to control the down and distance," defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters in Green Bay, "and [opponents getting] into predictable situations. … We can't give up the number of big plays as we did last year."

ESPN Stats & Information analyzed the Packers' defense on passes that traveled more than 15 yards in the air, finding that opponents gained an NFL-high 79 first downs and completed 21 passes of 30 or more yards in those situations. Coverage issues played a role in that, of course, but it's fair to say opposing quarterbacks must have felt awfully comfortable to have made so many downfield plays.

As the chart shows, the Packers' four-man rush was one of the worst in the NFL. All teams hope their standard rush can disrupt opponents, and that's where the root of the Packers' ills last season lies. When you see defensive players getting little movement beyond the line of scrimmage, that's a visual example of a lack of juice. When defensive players are getting into the backfield, even if they miss the quarterback or running back, that's displaying some juice. The hope is that Hargrove, Perry and Worthy can get the Packers' juices flowing a bit more in 2012. (See what I did there?)

We've already discussed Hargrove's potential impact, and it's worth nothing that defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said Hargrove's hard-charging personality has already had an effect on the position.

"He's another guy that has a lot of juice to him," Trgovac said. "He really plays hard every down. I think it's just kind of in his DNA to go full speed every down. Any time you can inject that into your room, [it's good]. ... He is always talking to those guys about how he's going to work hard every day."

Perry, meanwhile, brings with him a reputation for inconsistency at USC, but the Packers were enamored with the rare physical traits he will bring to outside linebacker and hope he will impose a significant pressure point on the edge. Both Thompson and defensive coordinator Dom Capers noted that Perry ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds and nailed a vertical leap of 38 1/2 inches even while weighing in at 271 pounds.

"He's an explosive player," Capers said. "… We obviously think he has the potential to do that and be the guy we're looking for at the edge."

New Minnesota Vikings left tackle Matt Kalil, who worked against Perry in practice at USC, suggested he is a physical freak. Even if he doesn't rack up sacks, the theory goes, Perry has enough speed and strength to collapse pockets and make quarterbacks uncomfortable.

"That guy looks like he's Hercules," Kalil said. "His biceps are bigger than my legs and he has the lower body of a horse. That plus his athletic ability and just how strong he is and his arsenal of moves [in practice] really made games easy for me."

Worthy has a similar combination of quickness and size, but the Packers also found him to have exceptional instincts and thus have high hopes that he'll move immediately to the point of attack.

"He's one of the better players I've seen in a couple of years in finding the ball," Trgovac said. "He'll add some juice to our front. He'll get off blocks and do some of the things we ask him to do. He's got some quickness to him for a big guy, and he anticipates the snap count very well."

If true, this offseason will be just what the dietician ordered for the Packers. Juice all around!

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Thanks to everyone for bearing with me during a fast-paced and surprising first round of the NFL draft. I told you ahead of time that my focus would be on the Minnesota Vikings, given their spot at No. 3 overall, but that I would account for each of the NFC North's first-round picks in a substantive way.

I did that as best I could as the first round sped on. We have months to pull apart and dissect this draft, but for now it occurs to me that there might be some question about what position three of our five first-round picks will play when training camp begins this summer.

Let's work through that issue for Shea McClellin and the Chicago Bears, Riley Reiff and the Detroit Lions, and Nick Perry and the Green Bay Packers before calling it a night (or early morning).

McClellin played defensive end and middle linebacker at Boise State and was projected by many teams as an ideal 3-4 outside linebacker. The Bears run a 4-3, of course, and general manager Phil Emery said he will begin his career at left defensive end, opposite of right end Julius Peppers.

"We like him at D-end," Emery told reporters in Chicago. "He has versatility, if we were to have a string of injuries, to play 'Sam' [linebacker], but we like who he is as a football player better as an end than at linebacker for us."

