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As we learn more and more about the connection between football and brain injuries, I've wondered when NFL players will start viewing their careers as a conscious trade-off: immediate fulfillment and financial security in return for future health problems.

At least one prominent NFC North player already sees his career and life through that lens. In comments I found to be sobering and shockingly direct, Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola told reporters Tuesday that future memory loss is among the "rigors of this job," and that he would never sue the NFL because he understands the risk he is taking.

(Thanks to the Lions' public relations staff for making the audio available.)

"When you sign up for this job, you know what you're getting into," Raiola said. Later, he added: "I really don't worry about it. Those things are going to come. It's common knowledge that people are going to suffer. Memory loss is going to come. You're hit every time you step on the field.

"I'm ready for it. It's worth it. It's totally worth it. It's the best job in the world. I would never trade it for anything. I don't know if I can justify suing the league when I'm done. It's given me, up to this point, 11 years. Even though we lost for 10 of them, it's given me 11 years of fun.

"I don’t think when I'm at home in my rocking chair at 40, I don't think I'm going to be thinking about suing the NFL. I'll be thinking about guys I played with in the locker room and hopefully these good years coming up."

To be fair, many of the concussion-related lawsuits filed against the NFL claim the league didn't make players aware of the risks that Raiola is now very much up to speed on. Still, I find this an incredibly compelling issue on a number of fronts.

Would you give up a healthy portion of your life for intense fulfillment in another? And what impact would family and/or children have on that decision?

Many NFL players' top goal is to provide for their families. Is a lifetime of financial stability for them more or less important than a presumably longer period of health and involvement with that family?

And before you jump with a quick and noble answer, consider the myriad other ways a person's health can go wrong for reasons having nothing to do with football. What about the player who quits the game because of future health concerns and then gets hit by the proverbial truck the next day? How about a player who struggles to make ends meet for 50 years after college, putting his family through a lifetime of poverty? Not everyone would make that trade.

As jarring as Raiola's comments seem, to me it suggests there is a lot more gray area involved in the issue of gray matter. This conversation is only beginning.

Our friends at Football Outsiders have put together a series previewing each NFL team's offseason needs, using their unique statistical analysis to support their assertions. Football Outsiders' work requires an Insiders subscription to view in full, a contradiction that always elicits a giggle from NFC East colleague Dan Graziano. But I'm authorized to provide you a snippet from each of our teams. Herewith:

Chicago Bears: Most everyone has the Bears pegged to pursue wide receivers in free agency and/or the draft, and Outsiders doesn't discount that possibility. But based on its analysis of the Bears' 2011 season, offensive tackle should be the Bears' top priority. Left tackle J'Marcus Webb allowed 10 sacks and was "among the worst [left tackles] in the league." The Bears' running game, meanwhile, was stuffed for a loss or no gain on 24.1 percent of its runs, a "catastrophic" figure blamed mostly on poor run blocking.

Detroit Lions: Like the Bears, Outsiders thinks the Lions need to upgrade their offensive line more than anything else. Based on Outsiders statistics, the Lions had the second-worst run-blocking offensive line in the NFL in 2011. Center Dominic Raiola and right guard Stephen Peterman were particularly to blame. Outsiders' analysis suggested that running backs Jahvid Best and Kevin Smith actually had above-average seasons based on the yardage available to them.

Green Bay Packers: We all know the Packers need more pass rush; Outsiders ranked them last in the NFL in its adjusted sack rate (ASR) in 2011. Outsiders' analysis suggests the pass rush would improve if the Packers focus their upgrade efforts along the defensive line, giving it better push up front but also opening up lanes for linebacker Clay Matthews.

Minnesota Vikings: Perhaps "the worst secondary in the league." That should tell you all you need to know. Here's one of many sobering statistics from 2011: Cornerback Cedric Griffin allowed an average of 10.5 yards on every pass thrown in his direction, and teams had a 38 percent success rate against him. Both totals were among the bottom five of all cornerbacks in Outsiders' statistical study.

NEW ORLEANS -- Congratulations are in order for the Detroit Lions. Graduating from preschool is a momentous occasion for any young pup, and that is where I see the Lions now that their 2011 season is in the books.

Saturday night's 45-28 loss to the New Orleans Saints should be the last time the Lions are graded on a curve, cheered for their effort or applauded for an accomplishment other than a victory. It's true: No one expected them to beat the Saints, who now are 9-0 at home since the start of the regular season. And few if any will have harsh words after the Lions collapsed in the fourth quarter against the NFL's hottest quarterback.

But after returning to relevance this season, the Lions have earned themselves big-boy treatment moving forward, both inside the organization and outside. Expectations for this team will rise in 2012, for good reason. They won't be celebrated for a winning season or even a playoff berth. With a 23-year-old quarterback teaming with the NFL's best receiver in a pass-happy league, the Lions should neither sneak up on anyone nor have their success be considered a surprise.

"We know we're building something really good," defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch said. "We have really good players. We have a lot of potential. ... But this is where we expect to be. Now we expect to go further. We expect to do more. I don't think in the future, people around the league are going to be surprised that the Detroit Lions are in the playoffs. This is where we belong. This is where we're going to be for a long time."

For the old Lions, we would note that they led the Saints at halftime and trailed by only three points, 24-21, as the fourth quarter began. Moving forward, we'll note that their defense -- shaky for much of the game -- got run over in the fourth quarter. The Saints put up 21 points and 192 yards in the final 9 minutes, 53 seconds of the game, running away with a playoff game the way prospective champions always do.

