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PALM BEACH, Fla. -- As we've discussed, the Green Bay Packers are a likely opponent for the New York Giants in the NFL's annual kickoff game, scheduled for Sept. 5. Often the league announces the matchup for that game, along with a few other notable national affairs, during the owners meetings. But as of Sunday night, an NFL spokesman said, the details of the opening game had not been settled and an announcement this week is unlikely. Hopefully you can handle the anticipation. We'll let you know if anything changes.

NEW ORLEANS -- Just a quick note here before heading back to NFC North blog headquarters.

So we're on the same page, please know that Saturday night's result at the Superdome means the Green Bay Packers will host the winner of Sunday afternoon's game between the Atlanta Falcons and New York Giants next weekend. That game will be Jan. 15 at Lambeau Field. As soon as the matchup is set, I'll post a Quick Take of my initial thoughts on it Sunday afternoon.

I'll also have a Free Head Exam on the Detroit Lions coming in a few hours. Have a lovely morning.

I came across some interesting information this week while working on Wednesday's post on the much-discussed formula to beat the Green Bay Packers. As it turns out, the NFC North has the most-blitzed and least-blitzed quarterbacks in the NFL. Find out who they are and what it means in this week's edition of our NFC 411 video. Our segment is at the end. What's that saying about good things coming to those who wait? Oh, that is the saying. Anyhoo....

MINNEAPOLIS -- A few thoughts at halftime from the Metrodome before returning to our Countdown Live chat:

• This is how underdogs win games: Near-perfect execution and a few well-timed mistakes from the opponent. That's more or less what we have here between the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers.
• The first pass of rookie quarterback Christian Ponder's first NFL start was a 72-yard bootleg pass to receiver Michael Jenkins. His second pass was a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, also on a rollout. The Packers should have expected a steady diet of bootlegs, based on what Ponder did during the preseason.
• Ponder has given the Vikings a new level of energy and, just as important, accuracy on easy passes. Overall he has completed eight of 14 attempts. He has been under control and appeared unaffected by the Packers' blitz packages.
• Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers completed his first 13 passes and finished the half 17 of 20 for 197 yards. One was a drop by receiver Randall Cobb on what could have been a touchdown. The Vikings' injury-depleted secondary is no match at this point.
• Cobb has had a rough day, considering that drop and a fumbled fair-catch attempt that gave the Vikings possession near midfield for their second touchdown.
• Vikings defensive end Brian Robison should have been ejected for kicking Packers offensive lineman T.J. Lang in the groin. He got lucky when officials limited his punishment to a 15-yard penalty. It was a dirty low blow and couldn't possibly have been justified.
• Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is having his way with Packers left tackle Marshall Newhouse. Allen has two sacks, bringing his season total to 11.5. In three games against the Packers when Chad Clifton has not played, Allen has 11.5 sacks.
• Now, back to our Countdown Live chat.

After the Green Bay Packers' 25-14 victory over the Atlanta Falcons, here are three issues that merit further examination:

Kevin SeifertFollowing their win against the Falcons, the Packers take a seat in the examination room.
1. We more or less crowned quarterback Aaron Rodgers the league MVP in last week's edition of this post, so it would be hard to add any more hyperbole to his performance Sunday night. So let's move on to a whole new level of hype: Are the Packers going to go undefeated this season? No matter how well they've played to this point, I can't get remotely interested in that question until they are at least 10-0. And in Week 5, I don't know that we can even look ahead and place asterisks next to the teams who might pose the biggest challenge. It's all WAY, WAY too early.
2. We touched on a variety of issues in Sunday night's extended wrap-up post, but here's one we did not. Watching Roddy White's 5-yard touchdown reception Sunday night, I made a note to question what Packers cornerback Charles Woodson was doing on the play. You see Woodson pick up White at the middle of his crossing route. But when White veered into the end zone, Woodson ran upfield. Did he think he needed to cover someone in the flat? Did he believe quarterback Matt Ryan was about to run? As expected when it comes to Woodson, he 'fessed up and told reporters: "My eyes were in the backfield. But once that receiver comes under, I have to take him. That’s on me not making a football play."
3. The Packers have experience falling behind at the Georgia Dome, and in all seriousness, that was a big part of their ability to withstand a 14-point first-quarter onslaught Sunday night. If you remember, they trailed 10-3 in the second quarter during the 2010 regular season and 14-7 in the second quarter during their divisional playoff game. "There was no panic," Rodgers told reporters. "We just knew that games down here ... the last couple of games we've played down here have been similar. They've kind of started fast, got the momentum, got the crowd involved and we've had to kind of withstand that first wave of attack from them and, once we do, settle into the game, start making some plays and get back into the game."

