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In quick-hitting fashion, let's roll through the news items that occurred during our quiet time last week:

Item: An NFL investigation revealed Friday that the New Orleans Saints ran a bounty program to reward hits on opposing players. Among other things, it established a $10,000 reward if a player knocked Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre out of the 2009 NFC Championship Game. Favre was pummeled in the game, absorbing two illegal hits and a third the league later acknowledged should have been penalized.
Comment: The Vikings have been privately fuming about the Saints' aggression toward Favre for two years, starting with a next-day complaint to the NFL. But for the team and its fans, this story has done nothing but dredge up a disappointing memory. The outcome of the game won't change. If anything, it raises the respect I have for Favre, who at age 40 didn't miss a snap in the game despite an organized and incentivized opposition determined to knock him out. Given what we're now learning, it should rank as one of the proudest moments of his career.

Item: The Chicago Bears placed the franchise tag on tailback Matt Forte last Friday.
Comment: This has been the likeliest scenario since contract discussions broke off last summer, a strategy so obvious from a club standpoint that it transcended their general manager transition. The Bears owe Forte a relatively affordable $7.7 million or so in 2012. Why turn down that opportunity when the likes of Marshawn Lynch are getting $18 million guaranteed from the Seattle Seahawks? The Houston Texans, meanwhile, agreed to a five-year deal Monday morning with tailback Arian Foster. The next move is Forte's. If the Bears don't modify their offer, will he stay away from offseason workouts and/or training camp?

Item: The Vikings announced a plan last week that would put a $975 million stadium near the current Metrodome site.
Comment: This was an important step toward securing a new facility, mostly because it has the backing of two important Minnesota politicians: Gov. Mark Dayton and Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak. The Vikings will be responsible for raising $427 million, plus $11.5 million annually in operating costs. But the project has two huge political hurdles remaining: approval from the Minneapolis City Council and the Minnesota state legislature. At the moment, a majority of city council members favor a voter referendum to approve the city's $150 million up-front contribution. State legislators advocated for a voter referendum during the debate over a failed proposal from suburban Arden Hills, Minn. Add it all up, and to me the Vikings have just crossed the 50-yard line in this process.

Item: The Detroit Lions face a 4 p.m. ET deadline Monday for using their franchise tag on defensive end Cliff Avril.
Comment: The cost of the tag will be around $11 million, but it might be necessary if the Lions are as committed to keeping Avril on their roster as they say they are. If the deadline passes without a long-term deal, Avril would be eligible to depart via free agency next week. Teams generally don't allow established pass-rushers to leave without compensation, but the Lions are in a tight salary-cap situation.

Item: Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy told Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he'll likely leave Charles Woodson at cornerback in 2012.
Comment: My bad for not asking McCarthy that question during an interview session last month at the combine. As we've discussed, moving Woodson to safety requires an adequate replacement as a starting cornerback. McCarthy can't count on nickelback Sam Shields to make that jump yet.

Item: Packers receiver Donald Driver will participate in this season's "Dancing With the Stars" on ABC.
Comment: I'm sure Driver will have a blast and the appearance will raise his national profile. But it won't change the fact that his future with the Packers remains uncertain. He has already said he would take a pay cut to remain with the team, but it's possible the Packers will release him outright to create room for younger receivers.

Item: Packers linebacker A.J. Hawk cut his hair recently to benefit children who have lost their hair during cancer treatment. (Photo here.)
Comment: Hawk originally grew his hair out in college as a tribute the late Pat Tillman, so I'm sure this decision didn't come lightly. But those who have participated in Locks of Love know how much it means to those who benefit from it. Kudos to Hawk for seeing the big picture.

Item: The Bears released defensive tackle Anthony Adams and offensive lineman Frank Omiyale.
Comment: Adams was relegated to part-time status in 2011, playing just under 26 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Omiyale proved to be one of the worst free-agent signings of former general manager Jerry Angelo's career, failing as both a guard and tackle after signing a four-year contract worth $11.5 million in 2009.