We won't hold Saturday night's Lions to that standard, of course. None of their players had won a postseason game wearing a Lions uniform. No one in the organization younger than 54 had been born the last time the Lions won a playoff game on the road. This wasn't a team that would know how to react in such a situation. That should never be the case again, however.

"It was a learning experience for our whole team," said quarterback Matthew Stafford, who threw for 380 yards and three touchdowns in his first playoff start but also forced a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions. "We'll be back. We have a confident bunch of guys. Obviously it hurts right now, but we'll be ready to go."

Stafford and receiver Calvin Johnson sit at the center of that confidence and the inevitably rising expectations for the team. Stafford targeted Johnson on 15 passes Saturday night despite a Saints defense dedicated to stopping him, connecting for 12 receptions, 211 yards and a pair of touchdowns. In their past four games, Stafford and Johnson have combined for an incredible 771 passing yards and six touchdowns.

Considering the NFL's shift toward the passing game in recent years, the Stafford-Johnson duo is enough on its own to expect big things from the 2012 Lions. If there is a concern, it's a defense that allowed a postseason-record 626 total yards Saturday night. In its final two outings of the 2011 campaign, the defense allowed 90 points and a whopping 1,176 yards.

On Saturday night, we'll note that those games came against two of the best offenses in the NFL -- the Saints and Green Bay Packers. Moving forward, it'll be fair to ask why the Lions couldn't hang better with the best of the best.

Defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham took his 2011 approach to an extreme Saturday night, sending four or fewer pass-rushers on 90 percent of Brees' drop-backs, according to ESPN Stats & Information. The Lions got some incremental pressure on him, sacking Brees twice, hitting him four times and forcing a second-quarter fumble.

The Lions forced some errant passes, noted coach Jim Schwartz, "but we weren't able to capitalize on those errant passes." Overall, Brees torched the Lions for 33 completions in 43 attempts for 466 yards and three touchdowns.

Schwartz, to be clear, already had moved to 2012 mode when he met with reporters afterward. He angrily pointed at three dropped interceptions, three fourth downs the Saints converted and the Saints' 7-for-11 performance on third down.

"This game was all about missed opportunities on defense," he said.

I didn’t walk away thinking the Lions had botched a legitimate chance to win. I felt the same way I felt heading in: The Lions needed to play a perfect game to beat the Saints in this environment. They couldn’t drop one interception, let alone three. They couldn’t miss a single tackle, much less the dozen or so Saints tailback Pierre Thomas and others ran through. (The Saints gained 92 of their 167 rushing yards after contact, according to ESPN Stats & Information). They couldn’t miss a single opportunity to pad their first-half lead, let alone punt after both takeaways.

I wouldn't expect Schwartz to agree. He is the coach and has been the driving force behind reversing the Lions' losing culture. Next season, I'll be right there with him. The Lions will no longer be an oddity, an unknown quantity or a feel-good story. They enter the offseason as one of the NFL's upper-echelon teams, and it's time we all raised our standards and treated them accordingly.

To their credit, most Lions players are already there.

"I feel good about what we have coming back, but this is a hard one to swallow right now," center Dominic Raiola said. "I'm stunned. One and done. Yeah, it was a successful season, I think. I don't think anyone predicted us to go to the playoffs. But you don't want to hang your hat on this. We weren't just happy to be in the playoffs. We're disappointed right now."

Really? A member of the Detroit Lions disappointed to have lost a playoff game? That's the way it should be. My, how far they've already come. Play time is over.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

As most of the NFL moves into the offseason, everyone, it seems, wants a piece of the Green Bay Packers.

As we noted Wednesday, the Kansas City Chiefs interviewed offensive coordinator Joe Philbin for their head-coaching job Wednesday. Although interim coach Romeo Crennel is the favorite for the job, AFC West colleague Bill Williamson reports that Philbin is a serious candidate as well. Philbin has another interview scheduled with a second team as well, according to Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Meanwhile, the Oakland Raiders interviewed Packers director of football operations Reggie McKenzie for their general manager job, and McKenzie is considered a top candidate for the job. He could also emerge as a candidate for the Chicago Bears' general manager opening.

Director of college scouting John Dorsey turned down an opportunity to interview for the Indianapolis Colts' general manager job, according to Schefter. Finally, quarterbacks coach Tom Clements remains a candidate for the Penn State head-coaching job.

Coaches of teams on a bye can interview until this weekend. Front office executives aren't bound by those rules.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Packers receiver Greg Jennings (knee) returned to practice Wednesday and is set to play in the Packers' divisional playoff game on Jan. 15.
• Could Brad Jones emerge as one of the Packers' starting linebackers in the playoffs? Silverstein looks into it for the Journal Sentinel.
• Packers coach Mike McCarthy needs to brush up on his overtime playoff rules, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• The Detroit Lions have been holding receiver Calvin Johnson (Achilles) out of practice this week, but he will play Saturday night against the New Orleans Saints. Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com has more.
• Lions receiver Titus Young has matured over the past month, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions center Dominic Raiola wasn't happy to hear that San Francisco 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh is preparing to face the Saints in the second round of the playoffs. Chris McCosky of the Detroit News explains.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune reviews some possible general manager candidates for the Bears.
• Former Bears receiver Sam Hurd was indicted on two drug-related counts Wednesday, reports Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune looks at coach Lovie Smith's search for his next offensive coordinator.
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times writes that Smith should promote offensive line coach Mike Tice to the job.
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com has a list of every Minnesota Vikings player's contract situation.
• The Vikings are hoping to negotiate a truce with their Metrodome landlords, who say their lease should extend another year because of a little-known clause. Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has more.
• Vikings coach Leslie Frazier hasn't ruled out a 3-4 defense for 2012, notes Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.

