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We're Black and Blue All Over

So the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox -- er, the New York Giants and the New England Patriots -- will meet in Super Bowl XLVI. We here in the NFC North have a very East-Coast title game to look forward to. (Or not.) Don't worry. We have plenty to keep us busy here in the Midwest.

Tops on the list is the Chicago Bears' search for a general manager, which you would think could near its conclusion this week. The Bears interviewed five candidates for the job last week, including current director of player personnel Tim Ruskell, and probably would have either a second round of interviews this week or simply make a decision.

Stay tuned on that one. The other candidates include Marc Ross (Giants), Jason Licht (New England Patriots), Jimmy Raye III (San Diego Chargers) and Phil Emery (Kansas City Chiefs).

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and fiancé Kristin Cavillari announced they are expecting, according to People Magazine via ESPNChicago.com.
• Bears cornerback Charles Tillman is one of three finalists for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award.
• Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel grades the Green Bay Packers' season.
• Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette offers his grades.
• Pete Dougherty of the Press-Gazette recalls how the Packers nearly hired Joe Paterno as their coach in 1971.
• The Oakland Raiders have already interviewed Packers assistant head coach/linebackers Winston Moss and have asked permission to interview defensive coordinator Dom Capers as well, notes AFC West colleague Bill Williamson.
• Lions defensive backs coach Tim Walton interviewed for a job with the St. Louis Rams, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch via Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions place-kicker Jason Hanson figures he'll have to win his job in training camp again this summer, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Free Press.
• Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com wonders why the Vikings hired Fred Pagac as defensive coordinator last year.
• Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports from the Senior Bowl festivities in Mobile, Ala., where the Vikings are coaching the North team.

A few thoughts after listening in on conference calls with Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and his new defensive coordinator, Alan Williams:

• Frazier said Williams will bring some "new energy" and "fresh ideas" to the defense, but it's clear the Vikings aren't changing the fundamental approach they have taken for the past six seasons. Williams and Frazier are both former assistants to Tony Dungy, who popularized the Tampa-2 scheme the Vikings now use. "We are going to keep a lot of the same principles in place," Frazier said. "… I did think a little bit about some other options that were available, but after evaluating our season and looking at our history on defense, we didn't want to get too far away from the things that have let us be successful here in the past." At this point, it would be a stunner if the Vikings shift to a 3-4, as they reportedly were contemplating.
• Williams has never been a defensive coordinator, and Frazier will take more of a hands-on approach to the defense -- at least initially -- while Williams grows into the role. Frazier stopped short of saying who would call the defensive signals in Week 1, but he made clear he doesn't want to be a head coach/defensive coordinator. "Some guys can do that," Frazier said. "I don't think I can. But I do want to be involved early."
• In a situation that is unusual, to say the least, Frazier said that former defensive coordinator Fred Pagac has agreed to return to coach linebackers along with current linebackers coach Mike Singletary. Frazier was not specific about roles or titles, but said that both Pagac and Singletary would be a part of daily linebacker meetings. I couldn't begin to explain how that will work. The Vikings are a 4-3 defense, but in nickel they play only two linebackers. Do they need two full-time veteran coaches? Asked how they would split duties, Frazier cited the need for someone to focus on sub packages.
• Frazier used the Chicago Bears' 2010 defensive shuffle two years ago as a reference point, when coordinator Bob Babich was returned to his role as linebackers coach and defensive line coach Rod Marinelli took over for Babich as coordinator. "I've seen it work before in Chicago," Frazier said. "Between Babich, Rod and [coach Lovie Smith], they made it work. As long as you have the right people, it can work. … After sitting down and talking with the guys about what I was thinking and hearing their feedback, that assured me it could work."
• The Bears analogy doesn't totally work. If Pagac is in the Babich role, moving from coordinator back to linebackers coach, then how does that account for Singletary? I have to assume Pagac is the primary linebackers coach, with Singletary serving in some kind of less-defined role that allows him to remain on staff as a trusted adviser to Frazier, a longtime friend.
• As presumed, defensive backs coach Joe Woods will remain in his current role. Except for a few quality control assignments, the Vikings' defensive staff is now set.