While McClellin seemed destined to play outside linebacker for a 3-4 team, it was assumed Perry would land with a 4-3 team so he could play defensive end. That was his position at USC, and he'll need to make a significant adjustment with the Packers.

General manager Ted Thompson told reporters that Perry's athletic ability should smooth the transition.

"He's played with his hand on the ground," Thompson said, "and we're convinced he's athletic enough to play standing up and do some of the things that we do."

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers told reporters that the "top priority" for outside linebackers is to "have that explosive ability to come off the edge."

Capers added: "Some of the coverage stuff we'll be doing with him will be a learning process, but that isn't uncommon with these guys."

Finally, pre-draft discussion centered around whether Reiff projected as left or right tackle in the NFL. Lions general manager Martin Mayhew told reporters that Reiff could play up to four positions, but coach Jim Schwartz said: "Riley is a left tackle."

Schwartz added: "He fits the criteria for that position."

That makes Reiff the heir apparent to incumbent Jeff Backus, but the succession might not occur until 2013 or even 2014.

Now that we know McClellin will play defensive end, Perry projects as an outside linebacker and Reiff as a left tackle, we can close up shop for Thursday night/Friday morning. Back with you a bit later on Friday morning. Peace out.

We've reached the end of the third week in NFL free agency, a time when teams typically shift their gaze toward role players who project as limited contributors for the upcoming season. I think the Green Bay Packers' acquisition of defensive lineman Anthony Hargrove has the potential to exceed those parameters.

Hargrove's skill set meshes well with the two most common alignments used by Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers: the base 3-4 and the nickel with two down linemen. He is big enough to play end in the base and quick enough to be a inside pass-rusher in the nickel; although he's listed at 272 pounds, Hargrove said he played last season between 285-290 pounds while with the Seattle Seahawks. His intensity, meanwhile, will add an element of attitude that might have been missing from recent Packers defenses. Don't forget that he covered kickoffs for the New Orleans Saints as recently as 2010.

"Hopefully I can be a guy that could add a bit of speed to the defensive line," Hargrove said, "and an extra dimension there. I want to be an explosive playmaker and get after the passer, at the right time. When it's time to play the run, you play run with proper technique. But I want to get after it when we convert from run to pass."

Without knowing the results of the Packers' draft, you would have to consider Hargrove a leading candidate to start at defensive end in the base defense. Mike Neal will serve a four-game suspension to open the season, and the Packers never found a successful replacement last season for the departed Cullen Jenkins.

The Packers pursued Hargrove with uncommon zeal, at least for them, bringing him in for a visit a few days after hosting free-agent center Jeff Saturday. They have been reported to have interest in a number of free-agent defensive ends and linebackers, but I think it's pretty clear the Packers viewed Hargrove as the best fit for their scheme and needs.

There is no doubt that Hargrove has a complicated past, one that we've coincidentally covered a number of times here on the NFC North blog. He served a one-year suspension for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy in 2008, and in January 2010 we chronicled his drug use and rehabilitation. It's a fact that he's one positive drug test away from an indefinite suspension, but that also tells you he's passed every NFL drug test since returning to the league in 2009.

We also crossed paths with Hargrove earlier this month, when he released an extensive statement about his presence on the 2009 Saints team that has been implicated in an NFL investigation into cash bounties. Hargrove received a personal foul for a hit on Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre in the 2009 NFC Championship Game, but in his statement Hargrove denied he was either motivated by a bounty or received a payment for the hit.

I won't try to predict what's in store for the Packers and Hargrove, but most March 29 signings don't have the kind of potential that this one brings. Let's see where this goes.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Chicago Bears are moving forward with their general manager search and have received assurance they won't lose their just-promoted offensive coordinator. Such was the upshot of two developments for the franchise Monday night.

The finalists to replace general manager Jerry Angelo are Kansas City executive Phil Emery, a former Bears scout, and Jason Licht of the New England Patriots. Both will receive second interviews this week, after which the Bears will presumably make a decision. There have been reports that Emery -- a relatively quiet, hard-working meat-and-potatoes candidate -- is seen as the favorite in many NFL circles, but the team insisted that no decisions have been made.