A few thoughts on as wild of a "meaningless" Week 17 game as you'll possibly see.

What it means: The Green Bay Packers improved to 15-1, becoming the sixth team in NFL history to win at least 15 regular-season games in one season, despite deactivating three of their most prominent players (quarterback Aaron Rodgers, cornerback Charles Woodson and linebacker Clay Matthews). They also used the game to experiment on offensive line combinations. Amazingly, the Packers were able to protect some key players while still riding momentum into the playoffs. The Lions missed a chance to lock up the No. 5 seed in the NFC playoffs, leaving their positioning at the mercy of the Atlanta Falcons. The Lions will be the No. 6 seed, and travel to the New Orleans Saints, if the Falcons defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Falcons were leading 35-0 in the second quarter at last check. The Lions have now lost 20 consecutive games in the state of Wisconsin.

Air Supply: On a windy and snowy day at Lambeau Field, both starting quarterbacks set franchise records for passing yards in a game. Backup Matt Flynn made the most of his opportunity to start, throwing for 480 yards and six touchdowns, also a team record. The Lions' Matthew Stafford threw for 520 yards, bringing their combined total to an even 1,000 in the game, and tied his team record with five touchdown passes. The Madden-like final statistics also included 244 receiving yards for Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, 116 for tight end Brandon Pettigrew and 162 for Packers receiver Jordy Nelson.

FlynnWatch: I'm not sure what else Flynn could have done to audition for a starting job elsewhere next season. The Packers used two different left tackles, Chad Clifton and Marshall Newhouse, and didn't have receiver Greg Jennings or running back James Starks for this game. But Flynn smartly used the remaining talent the Packers surrounded him with, most notably Nelson (three touchdowns). Perhaps most impressive to teams considering him in free agency this spring, Flynn also led the Packers to 14 points in the final eight minutes, 18 seconds of the game, playing as if he was the quarterback fighting to secure a fifth seed.

Official grumbling: Kudos to Lions center Dominic Raiola, who stepped in and calmed down Lions coach Jim Schwartz (a little bit) in the second quarter after a series of poor calls robbed the Lions of both challenge opportunities before halftime. There is little doubt that the Lions were on the short end of both calls that led to challenges, a fumble that was reversed on tight end Tony Scheffler and a fumble by kick returner Stefan Logan. That left the Lions unable to challenge what should have been a touchdown pass to receiver Titus Young, whom officials ruled didn't get both feet down in the end zone when he in fact did. But in the end, it's fair to say the Lions had plenty of opportunities to win the game. I hope no one leaves the Lions locker room blaming those calls for the loss. The Lions had a 41-38 lead with 2:44 remaining, and their defense couldn't slow down a watered-down Packers offense. That's on them. The Packers' winning drive included two third-down conversions, one of which came after defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh jumped offside.

What's next: We'll await the Lions' playoff seed and opponent for next weekend's wild-card game, to be determined later Sunday. The Packers will have a playoff bye week and host a divisional game the weekend of Jan. 14-15.

It's been interesting listening and reading to the NFC playoff scenarios this week. It usually goes something like this: The Detroit Lions can clinch the No. 5 seed with a victory against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

I wonder if everyone realizes how monumental that would be. (And not because of Lions center Dominic Raiola's tongue-in-cheek assessment of Packers fans, either. More below.)

It's been more than 20 years since the Lions last won a game in Wisconsin: A 21-17 victory by a Lions team on its way to a 12-4 season against a Packers team that was nearing the end of a 4-12 campaign. Erik Kramer threw two touchdown passes for the Lions on a 10-degree day, and Mike Tomczak's late touchdown pass to Vince Workman left the Packers four points short.

The Lions' ensuing 19-game losing streak in Green Bay/Milwaukee is the longest against a single opponent in NFL history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

"I think it had a lot to do with the guys they had playing quarterback since 1991 more than anything," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said.

Which brings us to Sunday. Packers coach Mike McCarthy hasn't announced his personnel plans, but with the Packers unable to improve their playoff standing, it's hard to imagine that he will play quarterback Aaron Rodgers the entire game. (Former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon tweeted Thursday that he spoke with McCarthy and that people "should expect to see some of" backup Matt Flynn.)

The Lions have a bit more incentive, given the consequences for a fifth seed over a sixth. It makes sense for the Packers to pull back and for the Lions to push full steam ahead. In all likelihood, the game will hang on a matchup between Flynn and Matthew Stafford. Will that be the combination that ends the streak? I doubt the Lions will care.

Related: I doubt it will faze the Packers, but their fans will probably be motivated to see the Lions lose again after reading Raiola's comments made Thursday in Detroit. According to Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press, Raiola was asked about the Green Bay "tradition" of mooning the visiting buses when they arrive at Lambeau Field. Raiola: "I get to the stadium too early. I don't see that. But that'd be pretty awesome to see. I don't know if I want to see any of those people naked. They're not in real good shape up there." Later, according to Chris McCosky of the Detroit News, Raiola added: "It looks like they live a simple life. They love the Pack and that's pretty much it."

A few thoughts on a momentous day and evening in Detroit:

What it means: The Detroit Lions clinched their first playoff berth since 1999 in convincing fashion, jumping on the San Diego Chargers for 24 first-half points and finishing strongly as well. The victory caps a three-year overhaul from the franchise's darkest moment, the 0-16 season in 2008, and cements the status of a new set of heroes for Detroit sports fans. For those asking, we don't yet know if the Lions will be the No. 5 or No. 6 seed in the NFC playoffs.