Just to keep you updated, the Minnesota Vikings have made it official: Former Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams is their new defensive coordinator and Brendan Daly will take over as their defensive line coach.

A news release made no mention of former coordinator Fred Pagac, who reportedly will share duties as linebackers coach with Mike Singletary, who will also be a special assistant to the head coach. I'll withhold most comments until later Thursday, when we should hear from coach Leslie Frazier.

In general, however, I would view these moves as more of a re-shuffling than a shakeup considering the familiarity of all involved. Frazier and Williams worked together on the Colts' staff in 2005 and 2006, and both are devoted to former Colts coach Tony Dungy's Tampa-2 defense. Williams was once part of a Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff that included Dungy as the head coach and former Vikings defensive coordinator Mike Tomlin as the defensive backs coach.

Daly was the Vikings' assistant defensive line coach from 2006-08, the final two years under Frazier. He replaced Karl Dunbar, who was fired. It is presumed that defensive backs coach Joe Woods will return in his current role. More to come.

As business closed Wednesday, the Minnesota Vikings appeared closer to having a defensive coordinator than a new stadium. Let's take a look at those unrelated issues one at a time.

Multiple news outlets -- including NFL.com, ESPN1500.com and the St. Paul Pioneer Press -- were reporting that Indianapolis Colts defensive backs coach Alan Williams will soon be hired as the Vikings' defensive coordinator. Williams and current Vikings coach Leslie Frazier were on the same Colts staff under former coach Tony Dungy, and Williams' arrival would ensure continuity for the Tampa-2 scheme Frazier prefers.

Other changes would still need to be worked out. The Vikings need a new defensive line coach, and reports suggest that former defensive coordinator Fred Pagac could return to coach linebackers. In that scenario, 2011 linebackers coach Mike Singletary would stay on staff as a special assistant to Frazier.

That's an awfully convoluted mix of incumbents, newcomers and demotions, one that we'll address if and when the Vikings confirm it.

Meanwhile, Gov. Mark Dayton failed to deliver a single stadium site or a financing plan, as previously promised, during a Wednesday news conference. Instead, he said that every credible site has outstanding questions that make it impossible to make a final recommendation to a state legislature that convenes next week.

With that said, Dayton has all but ruled out a suburban site in Arden Hills, Minn., saying the Vikings would have to cover gaps in local funding that would increase their required contribution from $425 million to $700 million. That isn't going to happen.

Dayton seems to favor a little-known site in downtown Minneapolis near the intersection of I-94 and I-394, known as the "Linden Ave." site, mostly because it would create a sports entertainment district with Target Field and Target Center. There has been little research done on the site, however, and local businesses have been vocal about their opposition.

The current Metrodome site, Dayton said, is a "default" site that would work if the so-called Linden Ave. site falls through. The Vikings haven't committed to a contribution for either Minneapolis site, however, and Dayton said he can't move forward until they do so.

At this point, I don't think anyone knows how this will play out. It sounds like an awfully large number of big decisions must be made in a short period of time in order for a stadium to be approved in the next few months. Dayton, however, characterized the situation as "first-and-goal at the 5-yard line." Hmmm. We better check his red zone percentage.

The Vikings' Metrodome lease will expire Feb. 1, and while they have indicated they would reject offers to relocate, they have also said they won't sign a lease for 2012 until a new stadium is approved. Stay tuned.

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

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

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

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

At some point, presumably soon, the Minnesota Vikings will wrap up what has already been a two-week review of their defensive coaching staff and determine a direction for 2012. To this point, however, we have a better idea of who won't be a part of it than who will.

The latest domino to drop is coordinator Fred Pagac, whom the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported was fired Friday. The Vikings offered Pagac a job as their linebackers coach, however, a demotion that calls into question the status of current assistant head coach/linebackers Mike Singletary.