Meanwhile, offensive coordinator Mike Tice was dropped from consideration for the Oakland Raiders' head-coaching job. Tice had been scheduled to interview for the job Tuesday, but the Raiders have already moved to the second round of their interview process, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton has told the Minnesota Vikings that the only stadium site with chances of getting approved in 2012 is the Metrodome site. The Star Tribune has more.
• The Vikings are "extremely frustrated" with that decision, according to a team spokesman via Doug Belden of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Vikings guard Steve Hutchinson wants to play in 2012, according to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• The Vikings' reconfigured coaching staff is getting a trial run at the Senior Bowl, reports Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.
• Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has already spoken with the Oakland Raiders about their head-coaching job, reports Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The departure of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin could send ripple effects through the Packers' coaching staff, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Former Packers radio announcer Jim Irwin has died, notes Kareem Copeland of the Press-Gazette. He was 77.
• Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew wants to see the team reduce its penalty total but isn't concerned with personal fouls on their own, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Previewing some of the big decisions facing NFC North teams early in the 2012 offseason:

Ever since the Green Bay Packers temporarily shifted him to safety in 2008, the question has followed cornerback Charles Woodson: When would the move become permanent? After all, you don't often see players in their mid-30s locking down one of the most difficult positions in the NFL.

Subsequently, Woodson has received the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award (2009) and three consecutive All-Pro honors. At the end of his 14th season, at the age of 35, Woodson was arguably the best cornerback on the Packers' roster. It's more difficult to find a cornerback than a safety, but would moving Woodson help make the Packers' defense better overall next season?

The Packers will at least consider that question as they await word on the status of Pro Bowl safety Nick Collins, who is two months away from finding out if doctors will clear him to play or recommend retirement because of a serious neck injury suffered in September. If Collins returns, he could team with strong safety Morgan Burnett in 2012. If not, Woodson might be the Packers' best option if they want to improve their tackling at the position.

Coach Mike McCarthy termed the discussion "very premature" during a news conference Wednesday but did not rule it out. "We're not making any position changes today," he said.

Collins' replacement, Charlie Peprah, didn't play well in Sunday's divisional playoff game to the New York Giants, missing a tackle on Hakeem Nicks' 66-yard touchdown catch and, like Woodson, failing to break up a Hail Mary pass to Nicks at the end of the first half. The sure-tackling Woodson would presumably be an upgrade over Peprah, but as we've discussed many times, the move doesn't make sense unless the Packers have a credible cornerback to take his place.

A few months ago, it would have been reasonable to think Tramon Williams and Sam Shields could hold down the two primary cornerback positions moving forward. The Packers also invested a 2011 fourth-round draft pick in cornerback Davon House, a potential nickelback with a year of development. But while they each intercepted four passes, neither Williams nor Shields played as well in 2011 as they did in 2010. House, meanwhile, was deactivated for 14 of 16 games.

That makes the Woodson issue complicated. If you're going to have a hole on defense, it makes more sense for it to be at safety than cornerback. But would the Packers be better off with a foursome of Williams, Shields, Woodson and Burnett than Woodson, Williams, Burnett and Peprah?

I think you could make that argument. But in the end, Woodson's status probably will be contingent on a number of outside factors: Collins' health, whether the Packers can find instant reinforcements at safety or cornerback in the draft and whether Williams or Shields can use the offseason to restore themselves to 2010 levels.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Half of the NFC North will now be impacted by the Oakland Raiders' wide search for a new head coach.