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

I haven't decided if I'm bothered by coach Mike McCarthy's decision to go for a 2-point conversion with a little less than four minutes remaining in the third quarter. The Packers held a 15-14 lead at the time, and the conversion would have left the Falcons unable to take a lead with a field goal. As it turned out, the failure left the Falcons in position to tie the game with a touchdown and a 2-point conversion once the Packers extended their lead to 22-14. You always want your opponent to need more than one score. But I also think McCarthy was supremely confident that his team still had some scoring left to do. That's the way the game felt at the time, and it proved correct. Sometimes you manage by the book, and other times by feel.

The Detroit Lions will be the first NFC North team to get on the field for a training camp practice, and so it makes sense for them to have made signing their draft class a high priority. After a flurry of agreements Thursday afternoon, the Lions are down to one unsigned rookie: First-round pick Nick Fairley.

The Lions have a 10:15 a.m. practice scheduled for Friday morning.

Chicago Bears

Signed

• Round 5(a): Linebacker J.T. Thomas
• Round 5(b): Quarterback Nathan Enderle

Unsigned

• Round 1: Offensive lineman Gabe Carimi
• Round 2: Defensive tackle Stephen Paea
• Round 3: Safety Chris Conte

Detroit Lions

Signed

• Round 2(a): Receiver Titus Young
• Round 2(b): Running back Mikel Leshoure
• Round 5: Linebacker Doug Hogue
• Round 7: Offensive lineman Johnny Culbreath

Unsigned

• Round 1: Defensive tackle Nick Fairley

Green Bay Packers

Unsigned

• Round 1: Offensive lineman Derek Sherrod
• Round 2: Receiver Randall Cobb
• Round 3: Running back Alex Green
• Round 4: Cornerback Davon House
• Round 5: Tight end D.J. Williams
• Round 6(a): Offensive lineman Caleb Schlauderaff
• Round 6(b): Linebacker D.J. Smith
• Round 6(c): Defensive end Ricky Elmore
• Round 7(a): Tight end Ryan Taylor
• Round 7(b): Defensive tackle Lawrence Guy

Minnesota Vikings

Unsigned

• Round 1: Quarterback Christian Ponder
• Round 2: Tight end Kyle Rudolph
• Round 4: Defensive tackle Christian Ballard
• Round 5: Cornerback Brandon Burton
• Round 6(a): Offensive lineman DeMarcus Love
• Round 6(b): Safety Mistral Raymond
• Round 6(c): Center Brandon Fusco
• Round 6(d): Linebacker Ross Homan
• Round 7(a): Defensive end D'Aundre Reed
• Round 7(b): Receiver Stephen Burton

Eric Allen and Jim Basquil recap the Packers' win over the Eagles and take a look at the performance by Michael Vick.

ESPN analysts preview the Philadelphia Eagles-Green Bay Packers game.

How meaningless is the fourth preseason game of the year? So much so that we here at ESPN.com have posted our 2010 season preview.

Our panel of experts predicted the following consensus ranking for the NFC North:

1. Green Bay Packers
2. Minnesota Vikings
3. Chicago Bears
4. Detroit Lions

ESPN's Adam Schefter was the only voter to deviate from that ranking, flipping the Bears and Lions' positions.

We have a preview page set up for each team. Follow these links for the Bears, the Lions, the Packers and the Vikings.

Be sure to check out the video below, where ESPN's Monday Night Football announcing crew offers its thoughts on the NFC North. Ron Jaworski and Jon Gruden pick an over/under for wins this season.

Jake Delhomme was strong in his Cleveland debut while rookie quarterback Colt McCoy tossed two interceptions and left the game with an injury in a Browns 27-24 win over the Green Bay Packers.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Okay, we might as well get this out of the way now: I'm headed to Houston and will cover Monday night's game between Minnesota and the Texans. No sense in arguing about it. The game is on ESPN's air and will give us our best (and only) preseason idea if quarterback Brett Favre is going to be ready to play effectively when the regular season begins in two weeks.