NFL teams occasionally make courtesy offers to fired coordinators, fully expecting them to be turned down. But even if that was the case with Pagac, the Vikings couldn't have done it without already having made a decision on Singletary. As we discussed Monday, it wouldn't be surprising to hear that Singletary has been fired or that he has been promoted to defensive coordinator. The fact that both possibilities are legitimately on the table provides powerful commentary on the state of the coaching staff at the moment.

At least two outside candidates who interviewed for the coordinator job have signed on elsewhere. Raheem Morris joined the Washington Redskins as their defensive backs coach, and Mel Tucker remained in his job as the Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive coordinator. Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com has reported that current Philadelphia Eagles defensive coordinator Juan Castillo could emerge as a candidate as well.

The Vikings will coach the North team at the Senior Bowl, where the festivities begin a week from Monday. Stay tuned.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- I can't say I was expecting the NFC North season to end Sunday. We had two of our teams finish among the top 12 in the NFL this season, based on playoff berths, and I figured that, one way or the other, we would be playing into late January. But both the Detroit Lions and Green Bay Packers lost their opening playoff game and now everyone is home for the winter.

That pushes our blog into full offseason mode, which means plenty of filler posts and nonsensical debates are headed your way. Ha! In reality, we seem to have as much to discuss during the winter and spring around here as we do in the summer and fall.

Thanks to all of you for hanging with us from the wild post-lockout free-agent scramble through an eventful and historic regular season. And for those of you who are new, please know that this blog is active 12 months per year. Stop in whenever you like. We'll leave the light on for you.

As always, we'll take a Monday morning spin around the division. I'll have a final Free Head Exam on the Packers later Monday and we'll go from there.

• The Packers' Super Bowl dreams landed with a thud, writes Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Two Wisconsin teams have had their seasons ruined by a Hail Mary pass, writes Tom Oates of the Wisconsin State Journal.
• Sunday will go down as the most disheartening playoff loss in Packers history, according to Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Packers safety Nick Collins will visit with a doctor in March to have his neck examined and determine whether he can resume his career in 2012. Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com has more.
• The Minnesota Vikings have offered defensive coordinator Fred Pagac a job as their linebackers coach in 2012, according to Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The demotion calls into question the Vikings' plans for assistant head coach/linebackers Mike Singletary. Has Singletary been fired or will he be the defensive coordinator in 2012? Neither option would surprise me.
• There doesn't appear to be much urgency from legislators to solve the Vikings' stadium issue, writes Tom Powers of the Pioneer Press.
• It's not yet clear where Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson will rehabilitate after knee surgery, notes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press grades the Lions' season.
• Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh wants the team to re-sign defensive end Cliff Avril, notes the Detroit News.
• Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com examines the Lions' biggest needs.
• The Chicago Bears need to pursue cornerbacks this offseason, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Bears quarterback Jay Cutler advocated for full-time officials via Twitter on Sunday.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Minnesota Vikings' search for a new defensive coordinator hasn't yet turned up an answer.

The first known candidate they interviewed, former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris, joined the Washington Redskins on Wednesday. Their second candidate, Mel Tucker, is wanted back in his old job as the Jacksonville Jaguars' defensive coordinator. Former St. Louis Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo has been rumored as a third candidate, but other teams are competing for his services.

That would leave Vikings assistant head coach/linebackers Mike Singletary as a potential fallback candidate. Singletary is a close friend of coach Leslie Frazier dating back to their playing days with the Chicago Bears.

I wouldn't assume that Tucker is headed back to the Jaguars, who promoted him to interim head coach last season but then passed over him for their head-coaching job. And for what it's worth, the team still hasn't confirmed any move on incumbent Fred Pagac. Stay tuned.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Local officials are racing to meet a 6 p.m. ET deadline for submitting Vikings stadium proposals to Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, according to the Star Tribune. That includes a newly proposed site in Shakopee, Minn.
• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel examines the Green Bay Packers' offensive line.
• The Packers must deal with the New York Giants' balanced offense on Sunday, notes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Wednesday was an emotional day for the Packers, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Former Chicago Bears quarterbacks coach Greg Olson has emerged as a candidate for their current opening, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Of the four outside candidates for the Bears' general manager job, San Diego Chargers director of player personnel Jimmy Raye and Giants director of college scouting Marc Ross are highest on their list, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Candidates with backgrounds in college scouting are attractive to the Bears, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• Detroit Lions general manager Martin Mayhew should be the NFL's executive of the year, writes Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press.
• The Lions could benefit from a flood of free agents on the market this offseason, writes Eric Lacy of the Detroit News.
• Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com is grading the Lions position-by-position, including the offensive line.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Minnesota Vikings have moved on to the second known candidate for a defensive coordinator position that technically remains filled. Although they have announced no decision on incumbent Fred Pagac, the Vikings began the interview process Tuesday night with former Jacksonville Jaguars defensive coordinator/interim head coach Mel Tucker, notes Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com.