Chicago Bears

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

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

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

Detroit Lions

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

Green Bay Packers

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

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

Minnesota Vikings

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

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

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Some thoughts on a rare blowout between NFC North rivals:

What it means: The Green Bay Packers improved to 14-1, setting a franchise record for victories in a season and clinching home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. They'll have a decision to make on how to approach Week 17, which will carry no playoff implications for them. Coach Mike McCarthy has previously indicated he wouldn't veer from his regular lineup in that situation, but we'll see. The injury-devastated Chicago Bears lost their fifth consecutive game and were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

RivalryWatch: The Packers have now swept the Bears in the teams' season series in two of the past three years. Overall, the Packers have won five of the past six games between the two teams. It was the biggest margin of defeat for either team in the series since their second meeting in 2007, a 35-7 Bears victory.

RodgersWatch: Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers had the first five-touchdown game of his career, throwing two apiece to receivers Jordy Nelson and James Jones and another to tight end Jermichael Finley. Rodgers completed his first eight passes and finished 21 of 29 for 283 yards. Along the way, he broke Lynn Dickey's franchise record for passing yards in a season and now has 4,739. He also extended his team record for touchdown passes in a season; he's now at 45. Finally, Rodgers set a new NFL record by recording a 13th game with a passer rating of at least 100.0 in a single season. Sunday's rating was a cool 142.7.

McCownWatch: Bears quarterback Josh McCown performed much more credibly than I'm sure most people expected. I suppose some of you might be turned off by his dunk over the crossbar after taking in a 2-point conversion in the fourth quarter. I thought it was fun. This is a guy that hadn't started a game since 2007 and began the fall coaching high school football. McCown never imagined he would be starting a game again on national television. Give him a break. The Bears smartly limited his opportunities with a steady diet of running plays in the first half and into the third quarter. Bears running back Kahlil Bell ran hard and had 121 yards on 23 carries, and overall the Bears rushed for 199 yards. But that sort of offense can't keep up with the opponents go on a scoring spree. That began midway through the third quarter, a 21-0 run that quashed the Bears' game plan.

Injury report: Packers running back James Starks again left with an ankle injury that looks like it's going to be a factor for a while. This has been going on for more than a month. The Bears lost right tackle Lance Louis to a illness in the first half and he returned only as part of a goal-line set thereafter. Frank Omiyale replaced him at right tackle.

What's next: The Packers will host the Detroit Lions next Sunday in a game that will have relevance only for the Lions, whose postseason seeding -- No. 5 or No. 6 -- has yet to be determined. The Bears will close out this disappointing season with a game at the Minnesota Vikings.

Normally, it's a big deal when an NFL team promotes two players into starting roles in the same week.

It's especially notable when you're talking about 50 percent of your defensive backfield.

But when the Chicago Bears name two new starting safeties, it's called "Thursday."

Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune first reported that the Bears are planning to use rookie Chris Conte and second-year player Major Wright as their starting safeties in Sunday night's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Conte and Wright will replace Chris Harris and Brandon Meriweather, who started Monday night's disastrous 24-13 loss to the Detroit Lions. (ESPNChicago.com Michael C. Wright has confirmed the news.)

If all goes as expected, it will be the Bears' fifth different combination of starting safeties in six games. And if history is our guide, it won't be the final arrangement for the 2011 season. According to the Tribune's Brad Biggs, the Bears have made 28 changes to their lineup at safety since coach Lovie Smith arrived in 2004.

I can't say I disagree with the decision in this case. Harris has struggled with a hamstring injury this season and looked neither healthy nor effective Monday night. You can't really blame a safety for getting beat deep by Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, as Harris was on Johnson's 73-yard touchdown pass, but he also appeared out of position on Jahvid Best's 88-yard scoring run.

Meriweather, meanwhile, has demonstrated why the New England Patriots gave up on him at the end of the preseason. He doesn't have an interception in four starts this season, failing to counter his otherwise undisciplined play, and ESPN 1000 broadcaster Tom Waddle has already called him out for what Waddle called an intent to injure opponents.

So it makes sense to give two different players a chance. But will Conte and Wright prove any more competent? That's debatable at best. Wright will be on his third go-around as a starter since the Bears drafted him last season, while Conte has seen only small glimpses of defensive action. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, perhaps Conte will be better suited to take on the Vikings' running game Sunday night.