If all goes well, I'll arrive in Houston Sunday night in time to take in the entire Chicago-Denver game, which is also nationally televised (on NBC). ESPN Chicago's Jeff Dickerson will be on the scene at Invesco Field, and along with my AFC West colleague Bill Williamson, I'll be adding some Bears-related thoughts to the blog sometime before Monday morning.

I'll have some pregame Bears thoughts posted by mid-afternoon. Thanks for your patience and continued interest during this crazy summer. For now, let's take a Sunday spin around the NFC North:

• Green Bay safety Nick Collins opens up about the offseason death of his father in this interview with Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Packers receiver Greg Jennings (concussion) might not play in the team's preseason finale Thursday, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press was impressed with the play of the Lions' offensive line Saturday against Indianapolis.
• Amelia Rayno of the Detroit News reviews the two-catch preseason debut of Lions tight end Brandon Pettigrew.
• I like how the News' Bob Wojnowski described the quarterback competition between Daunte Culpepper and Matthew Stafford: "Stafford is playing like he has a shot to grab something, which is precisely [coach Jim] Schwartz's master plan. Culpepper is playing like he's trying to hang onto something, which also is Schwartz's master plan."
• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times believes veteran Bears tailback Adrian Peterson will have to beat out tight end Michael Gaines for a roster spot.
• Denver's 3-4 defense will give the Bears a dry run for their Sept. 13 regular season opener against Green Bay, notes Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
• Minnesota right tackle Phil Loadholt didn't practice Saturday and might not be available for Monday night's game, writes Rick Alonzo of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Loadholt's ailment is unknown.
• Favre has lightened up the Vikings' huddle, writes the Pioneer Press' Sean Jensen.
• The threat of local television blackouts in Minnesota has not completely dissipated since Favre's arrival, notes Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Good gracious. If there wasn't a buzz about Green Bay before Friday night's preseason showcase at Arizona, there is now.

The Packers led the defending NFC champions 38-10 at halftime, having rolled up nearly 350 yards of offense. The game got close in garbage time, but the Packers held on for a 44-37 victory. The Packers have been as sharp as any NFL team this summer. There are no rewards for winning the preseason, but so far they're doing it.

Here are three observations based on online video, followed by links to local coverage:

1. This is no secret, and we've mentioned it before, but quarterback Aaron Rodgers is locked in this summer. His 14-for-19 performance, good for 258 yards and three touchdowns, brought his preseason rating to 151.1. Rodgers also reeled off a 34-yard scramble to set up one score, and continued his downfield assault in the passing game -- including a 76-yard score to Jordy Nelson and a 55-yard pass to Donald Driver. Most of it happened without receiver Greg Jennings, who suffered a concussion on his only reception. Get this: In three preseason games this summer, the Packers' first-team offense hasn't punted yet.
2. The defense gave up some yards, but in the first half at least, it followed through on its pledge to cause havoc. Cornerback Charles Woodson set up two scores with forced fumbles, one after stripping receiver Jerheme Urban and another after sacking quarterback Kurt Warner. Linebacker Aaron Kampman grabbed the ball on the latter play and returned it 24 yards for a touchdown. Safety Anthony Smith, meanwhile, made a nice interception over the middle to set up a touchdown. I wonder if that will be enough for him to unseat starter Atari Bigby. In any event, that's how a Dom Capers defense is supposed to operate.
3. About the only nitpick I could find was place-kicker Mason Crosby, who converted from 27 yards but also missed from 29 and 48 yards. But even then, the Packers had a reasonable excuse. Holder Matt Flynn (shoulder) was sidelined, so receiver Ruvell Martin served in that role Friday night. The holder-kicker relationship takes time to develop.