Tucker joins former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris on the Vikings' list of replacements for Pagac. Another candidate is believed to be Vikings assistant head coach/linebackers Mike Singletary.

ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported that he does not expect the Vikings to hire Morris for the job. It's unclear whether the Vikings are interviewing alternatives for Singletary, who is a close friend of coach Leslie Frazier, or if they intend to keep him in his current role.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Vikings want to dispel the notion that the Metrodome site is the cheapest place to build a new stadium, writes Mike Kaszuba of the Star Tribune.
• Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel profiles Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Ryan Pickett.
• The 2011 New York Giants don't defend the pass as well as they did in 2007, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• The Packers are not expecting offensive coordinator Joe Philbin to coach this week, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• The Tennessee Titans rejected the Chicago Bears' request to interview quarterbacks coach/passing game coordinator Dowell Loggains for a similar role, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com.
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com takes an early look at the Bears' draft needs.
• The Bears haven't interviewed a candidate to replace general manager Jerry Angelo, according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• John Niyo of the Detroit News: "Jahvid Best certainly doesn't act like someone who's afraid his career has been lost to the shadows."
• The Detroit Lions have gotten old on the defensive and offensive lines, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

NEW ORLEANS -- I'm feeling what Detroit Lions defensive end Cliff Avril tweeted a few minutes ago: "Hating waitin around all day... Ready to go do work." Time speeds up for no one, or something like that, so while the minutes creep by, let's take a look at two other NFC North stories percolating on this fine Saturday afternoon.

The Kansas City Chiefs are expected to name Romeo Crennel their permanent head coach, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin had also interviewed for the job. Philbin is believed to still be a candidate for the Miami Dolphins' opening.

Meanwhile, there has been plenty of discussion about the state of the Minnesota Vikings' defensive coaching staff since former Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris interviewed for an unspecified job Friday. Defensive line coach Karl Dunbar has confirmed that he won't return, but the Vikings have made no announcements about the fate of defensive coordinator Fred Pagac.

The Vikings followed a similar tack last season, interviewing several offensive coordinator candidates while leaving the future of incumbent Darrell Bevell unaddressed, at least publicly. It's not clear whether Morris interviewed for the Vikings' defensive coordinator job or an assistant head coach/defensive backs job; ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported only that it would be a "high-profile" assignment. But let's just say it's not a good sign for any sitting coordinator to have high-profile candidates interviewing for "high-profile" jobs.

If Morris joins the Vikings, his arrival would provide another argument against shifting to a 3-4 scheme, as the team reportedly is mulling. Morris spent the past 10 seasons with Tampa Bay, where the "Tampa 2" framework the Vikings currently use was originally developed. Would you hire, or even consider, a 4-3 specialist at the start of a shift to the 3-4?

Back in a bit.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

It appears the Green Bay Packers' success will cost them at least one prominent member of their organization. Reggie McKenzie, the director of football operations who has been a key talent evaluator for the team since 1994, is set to become the general manager of the Oakland Raiders. ESPN's Adam Schefter has the story.

McKenzie was originally hired by former Packers general manager Ron Wolf, who has been advising the Raiders on their search. He will be the second member of Packers general manager Ted Thompson's front office to be hired in a similar role elsewhere; two years ago, executive John Schneider became the Seattle Seahawks' general manager.