Obviously, injuries have played a role here. But when you see this many changes in such a short period, it's fair to question whether the Bears' original plan for the position -- Harris and Wright -- was sound. The first clue of concern was the arrival of Meriweather, who received $3.25 million to sign, and continued when Wright lost his job after Week 2.

Too often, the Bears' plan at safety has been to throw possibilities against the wall and wait for them to stick. In 2011, they're still waiting.

Related: Wright reports that Frank Omiyale won't get his third consecutive start (and benching) at right tackle. The Bears are considering several options to replace him, including right guard Lance Louis.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Help for Jay Cutler, Chicago Bears quarterback: At some point, you wonder if Cutler is on the road to being the next David Carr, a player so battered by opposing pass rushes -- mentally and physically -- that his game is forever altered. Cutler hung in as best he could Monday night against the Detroit Lions, but you wonder if he fully trusts the players around him. Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com reported that Cutler has concerns about his offensive line and receivers. We'll touch on this more in the Bears' Free Head Exam later Tuesday, but after watching Monday night's game, I wouldn't blame Cutler if he has some concerns.

2. Mistakes by Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers quarterback: Rodgers is completing an NFL-high 71.7 percent of his passes. And most notably, he is pushing the ball downfield, as evidenced by his average of 9.6 yards per attempt, tied for highest in the NFL. You don't need me to tell you that Rodgers is playing at a high level, but it's quite amazing to think no one is playing more aggressively with fewer mistakes.

3. Concentration in Chicago: There is no other way to attribute a stunning nine false starts for a veteran team in one game, but that's what the Bears did Monday night. Left tackle J'Marcus Webb had three of them, but the Bears can't possibly hold him accountable in a meaningful way because their personnel is so thin right now. Who could they replace Webb with, if even to send a message? Frank Omiyale has been benched in consecutive games for poor play at right tackle. Rookie Gabe Carimi is recovering from a knee injury. The Bears and offensive line coach Mike Tice are once again left to make chicken salad from the leftovers. Or something like that.

RISING

1. Jahvid Best, Detroit Lions running back: Remember when Lions coach Jim Schwartz said he fantasized over Best's potential when he was drafted in 2010? This was the kind of fantasy Schwartz was imagining: A scatback rolling up 172 all-purpose yards on 16 offensive touches in a key divisional game. Best had exceeded 70 rushing yards only once in his NFL career before Monday night. But his breakout total of 163 yards against the Bears will add a layer to the game planning of opposing defensive coordinators for weeks to come.

2. Marshall Newhouse, Packers offensive lineman: A few weeks ago, no one knew for sure if Newhouse could play at all on the NFL level. Sunday night in Atlanta, Newhouse handled the exceedingly difficult job of flipping from right to left tackle in the middle of a game after Chad Clifton's hamstring injury. The Packers have drafted college left tackles in the first round of each of their past two drafts (Bryan Bulaga and Derek Sherrod), so it will be wild if Newhouse ends up taking Clifton's place for a substantial part of the 2011 season.

3. Passions in Minnesota: The Ramsey County Charter Commission could decide as early as Tuesday whether to place a stadium financing referendum on the November 2012 ballot. The county is being asked to contribute $350 million in new taxes to the Minnesota Vikings' stadium project, and some opponents are calling for the issue to be opened to the voting public. The referendum would likely scuttle the project altogether if you assume voters won't choose to raise their own taxes. In the end, a legal battle likely would be initiated to determine whether the charter commission has the final authority on this matter or if the state legislature can reverse the decision. In the meantime, the clock will tick toward the February 2012 expiration of the Vikings' lease at the Metrodome.

DETROIT -- I've never heard Ford Field louder than it was Monday night. But was it loud enough to induce nine false starts on its own? I don't think so, and neither should the Chicago Bears.

Yes, the Bears jumped offside nine times on offense or special teams in Monday night's 24-13 loss to the Detroit Lions. But the Bears play annually at the Metrodome and have already played at the Superdome this season. This was not their first rodeo. Quite frankly, they should be better at handling crowd noise.