We already knew that new Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie would have his eyes on multiple candidates from the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the past 17 seasons. But he is also interested in speaking with Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice. The Raiders requested permission Tuesday to speak with Tice, a story first reported by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Tice was promoted to his current job earlier this month, but by NFL rule the Bears can't deny permission to interview. He spent four seasons as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach from 2002-05 and is one of perhaps a dozen candidates linked to the first round of Raiders interviews; he is one of the few with previous head-coaching experience.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Bears have now interviewed two of their five candidates for their general manager job, the team announced. San Diego Chargers executive Jimmy Raye III was the latest through the door.
• Former Bears receiver Sam Hurd has a Jan. 25 arraignment set in Dallas after being indicted on federal drug conspiracy and possession charges. ESPNChicago.com has the story.
• Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers would consider moving cornerback Charles Woodson to safety next season if Nick Collins (neck) doesn't come back. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
• Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is a finalist for the Miami Dolphins' head-coaching job and will receive a second interview, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Former Packers coach Mike Holmgren will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this summer, notes Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Both of the Detroit Lions' backup quarterbacks, Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton, will be free agents this spring, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. One or both could move on.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com review the appearance of Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on "Jimmy Fallon."
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is moving closer to naming a preferred site for the Vikings' new stadium, according to Mike Kaszuba of the Star Tribune.

We can cross off one of the many swirling coaching situations in the NFC North now that the Chicago Bears have re-signed special teams coordinator Dave Toub.

Toub's contract had expired and he recently interviewed for the head-coaching position with the Miami Dolphins. It appears the Dolphins have moved on to a new batch of candidates, and the Bears jumped at the opportunity to bring back one of the game's top special-teams gurus before he began soliciting offers from other teams.

The conclusion to the Toub story leaves us with these coaching storylines in the division:

1. The Bears still need to hire a quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator and an offensive line coach to replace Mike Tice, who was promoted to offensive coordinator.
2. The Minnesota Vikings' entire defensive staff remains in flux without a coordinator in place. Indianapolis Colts defensive backs Alan Williams is the latest candidate to get an interview for that job. Coordinator Fred Pagac and defensive line coach Karl Dunbar have both been fired.
3. Up to five Green Bay Packers assistants could be candidates for promotion elsewhere, some for the same job. Offensive coordinator Joe Philbin has interviewed for the head coaching job in Miami, has another interview scheduled with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and could generate interest from the Oakland Raiders. Assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss could be a candidate for the Raiders, as could Philbin, defensive coordinator Dom Capers and safeties coach Darren Perry. Finally, quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has an interview scheduled with the Buccaneers.

After the Green Bay Packers' 37-20 playoff loss to the New York Giants, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertFollowing their loss to the Giants, the Packers take a seat in the examination room.
   Some of you thought I affixed too much blame for the defeat on the Packers' offense. The defense, of course, had trouble tackling Giants ball carriers all afternoon and gave up a touchdown on a Hail Mary that "should never happen," cornerback Charles Woodson said. But isn't that the way the Packers' defense played most of the season? Time and again, the offense's elite play overcame what was an ordinary defense. To me, it was always on the offense to carry this team to the Super Bowl. Its stunning failure Sunday, mostly through unforced errors, explains why the Packers are at home Monday. With that said, however, the Packers should take a long big-picture look at their defense this offseason. Coordinator Dom Capers has now sandwiched two alarmingly porous seasons (2009 and 2011) around a championship-caliber year in 2010.
2. Tight end Jermichael Finley might have complicated his offseason with a case of the dropsies that continued into the playoffs. Our friends at ESPN Stats & Information tend to have a high standard for what constitutes a drop, but they had Finley with eight during the regular season -- the third-highest total in the NFL. Finley remains a matchup nightmare, and it's worth noting that the Giants had these words written on a whiteboard in their locker room at Lambeau Field: "Play physical football and beat the hell out of number 88." (Thanks to NFC East blogger Dan Graziano for that one.) Obviously, Finley was front and center in the Giants' defensive focus. I don't think the drops will change the way the Packers evaluate his future, and the relatively low franchise figure for tight ends -- around $5.5 million -- gives them a reasonable option for 2012. But I think we can all agree that Finley's season ended somewhat short of expectations that he would blossom into the NFL's best tight end.. The Packers' star-studded offense requires distribution of the ball, minimizing individual statistics. But if you're talking about the NFL's best tight ends, you probably mention at least three others -- Vernon Davis, Jimmy Graham and Rob Gronkowski -- before you get to Finley.
3. If Sunday was Donald Driver's final game with the Packers, he spent it providing evidence that he can still help someone in 2012. Driver was a part-time player in 2011, catching 37 passes while playing on about half of the Packers' plays. He'll turn 37 next month and has one year remaining on a contract that calls for a $2.2 million roster bonus and a $2.6 million base salary. Assuming 2011 second-round draft pick Randall Cobb continues his development, it's hard to imagine the Packers bringing Driver back with compensation totaling $5 million. But Driver's legs looked lively and his hands were reliable as ever in a three-catch, 45-yard performance Sunday. He told reporters that he doesn't plan to retire, and you would think another NFL team would be interested in the depth he could provide.