McKenzie had been linked to the Chicago Bears' job because of his friendship with Bears coach Lovie Smith, but it appears the Raiders swooped in first.

The Packers are also monitoring the interviews of offensive coordinator Joe Philbin, who has drawn interest for the head-coaching job in Kansas City and Miami. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements was a candidate for the Penn State job, but it appears he will be staying after reports that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien will be hired.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The father of Packers guard T.J. Lang passed away Thursday, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Being the top seed in the playoffs is no guarantee of postseason success, notes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Packers cornerback Tramon Williams: "But, bottom line, Williams' hasn't been the same shut-down, no-trespassing cover man of a year ago. For the Packers to return to the Super Bowl, they may need him to be. Williams remains confident."
• Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press: "We've got a quarterback. No matter what happens Saturday night in New Orleans, no matter what unfolds in this first Lions playoff season since the last millennium, Detroit fans can say that sentence and take comfort in it."
• Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams appears to have the following plan for dealing with Lions receiver Calvin Johnson, via Carlos Monarrez of the Free Press: "But we do play very physical, and one of the things that we do is guys that are 6-5 end up being 5-5 when they get flipped over on their head. They didn't say that the rule says that the ground couldn't hurt their head. So we've got to find ways to make the ground be a part of it. We won't make helmet-to-helmet contact."
• Lions safety Louis Delmas has been silent this week as he prepares to return to the field. John Niyo of the Detroit News explains.
• Last year, the Minnesota Vikings began interviewing potential replacements for offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell before firing him. It appears they're doing the same in 2011. They have scheduled former Tampa Bay Buccaneers assistant Raheem Morris for an interview Friday, according to ESPN's Chris Mortensen. Current defensive coordinator Fred Pagac remains employed.
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton wants all stadium proposals from all sites in his hands by Jan. 12. More from the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com looks at four candidates for the Chicago Bears' general manager job.
• The Bears stack up well against other teams seeking general managers, writes Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times.
• The only candidate believed to have been contacted for the job is Baltimore Ravens executive Eric DeCosta, according to Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.

After the Minnesota Vikings' 17-13 loss to the Chicago Bears, here are three issues that merit further examination:

Kevin SeifertFollowing their loss against the Bears, the Vikings take a seat in the examination room.
1. As of today, the Vikings are franchise free agents and do not have a home stadium. Their lease at the Metrodome has no more games remaining. If he chose to, owner Zygi Wilf could entertain offers from Los Angeles or other locales about moving the franchise. But Lester Bagley, vice president of stadium development/public affairs, indicated Sunday that Wilf isn't prepared to do that. "It's no secret that we have been contacted by other communities," Bagley said. "But we've told them that we're encouraged, we're hopeful, we're in position to get it done in Minnesota. That has been our response." Justified or not, there appears to be significant optimism that a deal to build a stadium — either in suburban Arden Hills or downtown Minneapolis — will get done this year. But it could be awhile before the Vikings know whether they'll be playing in the Metrodome in 2012 or at the University of Minnesota's outdoors TCF Bank Stadium. Playing outdoors in Minnesota, even for a few years, would require some level of shift in roster-building philosophy.
2. I used to bang the drum regularly for the Vikings to shift their committee leadership structure to a more vertical arrangement, with one person — either the general manager or coach — ultimately responsible for the football operations. I piped down when it became clear that Wilf favored the committee and wasn't interested in a change. To be fair, I'm not sure I blame the Vikings' style of leadership for their 9-23 record the past two seasons. One person can make bad decisions just as easily as three people can. The Star Tribune's Sid Hartman reported that Wilf might promote vice president of personnel Rick Spielman into a traditional general manager's role. Hopefully Wilf will think that one through first. That's nothing against Spielman. I'm just not sure that promoting one angle of the Triangle of Authority will mean anything in practice. If Spielman were truly to have a general manager's powers, Wilf will have started him off with a coach he didn't hire. The only way to do the traditional vertical structure the right way is to identify the top authority first and then give him the opportunity to hire the people who will work for him.
3. Coach Leslie Frazier said Sunday that the Vikings will go into the offseason with Christian Ponder as their No. 1 quarterback, but that "all players" must compete for their jobs in training camp. I wouldn't expect anything different, considering Ponder was the No. 12 overall pick of the 2011 draft and began his rookie season behind on the development scale because of the lockout. Backup Joe Webb was more effective in moving the ball over the past month, but Sunday's game demonstrated why there are split opinions about his aptitude as a long-term starter. As athletic as he is, Webb must limit the plays in which he floats in the backfield, runs away from pass rushers and then throws madly downfield. It's nice to have that option, but in general those are low-percentage throws that can also lead to big yardage losses either through sacks or holding penalties by offensive linemen who can't stay on their blocks that long. If Webb truly wants to challenge for the job, he needs to master the drop-step-throw portion of being an NFL quarterback.