"We were working against a loud crowd on the road and all of that," coach Lovie Smith said. "But we can't use that as an excuse. [We’ve] got to be able to sit in there. Kind of simple as that. Pre-snap penalties kill you. First and-15, first-and-20, it's had to overcome those. Again, it's the discipline part of the position, some of it."

Bears left tackle J'Marcus Webb jumped three times, according to the official gamebook. Tight end Kellen Davis jumped twice. Left guard Chris Williams, right tackle Frank Omiyale, tailback Matt Forte and safety Chris Conte were also flagged.

The Lions' defensive line had something to do with it, of course. Veteran defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch induced one from Webb simply by darting around the line of scrimmage in the third quarter. And it wasn't like the Lions were bringing additional players close to the line of scrimmage. According to ESPN Stats & Information, the Lions brought four or less pass rushers on 90.5 percent of quarterback Jay Cutler's dropbacks.

Cutler said the Bears moved from a regular count to a silent count early in the game.

"The pressure they were putting on our offensive line with our defensive line, I think that started to accumulate a little bit," Cutler said. "Guys started wanting to get out of there a little bit quicker. The crowd noise, you know, there's a lot of things that happened. But at the end of the day, it can't happen. We practice that. We bring speakers out on our field, so this isn't anything new to us. We've played in loud situations before."

Agreed.

DETROIT -- A few thoughts on Monday night's Black and Blue matchup at Ford Field, where the Detroit Lions beat the Chicago Bears 24-13:

What it means: The Lions improved to 5-0 for the first time since 1956 and kept pace with the 5-0 Green Bay Packers in the NFC North. In the process, the Lions buried the Bears, who are 2-3 and find themselves three games behind two of their three division competitors. The Bears' season isn't over, but they have a steep hill to climb.

Return to MNF: Detroit fans getting their first taste of "Monday Night Football" in 10 years had a big effect in this game. Pregame introductions by Michael Buffer and a guitar-solo national anthem had a Ford Field-record crowd of 67,861 in a frenzy at kickoff. The Bears' lack of discipline played a role, but in the end the Bears unofficially committed a stunning nine false start penalties, including six in the first half. Overall, the Bears committed 14 penalties.

Big plays: The Lions' offense moved in fits and starts against the Bears' Cover 2 defense, but it got two long and record-breaking plays from its two most explosive players to account for the bulk of its scoring. Receiver Calvin Johnson's 73-yard touchdown reception gave him nine in the first five games of the season, an NFL record. And tailback Jahvid Best's 88-yard run for a score was the second longest in Lions history. Best's 43-yard run in the fourth quarter, meanwhile, put the Lions in position to seal the game while clinging to an 8-point lead. He finished with 163 yards on 12 carries.

CutlerWatch: I actually felt a pang of sympathy for Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, who was under duress even as offensive coordinator Mike Martz called a steady diet of running plays. Tailback Matt Forte carried 22 times for 116 yards, but Cutler still found himself pulling away from Lions defenders, twisting out of the pocket and, on two occasions, shoveling the ball left-handed to a receiver. Midway through the four quarter, the Bears benched right tackle Frank Omiyale for the second consecutive game for his poor pass protection. I thought Cutler played a really nice game considering what he was dealing with. He was sacked three times but completed 28 of 38 passes for 249 yards and a 99.6 passer rating.

LovieWatch: It didn't figure in the outcome of the game, but I don't think Bears coach Lovie Smith had his finest moment late in the first quarter. He turned down a near-automatic field goal of 44 yards by place-kicker Robbie Gould and went for a first down on fourth-and-1 at the Lions' 26-yard line. Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh crushed Omiyale to stop Forte for no gain, and Smith compounded the failure by challenging the spot. Replays clearly showed Suh bringing Forte down before the 25-yard line.

HansonWatch: Here is a fact interesting to me and perhaps you as well: Lions place-kicker Jason Hanson became the first NFL player to appear in 300 games for the same team Monday night. Hanson, 41, has been with the team for 20 seasons.

What's next: The Lions will host the 4-1 San Francisco 49ers on Sunday at Ford Field. Before the season began, did you think Lions-49ers would be one of the biggest games of Week 6? Meanwhile, the Bears will host the Minnesota Vikings in a second consecutive prime-time game, this time Sunday at Soldier Field.