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

The Packers had gained a bit of momentum and tied the score at 10 early in the second quarter. I didn't feel they had gained control of the game, but I didn't think the Giants were in control, either. So it's difficult to find a conventional explanation for why Packers coach Mike McCarthy called for an onside kick at that point. If he thought he could catch the Giants unsuspecting, he was wrong. According to New York media reports, the Giants had worked on the exact type of onside kick during practice Friday. McCarthy didn't directly explain himself when asked Sunday, saying only that he was "trying to put … players in a position to make an impact play." That moment was the first alarm bell of the game for me. Why didn't McCarthy trust his offense, or defense for that matter, after a conventional kickoff? Usually that's a move reserved for coaches who think their team needs a boost. The move didn't cost the Packers any points, but it was the first time I thought the Packers' season might soon be coming to an end.

(Note: I hope everyone is good with pushing forward on our football discussion even as the Green Bay Packers are mourning the death of a family member. I considered holding off out of respect for those impacted by the death of Michael Philbin, but in the end I think we can be respectful while also providing an outlet for those who want to read about Sunday's divisional playoff game.)

Fear is a strong word. I don't think the Green Bay Packers fear the consequences of their historically porous pass defense. They won 15 games with it during the regular season, after all. I'm not even sure they're worried about it. They discovered and have implemented the antidote throughout the past four months.

But if you're someone who likes to conceive the worst-case scenario, you don't have to think too hard.

The Packers tripped only once this season, despite giving up an NFL-record 4,796 passing yards, mostly because they intercepted a league-leading 31 passes. In the playoffs, of course, the quarterbacks are better and less prone to mistakes. The Packers could face a Pro Bowl quarterback at every step between now and Super Bowl XLVI.

The bottom line: If an elite quarterback gashes them for yards but avoids the interceptions, he could knock the Packers out of the playoffs.

To be sure, there have been all kinds of attempts to poke holes in the Packers' near-perfect season. To me, this is the one instance with merit. The Packers' only loss this season came when Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Kyle Orton threw for 299 yards with no interceptions -- the only game this season the Packers didn't create at least one turnover.

First up this postseason will be the New York Giants' Eli Manning, who fell 67 yards shy of a 5,000-yard season and threw for 347 yards and three touchdowns in a Week 13 loss to the Packers. The final score was 38-35, and the Packers' scoring included linebacker Clay Matthews' interception return for a touchdown.

With the exception of a few pointed statements from cornerback Charles Woodson, the issue has mostly bubbled below the surface. But speaking late in the regular season, Woodson reiterated his concerns about the defense's aptitude for postseason football.

"Defensively we still have some problems," Woodson said after the Packers allowed 441 total yards in Week 16 against the Chicago Bears. "We just give up way too many things on a consistent basis, so we have a long way to go. … Just not playing good football at times. We've been consistently inconsistent throughout the season. It's on each man to get it done. Moving forward we have a great opportunity. … Everybody on this team, to the man, has to look within himself and just get the job done."