Turning point: The Chargers threatened to make a game of it the third quarter, recovering an onside kick moments after closing the gap to 24-7 midway through the quarter. But on third-and-goal at the 4-yard line, cornerback Chris Houston broke up a pass intended for receiver Malcom Floyd in the end zone. The Chargers were forced to kick a field goal, a clear momentum swing that they never recovered from. Kudos to Houston for his play, which also included an interception and a total of four defensed passes.

StaffordWatch: There's no other way to say it: Matthew Stafford and the entire Lions passing offense were dealing all game long. From the opening play, a 46-yard jump ball that receiver Calvin Johnson caught against double coverage, the Lions had their way with the Chargers' defense. Stafford's final numbers: 29 completions in 36 attempts for 373 yards, three touchdowns, no interceptions and a 137.6 passer rating. In his past three games, Stafford has thrown for nearly 1,000 yards and nine touchdowns. Obviously, that's how you want a franchise quarterback to respond in the playoff push. In the process, he set a new Lions record for the most passing yards in a season. It now stands at 4,518 yards.

Composure: Circumstances conspired to whip the team into a frenzy, and center Dominic Raiola was among those who let his pregame emotions get the best of him. I saw Raiola's pushing and shoving before the game and wondered if we were in for another penalty-filled, out-of-control performance. But the Lions appear to have put that phase of their season behind them. They were called for only three accepted penalties, losing a total of eight yards, and kept their composure throughout the afternoon. There was a moment when I thought tight end Tony Scheffler was going to go after a Chargers player post-whistle, but he smartly held back. Coach Jim Schwartz's no-tolerance policy has worked.

Rewards: I'm sure many Lions fans were thinking Saturday of friends and loved ones who suffered through years and years of substandard, playoff-less years of football. I couldn't help but marvel at how much bad football that longtime Lions beat writer Tom Kowalski covered in his 30-plus years on the job. Kowalski passed away last August, just before this wild season kicked off. Beat writers don't root for the teams they cover, but take it from experience, covering a playoff team is a lot more interesting than the alternative.

What's next: The Lions will close out the regular season -- and turn their attention TO THE PLAYOFFS -- next Sunday at Lambeau Field against the Green Bay Packers.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Thanks to everyone who participated in Thursday's late-night Twitter discussion on the draft ramifications of the Indianapolis Colts' last-second upset of the Houston Texans. From an NFC North perspective, here's what I can tell you: If you're hoping the Minnesota Vikings will parlay the result into the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 draft, you need to root for another Colts victory.

Based on research from ESPN Stats & Information, the Vikings would lose the tiebreaker with the Colts if they both finish 2-14. The St. Louis Rams would likely have the No. 3 pick in that scenario if they are also 2-14.

Ties are broken in reverse order of strength of schedule (SOS), and the Indianapolis Star has an easy-to-read projection of each team's SOS through 16 games. The Rams currently have a lower SOS than the Vikings, but those figures could swap when you consider the Rams finish the season against the 10-4 Pittsburgh Steelers and the 11-3 San Francisco 49ers. The Vikings' final two games are against the 5-9 Washington Redskins and 7-7 Chicago Bears.

I know it's complicated and more than you're probably willing to think about on the morning of December 23. But in terms of the No. 1 overall pick, the Vikings' best-case scenario is for the Colts to win next weekend against the Jacksonville Jaguars. (Combined with two more losses by the Vikings, of course.) That would leave the Colts 3-13 and the Vikings sweating out the SOS tiebreaker with the potentially 2-14 Rams, which they have a good chance of winning based on Week 16 and 17 matchups.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Vikings coach Leslie Frazier expressed support for offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave and said he will return in 2012, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson is ready for a full-game workload, writes Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune.
• Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press speaks with Vikings defensive backs coach Joe Woods, whose group has had its struggles this season.
• It appears the Chicago Bears will start Kahlil Bell at tailback Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, according to Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune. Veteran Marion Barber hasn't practiced this week because of a calf injury.
• The Bears tried to sign free agent quarterback Matt Moore in July, according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• The Bears' offense has been at the root of their four-game losing streak, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher on the offense, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com: "We can’t let it get to us. Our mindset is [to] go back out there and take the ball away for our offense. That's all we can do; just go out there and try and get three-and-outs ourselves or take the ball away. We don't think about it. I mean, we have a hard enough time ourselves. We can't be worried about what happens on offense."
• Detroit Lions veterans Jeff Backus and Dominic Raiola aren't getting too hyped about Saturday's potential playoff-clinching game, writes Michael Rosenberg of the Detroit Free Press.
• The Lions are trusting tight end Brandon Pettigrew despite a series of drops this season, writes John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• Making the playoffs is "really important to us," according to Lions defensive coordinator Gunther Cunningham. Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com has more.
• The Green Bay Packers are getting back to basics in their efforts to limit drops, writes Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Packers tight end Jermichael Finley has been a social media lightening rod, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com examines the Packers' intentions for the Wildcat offense with receiver Randall Cobb.

Kyle of Quad Cities pointed me in the direction of an interesting Twitter exchange between Detroit Lions Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders and the Detroit Free Press, all of which was started by Todd McShay's initial ESPN.com mock draft for 2012 .

As we noted, McShay drafted Virginia Tech running back David Wilson for the Lions at No. 25 overall. Wilson would be the third highly drafted running back for the Lions in as many years, but significant injuries to Jahvid Best and Mikel Leshoure make it a plausible scenario.

After the Free Press pointed out the pick, Sanders tweeted back: "will they ever take an O - Lineman???"

Sanders added: "I am sort of biased... but would help [quarterback Matthew Stafford] and [receiver Calvin Johnson] too. to be fair, @DetroitLionsNFL recent drafts have been solid"

The Lions have largely left their offensive line untouched during a three-year rebuilding process that has gutted the rest of the roster. The only starter added since the start of the 2009 season is left guard Rob Sims, acquired in an April 2010 trade with the Seattle Seahawks.