» NFC Final Word: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 5:

Ford Field debut: Unless you count last year's rescheduled game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants, Monday night will mark the first prime-time regular-season game in the history of Ford Field. It's the Lions' first appearance on "Monday Night Football" since Oct. 8, 2001. This game against the Chicago Bears has long been sold out, and the Detroit Lions sold 2,000 extra standing-room-only seats. The building will be flush with people hoping to see more magic from the Lions and receiver Calvin Johnson, while also putting a three-game gap between the home team and its division rival. Here's a tip for those 2,000 of you trying to position yourselves in the stadium: Johnson has caught seven of his eight touchdown passes on the right side of the field this season. Just sayin'.

Protecting Cutler: What's the best way to keep Bears quarterback Jay Cutler off his back Monday night? Improved pass protection or minimal pass plays? I'm sure the Bears would like both, but they might have to settle for the former. The Lions have an opportunistic and feisty defense, but they can be run against. Through four games, opponents are averaging 4.8 yards per rush against them, the 10th-highest mark in the league. The Lions have a modest nine sacks this season, but the Bears don't want to take their chances against Ndamukong Suh & Co. As of this moment, it appears the Bears will have a different set of starters on the right side of their offensive line, including right tackle Frank Omiyale, who was benched last week against the Carolina Panthers. Run, Bears, run.

Quick starts: The Green Bay Packers scored 28 points in the second quarter of last year's divisional playoff game against the Atlanta Falcons. That trend has continued in the 2011 season and would be the perfect avenue to taking out what will surely be an electric crowd Sunday night at the Georgia Dome. The Packers rank second in the NFL with 80 first-half points and are tied for the NFL lead with seven touchdown passes in the first half, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Receiver Greg Jennings has 17 first-half receptions, second in the NFL. There is no doubt the Packers will try to jump on the Falcons early, and it wouldn't be surprising to see them use their new no-huddle scheme to do so.

Getting outside: Why did the Falcons trade up in the draft to select receiver Julio Jones? Largely because the Packers' cornerback tandem of Charles Woodson and Tramon Williams dominated their receivers on the outside in last year's pair of matchups. Woodson and Williams limited Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to 4.6 yards per attempt on passes outside the numbers, according to ESPN Stats & Info, and Ryan finished those two games with a cumulative Total Quarterback Rating of 3.2 on such passes. Both cornerbacks have struggled at times this season, Williams in part because of a bruised right shoulder, and it will be interesting to see whether the Falcons try to capitalize with Jones, who has 24 receptions in his first four NFL games.

So close: Will Sunday be the day the Vikings break the ice? They have been historically close so far; rarely has an NFL team started 0-4 by such a slim margin. The Vikings' four losses have come by a combined 19 points, fewer than all 0-4 teams since the 1970 merger except for the 1991 Tampa Bay Buccaneers (13) and the 1974 Detroit Lions (14), according to Elias Sports Bureau. I think that's why coach Leslie Frazier hasn't instituted personnel changes or shown any indication that he plans to veer from his original vision. He seemingly believes the Vikings have been too close in their four losses to merit an overhaul. Maybe all they need is a home game against a 1-3 opponent to get things started. Hello, Arizona Cardinals.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Sorry about the light posting Thursday afternoon. Got tied up. It happens.

What we missed: Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com reports that Detroit Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley (foot) will make his debut Monday night against the Chicago Bears. The Lions have yet to confirm the news and Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press reports the team has made no decision.