As the chart shows, the Packers allowed a 300-yard passer in nearly half their games this season. They intercepted the Carolina Panthers' Cam Newton three times to spoil a 432-yard day, for example, and held off the San Diego Chargers mostly because they intercepted Philip Rivers a career-high three times and returned two for touchdowns.

Manning, meanwhile, compiled eight 300-yard games during the regular season; the Giants were 4-4 in those games. He threw the seventh-most interceptions in the NFL, 16, but has thrown only one interception in the Giants' past three games.

Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers has addressed the issue on almost a weekly basis this season. Speaking to Wisconsin reporters last week, Capers admitted that "we don't like" the yardage totals but added: "We've been able to win 15 games, and the reason for that, with our defensive stats the way they are, is the fact that we ended up No. 1 in the league in takeaways and No. 1 in the league in interceptions. That's something we obviously place a high priority on."

What has been the issue? As the second chart shows, the Packers' standard pass rush -- four or less rushers -- hasn't been nearly as effective as it was last season. They have given up an NFL-high 8.5 yards per attempt on those plays and managed only 11 sacks.

As a result, Capers has dramatically increased his blitz totals from last season. He elevated from a blitz on 32.8 percent of opponents' drop-backs in 2010 to 45.7 percent in 2011, the fourth-most in the NFL, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The only NFL team that affected a bigger blitz uptick this season was the Houston Texans, who changed defensive coordinators in the offseason.

I included the blitz percentages for each of the 300-yard games in the first chart; they blitzed 51.6 percent of the time on Orton's 299-yard day.

The blitz is the ultimate risk-reward proposition, and it brought the Packers 18 of their 29 sacks on the season and limited opponents to eight touchdown passes. (The Packers actually had more interceptions out of their standard rush, possibly a reflection of non-elite quarterbacks forcing the ball into coverage.)

Given his druthers, I doubt Capers wants to blitz as much as he has. In his session with reporters, he pointed to the Packers' Week 12 game against the Detroit Lions as "far more like [the way] we want to play." In that 27-15 victory, the Packers blitzed a season-low 22.4 percent of the time and limited Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford to 276 yards. None of Stafford's 32 completions went for longer than 23 yards.

Is the answer to pull back on the blitz Sunday against the Giants? In that Lions game, I'm guessing Capers considered it a higher priority to cover Detroit's slew of pass-catchers than to pressure Stafford. The Giants have a similar situation, especially now that receiver Mario Manningham is healthy and available to complement Victor Cruz and Hakeem Nicks. Perhaps, perhaps.

To be clear, this is not meant to ring alarm bells. I haven't been impressed with most of the attempts to poke holes in the Packers' success this season. 15-1 is 15-1, and it's clear the Packers know how to win. They are nine-point favorites in this game for good reason. All I want to do is note that a season-long issue was never resolved. The Packers have to hope it won't bite them now.

Getting inside the Friday injury report on what has become a frantic day here in the NFC North:

Chicago Bears: The Bears listed two players as questionable for Sunday's game against the Kansas City Chiefs -- Defensive tackle Anthony Adams (back) and cornerback D.J. Moore (ankle). Neither is expected to play.

Detroit Lions: Safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Chris Houston (knee) are doubtful for Sunday night's game at the New Orleans Saints. Neither practiced this week and both are expected to miss the game. Running back Kevin Smith (ankle) is questionable but told reporters he would play Sunday night. Cornerback Brandon McDonald (thigh) did not practice this week and is listed as questionable. The Lions might end up starting Aaron Berry at cornerback and using Alphonso Smith at nickel. Finally, running back Jahvid Best (concussion) has been cleared to begin working out, according to the Lions' website. Best is on injured reserve and can't play again until next season.