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

It's not yet clear what the Vikings will do with defensive coordinator Fred Pagac, whose demise has been rumored, but Pro Bowl defensive end Jared Allen unexpectedly has come to Pagac's defense the past two days. Allen credited Pagac for some blitz packages that helped free him up for a 3 1/2-sack day against the Bears, and on Monday he told reporters that he wants Pagac to return and will "fight" for that to happen. Allen could have some personal reasons for that support, especially if Pagac's continued employment would preserve the 4-3 scheme that Allen thrives in, but it also suggests there could be more to blame with the Vikings' defensive problems than simply the coordinator.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Maybe it's a good thing that Jared Allen fell one sack short Sunday of setting the NFL record for sacks in a season. Asked what he would have done after breaking Michael Strahan's record of 22.5, Allen laughed and offered a nearly -- nearly -- preposterous scenario that would have made for a new level of in-game pandemonium.

"I probably would have thrown my helmet into the crowd," Allen said, "jumped up, ran up, kissed my wife and my baby in the suite, walked into the locker room and quit. No, I might have done some turf angels. Probably would have cried. [The Chicago Bears] probably would have gotten a first down -- a 15-yard penalty on me. I probably would have taken my shoulder pads off. So probably a good thing I didn't get it, right?"

Ha. Allen injected some drama into an otherwise droll Week 17 game, sacking Bears quarterback Josh McCown 3.5 times to finish the 2011 season with 22 sacks. That allowed him to surpass former Vikings record-holder Chris Doleman (21), whom the Vikings brought to the Metrodome for the occasion, and tie Mark Gastineau for the second-most in a 16-game season.

When we first started "AllenWatch" in October, I had my doubts that Allen or any other member of the Vikings could challenge the record. Sundays' 17-13 loss left the Vikings with a 3-13 record. Rarely did the Vikings have opponents in must-pass situations, limiting the opportunities for pass rushers like Allen.

I'm not sure whether Allen himself thought it possible; he said Sunday that his goal was to get 17 sacks so he could eclipse 100 for his career. He said that finishing with 22 was like "being the runner-up at the prom" but added: "I know it's possible now. I know it's possible. I'm going to work my butt off this offseason to try to help my team get back to the playoffs and to try to get that sack title."

The Bears started Sunday's game by regularly chipping and double-teaming the Vikings' edge rushers, according to Allen. But Vikings defensive coordinator Fred Pagac -- in perhaps his last game with the team -- called some blitz combinations that committed the Bears' extra blockers to the inside.

"So I got some one-on-ones on the edge there," said Allen, who collected sack No. 22 by beating left tackle J'Marcus Webb with 4 minutes, 46 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

"I told him he had 20 minutes to get one sack," defensive tackle Kevin Williams said. "But they changed it up after that."

Indeed, according to Williams, Allen and others, the Bears regularly devoted two tight ends to help Webb the rest of the way. Allen got nowhere close to sack No. 23. The Bears weren't going to give him the record, as some would suggest Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre did for Strahan in 2001.

Allen said last week that "a sack is a sack is a sack" and that Favre's "slip" didn't diminish Strahan's accomplishment. Had Favre not "fallen," Allen would have walked away from Sunday's game with a share of the record once held by Gastineau.