At some point, the Lions will need to begin plotting a succession plan for left tackle Jeff Backus, whose contract expires after this season. Center Dominic Raiola turns 33 later this month but plays a position that typically hosts aging players well. But I would agree they had more pressing needs than offensive line in recent years.

Years from now, Detroit Lions fans will remember where they were and how they felt when Matthew Stafford capped a 98-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Calvin Johnson -- the game-winning score in Sunday's 28-27 victory over the Oakland Raiders. But the "Megadrive," as I agree we should call it, never would have happened were it not for the most subtle and arguably most surprising play of Stafford's young career.

Back up and recall that the Lions trailed by 13 points with 5 minutes, 36 seconds remaining in the game. It was fourth-and-2 at the Raiders' 8-yard line, and a field goal would have provided little boost to their comeback efforts.

The Lions arranged themselves in an empty backfield with Stafford in the shotgun. They had two receivers lined up on the left and two on the right. Both groupings had a safety over top, and tight end Brandon Pettigrew had safety Mike Mitchell aligned in man coverage.

Stafford surveyed the defense and made a silent decision before the play began.

"They had three down linemen and a linebacker," Stafford said, "and everybody else was double-covered. I'm sitting there thinking, 'I'm about as good of an option as anybody else.'"

Not only were the Raiders in a three-man front, but nose tackle Desmond Bryant was offset to the right of center Dominic Raiola. Middle linebacker Rolando McClain was lined up 6 yards off the line of scrimmage. The Raiders were practically begging Stafford to pull down the ball and run to his left.

I don't blame them, not when the alternative was Stafford looking for Johnson in the end zone. And while Stafford is an athletic runner, he rarely scrambles. In 26 previous starts, in fact, Stafford had 43 carries and converted a first down on 10 of them.

In this case, however, there was no hesitation. He took two steps back after grabbing the snap, allowing the pass rush to advance, and then took off behind left guard Rob Sims. Bryant further opened the hole by stunting toward the right side of the line, and Stafford cut inside of McClain at the 8-yard line before gaining the first down and falling at the 3.

"It was a pass play," Stafford said. "Big number 55 [McClain] was the only guy I had to get past. I didn't tell anybody I was going to run. I jus went up to the line of scrimmage and figured I had to make a play. Put my foot in the ground and went north."

Were it not for that decision, we aren't talking this week about the Lions' first opportunity to clinch a playoff berth in 12 seasons. Instead, we'd be figuring out longshot tiebreaker scenarios and shifting our gaze to the offseason. A seemingly simple 5-yard run was confirmation of an observation that had been brewing for years: The Lions have the coolest, most collected 23-year-old quarterback in the NFL.

Johnson has received plenty of credit, all of it deserved, for his role in Sunday's victory. But the quarterback is almost always the key player in a comeback victory, and as the chart shows, Stafford has already directed six efforts to overcome a fourth-quarter deficit in less than three seasons.


Stafford has thrown a stunning 22 touchdown passes in those six games. The Lions trailed by at least 13 points in five of them, and it's worth noting that half of them came on the road. Quarterbacks with strong arms and high character enter the NFL every season. Only a fraction of them play their best in adverse situations.

"He's young but he's seasoned," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "He's played a lot football in his life. High school, college. He started as a true freshman at the University of Georgia in the Southeast Conference. I mean, there's some big games involved there, too. He's been on track for this for a long time. He didn't switch positions and start playing quarterback when he came into the NFL. He's been in a lot of these situations before and that's why we drafted him. He's going to lead this team to a lot of wins."

To be sure, Stafford and the Lions still trailed by two scores even after the conversion. But he threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Titus Young on the next play, and on the "Megadrive," Stafford completed 5 of 7 passes for 91 yards and also threw a ball that resulted in a 17-yard pass-interference penalty. Most notably, Stafford understood the Lions needed downfield completions and managed to complete two -- for 21 and 48 yards to Johnson -- without forcing one pass.

"You need to [get] some chunks in there somewhere," Schwartz said. "You can't just check the ball down every single time. You're going to have to really zip some balls in. … There are not a whole lot of safe decisions when you're down six with no timeouts and 98 yards in front of you."

But on a half-dozen occasions already in his career, Stafford has demonstrated perhaps the rarest of qualities among NFL quarterbacks. He makes sound decisions under pressure -- even if they're sometimes a surprise.

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.

CHICAGO -- This is what we want from our NFC North football, isn't it? We want two hard-hitting teams bashing heads, before the whistle and after, for 60 minutes. We love it when weather conditions affect the game. We live for all-out brawls that reduce our heroes to raw gladiators.

We got all of that Sunday at Soldier Field, a confluence of conditions that brought out the best in one team and the worst in another. The Chicago Bears played their best game of the season, and the Detroit Lions their worst, in a 37-13 victory. The Bears' decisive performance left the NFL world little choice but to embrace their playoff viability, while the Lions' meltdown at least gives us reason to question their short-term future.

"It wasn't clean and it wasn't quiet," Bears quarterback Jay Cutler said. "I know that."

Indeed, the Bears scored twice on defense and once on special teams, accounting for more than half of their point total on a day when wind gusts approached 40 miles per hour. Their offense totaled only 216 yards and 12 first downs but made only one damaging mistake, a second-quarter fumble on an exchange between Cutler and tailback Matt Forte.

In other words, they played quintessential Bears football in a game that brought them even with the Lions at 6-3.