Green Bay Packers: Rookie linebacker D.J. Smith is likely to make his first NFL start Sunday against the New York Giants after the Packers ruled out inside linebackers A.J. Hawk and Desmond Bishop, who have calf injuries. Robert Francois could start at the other inside spot, but you never know when defensive coordinator Dom Capers will come up with a new alignment that minimizes the number of inexperienced players on the field. Smith will call the defensive signals. Tight end Andrew Quarless missed practice Friday because of a groin injury but is probable. Meanwhile, Giants running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot) returned to practice Friday and is expected to play Sunday.

Minnesota Vikings: As we noted earlier, the Vikings ruled tailback Adrian Peterson (ankle) out for the second consecutive game. He has never missed three consecutive games in his career. Receiver Percy Harvin (illness) missed practice and is listed as questionable, but at this point the Vikings believe he will play Sunday against the Denver Broncos. Middle linebacker E.J. Henderson (shoulder) returned to practice but is questionable for Sunday's game. Cornerback Asher Allen (shoulder) and tight end Kyle Rudolph (quadriceps) are also questionable, but coach Leslie Frazier indicated that Henderson and Rudolph have good chances to play. Finally, guard Anthony Herrera (knee) is probable and should play for the first time in more than a month.

DETROIT -- More than anything, the Green Bay Packers laughed at our national storyline last week. Yes, the Detroit Lions combine a strong passing game with a fierce pass rush. But as we've seen many times before, favorable matchups alone don't determine the outcome of many games.

The Packers were admittedly on their heels for much of Thursday's first half at Ford Field, but they never trailed en route to a 27-15 victory. They forced three turnovers, committed none of their own and for the most part kept their cool during a heated and chippy game.

"It just kind of shows what kind of team we have," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said. "We're getting better each week. A lot of people picked against us this week and thought this was [when] we were going down. I still don't think there is a specific recipe to beat us. Our defense is playing better. They were playing very well today and got three turnovers. And our offense, when we're not turning the ball over, we're tough to beat."

We might have been worried about how the Packers would slow down a pass-heavy Lions offense that entered the game ranked third in the NFL in points per game. The Packers were not.

Coordinator Dom Capers dramatically shifted his game plan after two weeks of heavy blitzing. Instead, according to ESPN Stats & Information, he sent four or fewer pass-rushers on a season-high 77.6 percent of quarterback Matthew Stafford's drop backs. Capers maximized the players he devoted to coverage and left Stafford checking down to running backs and tight ends for most of the game.

In fact, Stafford's average of 5.2 yards per attempt was his lowest mark of the season and an indication of his inability to get the ball downfield. Lions wide receivers caught 10 passes for a season-low 101 yards, and all three of Stafford's interceptions came when the Packers had at least seven men in coverage.

That, of course, is the micro-explanation. In the bigger picture, the Packers are growing more confident by the week that they have a chance to do something special this year. "Yes," was all Rodgers would say on that topic, so I'll spell it out: The Packers are two-thirds of the way to an undefeated regular season and, potentially, eight games away from another Super Bowl championship.

"The only statement we made today," said nose tackle B.J. Raji, "is that we don't plan on losing anytime soon. No disrespect. This is a good team we played, the Detroit Lions. But we don't like to lose. We haven't lost in a while and we're getting used to this."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Your neighborhood blogger ran out of steam Tuesday and declined to jump into the whirlpool of another debate about the Detroit Lions' level of aggressive/dirty play. (I also skipped your weekly Total Quarterback Rating report, much to the dismay of none of you, I'm sure. We'll be reformatting that bad boy and debuting it later Wednesday.)