Whether Fairley plays or not, it's difficult to imagine him making a significant impact Monday night. Thursday was his third practice since undergoing foot surgery in August. On Fairley's football body clock, it's not even time for the first preseason game yet.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Lions signed safety Vincent Fuller as insurance behind injuries to Amari Spievey and Erik Coleman, notes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Lions linebacker Justin Durant passed his concussion test and returned to practice Thursday, notes Carlos Monarrez of the Free Press.
• Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com examines the production of the Lions' defensive line.
• ESPN analyst Ron Jaworski is concerned about the cumulative effect of hits on Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• It appears the Bears will start Lance Louis at right guard and Frank Omiyale at right tackle Monday night, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Packers cornerback Tramon Williams hasn't been the same since bruising his right shoulder in Week 1, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Packers running back James Starks is working to improve his vision of holes, write Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com gets inside Clay Matthews' one-sack season.
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com illustrates the Minnesota Vikings' ongoing rebuilding project.
• Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson is trying to emerge as a locker room leader, writes Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• The Vikings have neglected their offensive line in recent drafts, writes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

It's difficult to have a single reaction to the Green Bay Packers' loss of safety Nick Collins. On the one hand, the Packers can feel confident that replacement Charlie Peprah successfully navigated an in-season transition at the other safety spot last season. But on the other hand, Peprah was asked to replace a rookie -- Morgan Burnett -- and not take on the role of one of the NFL's best at his position.

Peprah appears to understand that dynamic. Here are the reassuring words he provided to Wisconsin media Wednesday, via Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com: "I think that's the thing you've got to know: I'm not going to go out there and make things look the way Nick made it look. But I'm going to get the job done, and I'm going to do it right, and I'm going to make plays. ..."

As we've discussed before, the Packers have a much bigger task at hand in replacing Collins than they did last year with Burnett. But Peprah will give them a professional effort and performance, and they are fortunate to have him in this position for consecutive years.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette notes that Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers historically hasn't played his best games against the Chicago Bears.
• The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports cornerback Tramon Williams (shoulder) was "very limited" in practice Wednesday.
• The Chicago Bears will give Frank Omiyale a one-week test as their right tackle in the wake of rookie Gabe Carimi's knee injury, according to the Chicago Tribune.
• Bears offensive coordinator Mike Martz took the blame for imbalanced play calling last Sunday against the New Orleans Saints. Via Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com: "What happened, to be honest with you, I got into a two-minute mode too soon. That's one of the things I talked with [coach] Lovie [Smith] about. Going into that fourth quarter, once that turnover came, there's just a lot of things; it's just not simple. But none of them are a justification. We went into that game thinking we were going to run the ball quite a bit, again there are reasons for everything, it's not that we want to do that. Nobody wants to throw the ball that much. It's not fun."
• Bears quarterback Jay Cutler is in survival mode, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• The Detroit Lions have increased their team speed on defense, notes Justin Rogers of Mlive.com.
• Lions cornerback Chris Houston has worked on his ball skills and already has two interceptions this season, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz on rookie defensive tackle Nick Fairley, via Chris McCosky of the Detroit News: "He's going to play a lot of good football for us this year."
• If they lose Sunday to the Lions, the Minnesota Vikings will need to re-evaluate their priorities for the season, writes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press: "[E]vidence is mounting that the Vikings (0-2) either do not have the playmakers to threaten defenses downfield or their playmakers simply are not up to the task."
• Vikings safety Tyrell Johnson on his arrest this week for drunken driving, via the Star Tribune: "I made a mistake. I'm very regretful for the mistake. ... And I'm very fortunate and blessed that I didn't get hurt and no one else got hurt in the situation because of my selfishness." Coach Leslie Frazier said Johnson will be available to play Sunday against the Lions.

The Chicago Bears' medical fortunes have already taken a turn for the worse after last year's nearly injury-free run to the NFC North championship.

The latest: Rookie right tackle Gabe Carimi has been diagnosed with a dislocated right knee, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. Carimi won't play Sunday against the Green Bay Packers and could miss an extended period of time. Veteran Frank Omiyale replaced Carimi during Sunday's 30-13 loss to the New Orleans Saints and is the likely option at right tackle moving forward.

Carimi is the second member of the Bears' offensive line to suffer a significant injury. Right guard Lance Louis missed Sunday's game because of an ankle injury and his status for the Packers is uncertain.

In total, three Week 1 starters -- Louis, safety Chris Harris and receiver Roy Williams -- missed Sunday's game against the Saints. The status of receiver Earl Bennett (bruised chest) is also uncertain.

Last season, the Bears' Week 1 starting lineup lost only 10 games to injuries en route to the division title.