On the other hand, the Lions let the physical nature of the game get to them. Fumbles by Calvin Johnson and Nate Burleson scuttled their first two drives and led to an early deficit. Quarterback Matthew Stafford followed with four interceptions, doubling his season total; Stafford attributed the performance more to wind and not a fractured right index finger. The Lions committed only four penalties, but three were personal fouls, and they were fortuante to escape penalty when Stafford instigated a fourth-quarter brawl.

Lions coach Jim Schwartz accurately attributed the loss to "turnovers and the returns for touchdowns" and said "it had nothing to do with physical play." He added: "I'll match our guys up against their guys anytime. That is a tough, physical team. We are a tough, physical team, but this game turned out the way it did because of turnovers and the return game. No other reason."

Well, yes and no. I think we can agree that the hard-hitting Lions are as physical as any team in the league. But what counts is how you perform in that context. The Lions couldn't hold on to either the ball or their heads amid that environment.

Johnson fumbled when Bears defensive end Julius Peppers clocked him in the first quarter. On the next possession, Burleson couldn't hold on when cornerback Tim Jennings raked his arms.

More examples: Bears cornerback Charles Tillman knocked the ball lose from Johnson on a near-touchdown in the second quarter, then pushed through him in the third quarter for an interception he returned for a touchdown.

"We played the way we wanted to play," linebacker Brian Urlacher said. "I don't think you're going to lose too many games playing like that on defense. That's as dominant as I've been around since I've been here, I think. They had [393] yards, whatever, they were late in the game."

The Lions were equally as physical, but it didn't induce any game-breaking plays. Defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh somehow ended up with Cutler's helmet in his hands after one run in the second quarter. Rookie defensive tackle Nick Fairley was called for unecessary roughness against Cutler in the fourth quarter, but Cutler didn't let the pressure prompt future mistakes.

We can't say the same about Stafford, who lost his temper in the fourth quarter while Jennings returned the final interception. As Jennings ran out of bounds, Stafford disengaged himself from Bears cornerback D.J. Moore by flipping him to ground. Moore jumped off the ground and dove for Stafford before players from both teams jumped in.

"Just trying to get him off of me best I knew how," Stafford said. "I guess he didn't like the way I did it. And he wanted to ask me about it."

Asked if he liked the way he did it, Stafford smiled and said, "Yup."

Stafford wasn't penalized, but Moore was ejected from the game. In the coming days, we might hear about fines and possible suspensions for leaving the bench. Moore admitted he was wrong but said Stafford grabbed him by the helmet and implied officials didn't eject Stafford "because he's a little more important for the league."

Lions players were livid after seeing an opponent jump on their quarterback and were willing to overlook Stafford's role in the fracas. "That [expletive] is not going to fly around here," center Dominic Raiola said. "They can say all they want. They can say, 'Look at the scoreboard, blah blah blah.' We're not going to back down from anybody, no matter when it is, where it is, the game is lost on the field. All the extra [expletive], we're not going to put up with."

Burleson said that when an opponent "is out there having fun, that really pisses us off."

Overall, that's great. That means winning and losing is important to the Lions, something you couldn't always say about their teams in recent years.

I've felt for months that the Lions are a team capable of earning a playoff spot, and I haven't wavered even as they've hit a midseason rough spot that reached three losses in four games Sunday. In reality, those defeats have come to three good teams: the Bears (6-3), the San Francisco 49ers (8-1) and Atlanta Falcons (5-4).

In my mind, there is still every reason to include the Lions in the playoff chase. Had the season ended Sunday, they would have joined the Bears as an NFC wild-card team. But to remain in that position for seven more weeks, the Lions need to take a page from the Bears' performance Sunday.

It's not enough just to be physical. Execution amid brutality is what wins November and December games in the NFC North. The Lions managed half of that formula Sunday. The Bears are now 6-3 because they've mastered it.

DETROIT -- December 5, 2010.

"That date stands out in my mind," Detroit Lions center Dominic Raiola was saying in low tones Sunday afternoon. Not since that seemingly mundane winter day had Raiola's Lions lost, in any venue or under any circumstances. Over the next 312 days, the Lions ran off 13 consecutive victories, if you count the 2011 preseason, and captured both the city of Detroit and the NFL by storm.

Now, as Raiola said Sunday: "We'll see what we're made of."

The Lions were bound to lose at some point. I don't think any of us were expecting an undefeated season. But we'll soon see if they are a team built for long-term success or if they will tumble back to the rest of the NFL pack.

I suspect it is the former, even after a disappointing 25-19 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, a game punctuated by a stalled offense and concluded by a fracas that revealed a new level of passion and/or lunacy from the Lions' head coach. I know that Lions coach Jim Schwartz was offended by a purported breach of postgame protocol, but to me Jim Harbaugh's jubilance was both compliment and a comment on the Lions' progress and new standing within the league.

Before Dec. 5 of last year, NFL teams didn't celebrate when they beat the Lions. They walked off the field numbly because a victory was a matter of course. Harbaugh and his 49ers are now 5-1, and they fully recognized how formidable the Lions have become.

"We overcame a really good team," Harbaugh said.

The Lions lost Sunday for a number of schematic reasons. They were at a loss against 49ers running back Frank Gore, who ripped off a 55-yard run in the third quarter and finished with 141 yards on 15 carries. Their offense, meanwhile, was left dinking and dunking down the field, inhibited by an ineffective running game and distracted by a 49ers pass rush that sacked quarterback Matthew Stafford five times and hit on him 10 other occasions.

That the 49ers sent an extra pass rusher on only one passing play, according to ESPN Stats & Information, is a bit concerning. But for the most part, the Lions played step-for-step with an opponent that has now emerged as one of the NFC's top teams.