"It doesn't bother me at all," he said. "Just being in the same breath as Strahan, and Gastineau and Doleman. … Man."

We're Black and Blue All Over:

On Thursday, we discussed the race between the Minnesota Vikings and St. Louis Rams for the No. 2 overall pick of the 2012 draft. The Rams are currently "ahead," but NFC West colleague Mike Sando thinks the Vikings have the upper hand if both teams finish the season 2-14.

Regardless, it appears that at least one of those teams will have USC left tackle Matt Kalil on their boards at No. 2 overall. ESPN's Chris Mortensen reports that Kalil has begun informing school officials that he will bypass his final year of eligibility and enter the draft.

ESPN draft analysts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay both have Kalil ranked as the draft's second-best prospect behind Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, who figures to go No. 1 overall to the Indianapolis Colts. The Vikings have a tremendous need at left tackle after waiving starter Bryant McKinnie at the start of training camp.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com offers a damning look at what appears to be the Vikings' dysfunctional defense, suggesting that defensive backs have refused to run the coverages called by coordinator Fred Pagac and that there is discussion under way to switch to a 3-4 defense in 2012 with linebackers coach Mike Singletary as the defensive coordinator.
• Fantasy owners have been giving tailback Adrian Peterson a hard time about sitting out the past three games, notes Mark Craig of the Star Tribune.
• Jean-Jacques Taylor of ESPNDallas.com on the news that Chicago Bears receiver Sam Hurd, a long-time Dallas Cowboys player, had been arrested on drug charges: "The person described in the complaint sounds nothing like the person I knew. We're talking about one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet, a person I never heard utter a profanity."
• David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune wonders if the Bears should have been aware of the investigation into Hurd's dealings. Haugh: "Making Bears officials unavailable to discuss a player accused of trying to buy 1,000 pounds of marijuana and five to 10 kilograms of cocaine a week only enhanced the perception that the team should have known more about someone who fooled everybody but the feds."
• Hurd's presumed departure from the Bears will hurt their special teams, writes Brad Biggs of the Tribune.
• The Detroit Lions aren't forcing the ball to receiver Calvin Johnson, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Johnson is likely to make the Pro Bowl, notes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• A game between the Lions and Oakland Raiders figures to be heavy on penalties, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel checks in with Packers safety Nick Collins, who is a month or two away from finding out if he'll be able to return to football for the 2012 season after a Week 2 neck injury.
• Packers receiver Tori Gurley turned down an offer to sign with the Vikings' 53-man roster in exchange for a raise to remain on the Packers' practice squad. The Green Bay Press-Gazette explains.
• Gurley, via Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com: "I'm learning from some of the best receivers in the game right now. Our offense, the way it's clicking, the grass isn't going to be greener on the other side. My opportunity is going to come."

Midway through the 1984 season, the Chicago Bears were preparing for a game against the Los Angeles Raiders. During practice one day, defensive coordinator Buddy Ryan pulled aside cornerback Leslie Frazier.

"He starts telling me all about Cliff Branch," Frazier recalled recently. "He's telling me how he is an old guy and how I should play him and what I needed to do and all of that. But I watch tape, too, and I look at it and see this guy can still play."

So Frazier marched to Ryan's office and told him the Bears needed a different game plan for Branch, who at the time was 36 and one year away from retirement. "If that's the way you feel," Ryan responded, "go right ahead."

Frazier left Ryan's office proud, motivated and with an indelible impression that helped steer his post-playing career.

"I was like, 'Man, I've got to make this work,'" Frazier said. "He's empowering me in this way and trusting me to do it this way. He thinks I've studied enough and prepared enough to handle [Branch]. Because if I don't, it affects not only me but the entire defense and the entire team. I've always thought about that. Those players, they are the ones that have to go play. Why not listen sometimes?

"We had a system that everybody in America thought was a great system, the 46, blah, blah, blah. In that system, Buddy Ryan would let us make suggestions, let us tweak things and do things. And to me that was his genius."