After the Chicago Bears' 30-13 loss Sunday to the New Orleans Saints, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. A series of injuries made it difficult to judge the Bears in several areas Sunday. At the top of the list was the offensive line, where the Bears finished with an entirely different right side. Chris Spencer was at right guard for Lance Louis and Frank Omiyale had replaced right tackle Gabe Carimi, who departed with a knee injury. Five of the Saints' six sacks came in the fourth quarter, and five of them also came when the Saints pinned back their ears and sent at least six pass-rushers. It's hard to come down too hard when a line featuring two injury replacements is overwhelmed by a pass rush that, because of the game situation, can disregard the running game and come after the quarterback.
2. The Bears' secondary was also in shambles by the final whistle, with both starting safeties on the sideline. Chris Harris (hamstring) was inactive and Major Wright departed because of a concussion, but only after missing a tackle on Devery Henderson's 84-yard touchdown reception. So it's no surprise that the Bears' nickel and dime defense struggled Sunday. Saints quarterback Drew Brees completed 13 of 18 passes for 170 yards and two touchdowns on 19 plays in which the Bears had at least five defensive backs on the field, according to ESPN Stats & Information. But independent of having backup safeties in the game, the Bears also were unable to get much pressure from their defensive line in those situations. Those 19 plays included but one sack.
3. The Bears were too reliant on tailback Matt Forte. He took 10 of the 11 carries by running backs and was targeted on a team-high 14 of Jay Cutler's 45 passing attempts. He caught 10 for 117 yards. I realize the Saints' pass rush probably had something to do with it, as did the chest injury to receiver Earl Bennett, but the Bears weren't able to get downfield at all Sunday. Receivers Devin Hester and Johnny Knox caught a combined three of the 15 passes Cutler threw in their direction. This season, Forte has touched the ball or been the intended target on nearly 40 percent of the Bears' plays. That's great for Forte, who is seeking a contract extension. But it makes things too easy on opposing defenses.

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

I never understood exactly how linebacker Brian Urlacher was expected to erupt for the game of his life Sunday, a day after attending the funeral of his mother. No matter how motivated or emotionally raw Urlacher might have been at kickoff, a middle linebacker can't simply will himself to a rare performance in the way, say, Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre did after his father died in 2003. We've all seen Urlacher have monster games, but anyone in his position needs a confluence of favorable factors to produce a 20-tackle game. It was unrealistic to expect Urlacher to start throwing fellow NFL players around in a made-for-Hollywood storyline.

Three things to watch for in the Chicago Bears' preseason game at the New York Giants on Monday night. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.

1. Offensive line progress. No shocker here. The Bears gave up nine sacks in their preseason opener, including four by the first team, and have yet to soothe fears about the state of their biggest question mark. The hold of two starters on their respective positions is tenuous at best, and the future of left tackle J'Marcus Webb and right guard Lance Louis could ride on demonstrable improvement against the Giants. (Yes, the Giants are the team that sacked quarterback Jay Cutler nine times in one half last season.) Otherwise, the Bears might be tempted to fall back on Plan B, which would include sliding center Roberto Garza to right guard, inserting Chris Spencer as the center and/or replacing Webb with veteran Frank Omiyale. It might be now or never for this group.

2. Defensive replacements. Linebacker Lance Briggs won't play because of a bruised knee and likely will be replaced by Brian Iwuh. More interesting to me, however, will be the play of two young defensive starters the Bears have put in important positions this summer. Defensive tackle Henry Melton and free safety Major Wright both had nice debuts last week, but preseason or not, it will be important to see them take the next step of starting a night game on the road. Both are in playmaking roles in the Bears' scheme.

3. Using the big receiver: The Bears inserted Roy Williams into their starting lineup earlier this month, displacing former starter Johnny Knox. But by all accounts, Williams and Cutler are still developing an on-field relationship. Williams didn't catch a pass last week, and it's fair to expect at least a hint of the production the Bears are expecting out of him. Knox had a strong week of practice last week and has not willingly accepted his demotion, so stay tuned.