In the grand scheme, that's an encouraging sign. But here is a more important one: The Lions were a determined and resolute group afterward, one that recognizes its progress and has no intention of losing the opportunity it has created for itself in 2011.

As silly as it might have appeared to outsiders, players were thrilled to see Schwartz's postgame charge at Harbaugh and seemed intent on channeling his passion.

"Whether you've got a suit on or you're suiting up for the game," receiver Nate Burleson said, "everyone in this organization is passionate about what we put together and the logo on our helmets. It's not just players. You guys might see it on game day. We talk to you when we're open to the media, but I don't think you guys truly understand how passionate we are about being a good team. And that is obviously seen in the coaches as well as the players."

I know most Lions fans aren't happy with my post on Schwartz's postgame antics. I'm going to stand my ground. I think there are better ways for an NFL coach to comport himself in a moment of high emotions, regardless of the circumstances.

But I don't mind saying that Schwartz's reaction is one of the reasons I think the Lions will move past this loss and get back to it next week against the Atlanta Falcons. I don't think Schwartz was frustrated as much as he was angry and unwilling to accept defeat. (I'm thinking Schwartz also didn't like the fact Harbaugh got to celebrate the way he usually does, but I'm done with that topic for now.)

Through these past 312 days, the Lions "haven't known what it's like to lose," Raiola said. That's a good thing. The Lions got a taste of it Sunday against a really good team and didn't like it one bit. And it wasn't just Schwartz. Lions defensive end Cliff Avril got into it via Twitter with 49ers offensive lineman Anthony Davis, who has since deleted his share of the back-and-forth.

With that said, the Lions will have to address some important football issues this week. At the top of the list is figuring out an answer to the kind of athletic front seven the 49ers presented. For the most part, the 49ers played tight coverage on short-and-intermediate routes and get away with it. The Lions didn't beat them for the kind of big plays that catapulted them for to the 5-0 start.

"We were just behind the sticks today," Stafford said. "We didn't do enough as an offense to make them pay."

But none of the Lions' issues Sunday seemed permanent nor debilitating. They still have an offense that can be explosive and a defense that makes its share of big plays. The only conclusion we can draw, as Schwartz said, is the Lions "are not going to go 16-0."

Schwartz let his emotions get the best of him Sunday, but his team appears built with the appropriate levels of passion and realism to take what it learned over the past 312 days and continue on the right path.

"You can't be too disappointed when you're playing against one of the best defenses in the league," Burleson said. "Obviously our expectations are higher for ourselves. … Today was more or less two very competitive teams and a lot of adrenaline in the air."

It might sound trite, but it's true: You win some, and by rule you're going to lose some, too. The Lions' displeasure with Sunday's result suggests they're in for more of the former and less of the latter.

After the Chicago Bears' 24-13 loss to the Detroit Lions, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertThe Bears and their suddenly vulnerable defense head to the exam room following a loss to the Lions.
   Last week, I suggested holding off on a full-scale panic about the Bears' defense. I'm still not there yet. But a second look at Lions tailback Jahvid Best's 88-yard touchdown run revealed a Bears defense that hardly looked like a group that has seen it all. Of course, the Lions got two great blocks at the point of attack to create the hole. Guard Stephen Peterman and center Dominic Raiola double-teamed defensive tackle Matt Toeaina, while right tackle Gosder Cherilus turned out defensive end Israel Idonije. But linebacker Brian Urlacher and safety Chris Harris filled the same gap, between Peterman and Cherilus. Peterman got a piece of Urlacher and Best cut inside of Harris. Meanwhile, linebacker Lance Briggs fell for quarterback Matthew Stafford's play-fake and chased tight end Tony Scheffler away from the play for a few steps before realizing it was a run. The Lions deserve credit for their blocking and Best's speed, but the Bears played themselves out of position as well.
2. By the end of the game, the Bears had moved right guard Lance Louis to right tackle and had inserted Edwin Williams at right guard. Right tackle Frank Omiyale was benched for a second consecutive week, and it's hard to imagine him starting Sunday night against the Minnesota Vikings. We'll get more clarity as the week progresses, but in many ways it feels like the Bears are back where they were midway through last season: Playing mix-and-match until they can find even a semi-permanent arrangement of offensive linemen.
3. As we discussed earlier Tuesday in Stock Watch, quarterback Jay Cutler can't possibly feel great about the situation around him. Often Cutler makes it difficult on himself by making poor decisions, but on Monday night I saw a quarterback gamely trying to make the best of near-constant harassment and substantial limitations of his receiving corps. Even on a night when tailback Matt Forte rushed was rushing for 116 yards, Cutler was under duress more than any NFL quarterback in a game this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He took hits, dealt with an inexcusable nine false starts and kept looking for plays from a receiving group whose depth chart has been overturned by production. Dane Sanzenbacher and Sam Hurd were the Bears' leading receivers with six and four catches, respectively. When you see a player stand in as gamely as Cutler did Monday, you wonder what he might do with a better supporting cast.

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

The Bears have been historically fluid at safety under coach Lovie Smith, and so I guess it shouldn't be surprising that we've reached Week 6 with little to no idea if the Bears have one credible safety on their roster, let alone two. Veteran Chris Harris returned to the lineup Monday night, but he got exposed while trying to cover Lions receiver Calvin Johnson downfield in the second quarter. Brandon Meriweather, signed just before the season, has yet to demonstrate he is an improvement over Major Wright, whom the Bears spent most of the offseason planning to use as a starter. You have to think it's a matter of time before we see rookie Chris Conte in the lineup.