Branch didn't have a catch in the Bears' 17-6 victory that afternoon. More important for us, 27 years later, Frazier has brought a similar mentality to his new role as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach. He hired offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave to tailor a new scheme around the Vikings' existing players, demanding that he seek input from veterans and maximize the strengths of skill players. Musgrave, in turn, has gone so far as to ask quarterbacks to nominate plays to run in preseason games.

Defensive coordinator Fred Pagac has followed suit in the role Frazier held for the previous four seasons, an important turn of events for a veteran-laden team that isn't likely to allow on-high direction to go unchallenged.

"Buddy's ego wasn't so big that he would say, 'Get out of my office we're just going to run the 46 this week, 60 downs,'" Frazier said. "He'd listen and if it made sense, he'd say, 'OK maybe we could give that a try.' Now as a player, you're like, 'Wow, I'm going to try to make this work, because he listened to me, and then you would go down to the locker room and sell it to your teammates.'"

Frazier's approach is hardly revolutionary and is, in fact, practiced to a degree in most NFL cities. But it's notable in Minnesota for its departure from the rigid and structured program of former coach Brad Childress, who held strongly to his personal convictions -- especially as it related to offense -- and left veteran players complaining about a lack of flexibility and input.

Childress' motivation was understandable; he had been hired with a mandate to clean up what owner Zygi Wilf believed was an undisciplined organization. Sometimes the inmates must be returned to the asylum with no questions asked. But from a schematic standpoint, scores of Vikings players were rendered robotic after finding Childress unwilling to make adjustments they had seen and used in other versions of the West Coast offense.

Musgrave, meanwhile, uses terminology derived from the offense developed by former New York Giants and Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Ron Erhardt. But the specific plays and formations will be dictated by his evaluation of the Vikings' in-house talent and supplemented by recommendations from players.

Case in point: Musgrave's first conversation with quarterback Donovan McNabb this summer.

"I told him from the get-go that we have a system that we intend to teach to him, the quarterbacks and all the players," Musgrave said. "But it's really his system. It's Donovan's system. So if something happens here ... that he would like to tweak -- maybe call something differently in the huddle, at the line of scrimmage, maybe want to teach differently -- [we want him] to definitely come and talk to us about it because we're open-minded about it. We like to tailor-make or customize our system to fit our players."

Many NFL coaches seek input from key players. On Wednesday, I'll tell you more about the way Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy works with quarterback Aaron Rodgers. But trust me when I tell you it's a relative culture change in Minnesota.

"The thing about it," McNabb said, "is that when you have guys that can make plays, you try to find ways to create plays for them. Bill is going to do that, and he's done a great job with that out here. "

Before each preseason game this summer, in fact, Musgrave gave his quarterbacks a working version of his play-calling sheet. The sheet was divided into roughly nine situational categories. According to rookie Christian Ponder, each quarterback was asked to rank his favorite and second-favorite play in each category.

Musgrave would then update the sheet with numerical notations to remind him during the game which quarterback liked which play.

"So we choose what we want to do and those are the things we're going to run when we get in there," Ponder said. "It's great that we have input."

It's worth noting there is a difference between preseason and regular-season game planning. I'm not sure if McNabb will choose all the plays he runs this season.

There is also a distinction between seeking input and running a democracy. Frazier plans the former but has no intention of broaching the latter. As the Vikings' defensive coordinator, he listened often to suggestions from cornerback Antoine Winfield, defensive end Jared Allen and others -- to a point.

"There were times when I might not agree and I had to make the final decision," Frazier said. "Other times I would say, 'You know what, maybe they've got something. Maybe we'll try that.' With a Percy Harvin or an Adrian Peterson, if you just say, 'This is the system, what you're saying may work but it doesn't fit in our system,' man, it gets kind of tough sometimes.

"You need a system, but not to the point where it will impede certain players on the team just because they might struggle with this particular system. You don't want to see one of your players go somewhere else and thrive and then ask, 'Why couldn't they do this in Minnesota?'"

Not even Buddy Ryan was proud enough to let that happen. Good for Leslie Frazier. And good for the Vikings. And open mind always is preferable to the alternative.