In the chaos of Scramble'11, the Chicago Bears added two big receivers in Roy Williams and Sam Hurd. They re-signed two important role players, defensive tackle Anthony Adams and cornerback/special teams ace Corey Graham. They even added the luxury of a third veteran running back, Marion Barber, who might or might not help them in short-yardage situations.

What they haven't done, however, is substantively address their universally acclaimed roster weakness. Other than their much-debated swap of center Olin Kreutz for Chris Spencer, the Bears haven't added a single guard or tackle to their roster. They reportedly pursued free agent tackle Willie Colon, but ultimately Colon re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During a news conference with reporters Sunday, general manager Jerry Angelo suggested there aren't many intriguing possibilities left on the free agent market and implied the Bears were prepared to take their lumps while developing their own incumbents.

"These offensive linemen are tough to find," Angelo said. "We've got a good nucleus of young guys with traits we look for, but they've got to come together. We can't just run up and down the starting line, get a guy with a few games under his belt, and think that's the answer. They've got to come together. We like our young players. We need to develop some of them. How are you going to develop them if you don't play them? And if you don't play them, then how do they know you believe in them?"

"It's a catch 22. We brought in an experienced center who is in the prime of his career. That's the best we could do."

Angelo went on to chide reporters for identifying problems rather than offering solutions. ESPN.com's free agency tracker will show you all of the offensive linemen who re-signed with their previous teams and those who were willing to jump. That latter list includes guards David Baas (New York Giants), Daryn Colledge (Arizona Cardinals), Harvey Dahl (St. Louis Rams) and Robert Gallery (Seattle Seahawks).

But what's done is done. There is no sense harping on the Bears' decision/failure not to add experienced veterans to this group. It's more productive to look ahead at how the Bears will deal with the hand they've dealt themselves. In short, this situation gives offensive line coach Mike Tice the most difficult job of any NFC North assistant for the second consecutive season.

Once again, the Bears will ask Tice to build a line from scratch in the shortest timetable imaginable. Last season, it took nearly half of the regular season before the Bears found a happy medium between their scheme and personnel.

In addition to working Spencer into the mix, Tice will have to bring along rookie Gabe Carimi, who has opened camp as the second-team left tackle but almost assuredly will replace Frank Omiyale with the first team in short order. Tice will have to coax significant development from left guard Chris Williams and right tackle J'Marcus Webb, and he'll have to hope that Roberto Garza's shift between guard and emergency center doesn't set him back.

I'll agree with Angelo on this much: An aggressive move on free agency doesn't guarantee improvement. As it stands now, two of their five positions -- center and left tackle -- are likely to have been turned over by the start of the regular season. Is that enough? Or have the Bears sentenced themselves to another year of fits and starts on offense?

For months, we've been discussing the Chicago Bears' offensive line* with a presumed asterisk. All five of their starting positions were pending post-lockout moves. We wouldn't know their first-team lineup, it seemed, until the start of training camp.

Even now, however, it's impossible to know if what the Bears trotted out during their opening practice Saturday in any way resembles their intentions for Week 1 of the regular season. For the record, here is what they used during the early portion of team drills:

Left tackle: Frank Omiyale
Left guard: Chris Williams
Center: Roberto Garza
Right guard: Lance Louis
Right tackle: J'Marcus Webb

Here's what I think we can glean from that grouping:

• The Bears aren't eager to move Webb to left tackle, as some have discussed this offseason. If they were, it stands to reason he would have opened training camp there even if the rest of the group is in flux.
• For similar reasons, it appears the Bears want Williams to be their left guard first and foremost. They could conceivably work him at left tackle or even a center, but if they wanted him to play either of those positions on Sept. 11, you would think they would have started him there right away.
• Garza is at center because Olin Kreutz remains unsigned. The Bears would much prefer to play Garza at right guard, but in the short-term it couldn't hurt them to get Garza some work as an emergency center. The real question is if he would be their answer if Kreutz pulls a surprise and signs elsewhere.

Where does this leave rookie Gabe Carimi? For the moment, it's no surprise that he wasn't working with the first team in his first NFL practice. But he will get his work at left tackle, as Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune notes, and at some point this summer he should overtake Omiyale. In that scenario, Omiyale could ultimately serve as an expensive but experienced backup at both guard and tackle positions.