From what I can tell, the takeaway from the round of interviews Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh did Tuesday was that he considered it "part of the game" that Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler lost his helmet during a tackle in Sunday's game at Soldier Field. We'll see if the NFL agrees. Generally speaking, it's fair to assume a series of fines and possibly a suspension or two arising from that game. Players are typically informed of fines on Wednesday and the NFL usually confirms them publicly on Friday.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press asked two former NFL quarterbacks about the broken right index finger of Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Both said they think the injury has an effect on accuracy.
• Lions veteran Rashied Davis is concerned about the Lions' special teams, notes Eric Lacy of the Detroit News.
• The Lions are sticking together, writes Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com.
• The Green Bay Packers are targeting their Week 13 game against the New York Giants as a possible return for left tackle Chad Clifton, according to Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Time will tell whether holding the Vikings to a single touchdown was a seminal moment in the Packers' season or just an expected outcome when an 8-0 team goes against a 2-6 team with a rookie starting quarterback."
• Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers on his dealings over the past week with cornerback Charles Woodson, via Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette: "I communicate with Charles all the time, and sometimes these things get overblown. I didn't take what Charles was saying as criticism. He was frustrated giving up 38 points just like I was."
• Bears receiver Earl Bennett is expecting an NFL fine of $10,000 for wearing orange cleats for a second consecutive game, according to ESPNChicago.com.
• The Bears are as good as any team in the NFC, writes Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Tribune.
• The Bears think that special-teams ace Corey Graham is once again playing at a Pro Bowl level, according to Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune on the state of the Minnesota Vikings: "Absorbing the worst loss in the 102-game history of the rivalry with Green Bay has to provide a reality check."
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com breaks down the tape of the Vikings' loss to the Packers.
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton thinks it is "doubtful" that he'll call a special session of the state legislature to deal with the Vikings' stadium issue. Doug Belden of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has more.

After the Green Bay Packers' 45-7 victory over the Minnesota Vikings, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertFollowing their win over the Vikings, the Packers take a seat in the examination room.
   This week's crazy Aaron Rodgers statistic comes from Pro Football Focus (PFF), which uses video study to separate "aimed" passes from those that are obviously thrown away, spiked or otherwise intended to be incomplete. Rodgers completed 23 of his 27 "aimed" passes Monday night, and PFF judged three of those four incompletions to be dropped passes. That means by one measure, Rodgers was at fault from an execution standpoint for one incompletion among a total of 30 attempts. On the season, according to PFF, Rodgers is completing 82.5 percent of his "aimed" passes, which is five percent higher than the any other quarterback.
2. Packers players appreciated the plentiful blitz calls from defensive coordinator Dom Capers. But they were also quick to point out they provided Capers a favorable template for calling so many blitz (74.4 percent of the Vikings' dropbacks). "The key is we were more able to shut the run down on first and second down," defensive tackle B.J. Raji said. "That's when Dom can do that, as opposed to always being in third and three. He doesn't know what to call at that point, because they could do anything." Here's one way to measure that circumstance: Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson had four runs on first down. They went for two, one, one and minus-6 yards. Overall, Peterson finished with 51 yards, his second-lowest production in a game this season.
3. Rookie receiver/returner Randall Cobb has scored three touchdowns this season and has lost three fumbles. That's about right for a rookie playmaker who turned 21 during training camp. The Packers are taking a calculated risk by using a young player who clearly is having some ups and downs as their sole returner. A poorly-timed fumble could scuttle a playoff game, a cynic might say. But just the same, a well-timed touchdown return could win one. Overall, I think the Packers are doing the right thing with Cobb. Rare is the dynamic returner that doesn't have at least some risk-reward element.

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

I'm curious how I missed the invention of the phrase "throwing open." That what I've heard several people around the Packers refer to what Rodgers is doing this year with so many of his passes. In essence, Rodgers is throwing to players that aren't open by conventional measures but are routinely coming down with the ball. These aren't wild passes. They represent calculated and premeditated strategy among a group of players that knows each other well. The two throws that stood out to me Monday night were a 22-yarder to Donald Driver, who was blanketed by Vikings cornerback Asher Allen, and a 25-yarder to tight end Jermichael Finley, who was surrounded by three defenders. They were open only in the sense that Rodgers felt confident they would come down with the pass.