Better late than never, let's take a moment to reflect on the highlights of Tuesday's SportsNation chat. I was too caught up in a whole lot of nothing this week to circle back on our chat, but you brought forth a number of interesting topics to continue mulling.

Topping the list was a surprising number of you who thought the Detroit Lions operated from miscalculated priorities during the draft. We also hit the Minnesota Vikings' quarterback situation, the Chicago Bears' plans for their offensive line and the Green Bay Packers' future returner.

We'll move through the issues one team at a time, adding a few extra smart-aleck comments and commentaries along the way.

Detroit Lions

Nathan (DC)

Everyone loves the Lions pick of [Nick[ Fairley in the first round. I don't. [Anthony] Castonzo and [Prince] Amukamara were still on the board. The Lions won't be able to afford to pay both [Ndamukong] Suh and Fairley in a few years. I think they blew it. Am I way off base?

Kevin Seifert (2:03 PM)

Well, I wouldn't assume they wouldn't be able to pay both of those guys. Even if there is a cap at that point, your management of it is strategic. You put your money in your priorities. The Lions have clearly prioritized their defensive line. And regardless, they should have at least four years of both guys signed to their rookie deals. Four years is about as far ahead as anyone in the NFL looks. I'm fine with them passing on Castonzo and Amukamara as long as they continue to address their needs in free agency. But I do agree it's a risk.

Andy (Arlington, VA)

Kev, Detroit is getting way too much love for their draft. They took their best position on defense, and bolstered it. They left their dreadful LB corps and secondary intact. I realize media types get all drooly thinking about Suh and Fairley together, but don't you think Mike McCarthy might have an idea how to gameplan that?

Kevin Seifert (2:26 PM)

Well, it's hard to gameplan to get around two monsters in the middle. That's why they're so valuable. They're the closest to the quarterback and the first opportunity to disrupt the play.

Further comment: At some point, the Lions are going to have to address an offensive line that has a 33-year-old left tackle in Jeff Backus and a 32-year-old center in Dominic Raiola. But it's clear the Lions' consternation doesn't equal that of some fans. As for cornerback, the Lions might be prepared to make a significant financial investment in free agency. Don't forget they were willing, according to reports, to give up first-, second- and fourth-round draft picks to trade up for LSU cornerback Patrick Peterson.

Minnesota Vikings

doc (montana)

The Vikings have taken a lot of heat for there first round pick. I am old school and Bud Grant once told me the closer the player is to the ball the smarter he has to be, center and quarterback is what he is talking about and if you look a Matt Birk and some of the elite quarterbacks they are a lot smarter then they are physical specimens. If you buy into that in which I do ( think we may have the steal of the draft. What am I missing?

Kevin Seifert (2:16 PM)

Well, Ponder has the first part taken care of. There's no doubt he's a book-smart kid. He'll be able to learn the plays and know the reads without a doubt. But does that mean he can play? Two different issues. A smart quarterback can still get rattled in the pocket and can still make poor decisions. Difference between smarts and instincts.

Elliot (Toronto, ON)

Kevin, you may be no [Rick] Spielman, but if you were, would you have traded the 2nd-round pick to Dallas to get Blaine Gabbert? Getting [Kyle] Rudolph was important, but who'd you rather have, him and Ponder or Gabbert?

Kevin Seifert (2:24 PM)

I would have looked at it this way: Is the difference between Gabbert and Ponder worth a second-round pick? I think that's questionable. But if I felt it were, absolutely I would have done it. Drafting a quarterback in the first round should be a once-in-decade thing. You should do everything you need to do to get it right.

Further comment: Ponder's intelligence is particularly important when you realize he'll be asked to absorb the Vikings' playbook after little to no offseason work and, the team hopes, win the starting job out of training camp. As for whether Gabbert is a second-round pick better than Ponder, I think that's questionable at best.

Chicago Bears

Paul (Denver)

What do you think of [Gabe] Carimi? Does he hold down LT for ten years or will he be shifted over to RT as a nasty run blocker?

Kevin Seifert (2:45 PM)

I'm thinking right tackle, especially this season. But it's incumbent on them finding someone to play left tackle. I wonder if that will be J'Marcus Webb.

Steve (NY)

I read a draft analysis on Yahoo! that said Carimi is overrated... thoughts?

Kevin Seifert (2:28 PM)

As always, it depends on who you talk to. Seems like a mean, tough guy. The Bears could use some more of that, even if he ends up on right tackle. Other than Olin Kreutz, a lot of the linemen they played last year were pretty passive.

Further comment: When people say Carimi is a "Mike Tice" kind of offensive lineman, referring to the Bears' offensive line coach, they mean he is a blue-collar mountain mover who is strong enough to overpower opponents and thick-skinned enough to absorb Tice's barbs constructively. If he is who we think he is, Carimi will help set an important attitude tone for this line.

Green Bay Packers

Bryant (Milwaukee)

Does Randall Cobb instantly become the Packers best option to return punts and Kicks?

Kevin Seifert (2:49 PM)

I would think so, yes. Let's get Tramon Williams as far away from punt returns as possible.

Further comment: The question isn't whether Cobb becomes the Packers' returner. It's the extent to which McCarthy can find an immediate role for him in the offense. Cobb has the potential to be a game-changer.

Bonus "question"

Peter (Atlanta, GA)

Is Rashard Mendenhall the dumbest athlete on the planet right now?

Kevin Seifert (2:46 PM)

I would say yes. Resoundingly.

Further comment: Is any necessary? More than an intelligence issue, Mendenhall has a judgment issue. Free speech is great. Factual distortion, on the other hand, is not guaranteed by the First Amendment.