Local coverage: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Green Bay Press-Gazette, Wisconsin State Journal, Packers.com.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert Green Bay's evening practice Monday turned out to be a newsy one. When it was over, coach Mike McCarthy confirmed the likely arrangement of his opening week offensive line and gave some strong indications about the makeup of his linebacker corps. As for the line, McCarthy said that Jason Spitz will start at center, Josh Sitton at right guard and Allen Barbre at right tackle. (Left tackle Chad Clifton and left guard Daryn Colledge were already locked in.) The toughest decision was replacing four-year starter Scott Wells at center, and McCarthy had a long one-one-one conversation with him earlier in the day. McCarthy: "Very tough decision. Scott Wells has graded out at a very high level. Scott is probably one of our top three or four linemen as far as grading out so far in the preseason, so that was a very difficult situation as far as determining what starter to go with. Scott has been a starting center for us, has played a lot of football here, but this is the group that we feel we are going to start with this week. ..." Barbre had been competing with Breno Giacomini at right tackle, but McCarthy said: "I just think Allen is further ahead than Breno." Meanwhile, as Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel points out, linebacker Nick Barnett (knee) returned to full practice and immediately took Brandon Chillar's place in the starting lineup. And veteran Brady Poppinga continued working with the first team at right outside linebacker despite the return of Jeremy Thompson. Rookie Clay Matthews (hamstring) remained sidelined, suggesting that Poppinga has the inside track to remain the starter. Continuing around the NFC North: Chillar and Desmond Bishop could see time in the Packers' nickel package, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Detroit placekicker Jason Hanson, who had surgery on his right knee earlier this month, remains hopeful he'll be ready to kick when the regular season begins. Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press has details. The Lions' top three receivers -- Calvin Johnson, Bryant Johnson and Dennis Northcutt -- have missed the first two preseason games. But all practiced Monday, writes Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Free Press. Lions coach Jim Schwartz on watching the film of last Saturday's preseason loss at Cleveland: "A lot of times they say, it's not as bad as you think and it's not as good as you think when you watch the film. I think it's one of those cases where it was every bit of bad as I thought." John Niyo of the Detroit News takes a closer look. Chicago is still getting used to what quarterback Jay Cutler can do, writes Bob LeGere of the Daily Herald. Safety Danieal Manning and cornerback Zack Bowman, who both have sore hamstrings, participated in part of practice Monday, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago. Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press looks at how the Vikings' offense might expand with quarterback Brett Favre. Vikings backup Sage Rosenfels will return to Houston when the Vikings play their third preseason game there next Monday, notes Chip Scoggins and Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

We've analyzed every word from Chicago quarterback Jay Cutler this summer. We dissected each step Brett Favre made from Mississippi to Minnesota. And all the while, Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers has been the sharpest quarterback in the NFC North through the midpoint of the preseason.

Objectively speaking, I don't think you'll find many people who could dispute it. As Cutler works to learn the nuances of his receivers and Favre attempts to learn the names of his, Rodgers quietly has taken his development to the highest levels. He has a 142.3 preseason passer rating, having converted three of his 19 passes for touchdowns. But more importantly, Rodgers has proved to be a case study in the benefits of knowing your receivers.

Both of his touchdown passes to receiver Donald Driver, for instance, required adjustments that wouldn't have occurred if Rodgers didn't know how Driver would react to the coverage and situation.

Rodgers: "The communication has been definitely the best that it's been the past two years that I've been playing. Just come off on the sidelines, and Greg [Jennings] coming over, Donald coming over, and having some real good dialogue about what they're seeing out there. Just the confidence that they have in myself, and the confidence I have in them when they tell me, 'Hey, I saw this out there. If we come back to this play, think about this.' It just gives you the confidence that we're on the same page. I think we're getting real close."

This is not to diminish the work of Cutler or Favre. But as we head into this season of Air and Space in the Black and Blue, Rodgers' deep foundation in the Packers' offense can't be overstated.

With the NFC North arrival of Favre, Cutler and No. 1 overall draft pick Matthew Stafford, I plan to develop the Air and Space theme throughout the season. I'm interested in your suggestions on how to evaluate and compare their performances on a weekly basis. Sometimes traditional statistics don't always tell the story.

For the preseason, however, we'll keep it basic. Here's how the NFC North's quarterbacks compare at this point:

NFC North: Air and Space Player Team Comp. Att. Pct. Yards TD INT Rating Aaron Rodgers Green Bay 13 19 68.4 200 3 0 142.3 Jay Cutler Chicago 13 23 56.5 185 1 1 79.1 Matthew Stafford Detroit 12 27 44.4 148 1 2 43.4 Brett Favre Minnesota 1 4 25.0 4 0 0 39.6

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

Again? Wow. Chicago defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek has suffered another season-ending injury. This time it's a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Sun-Times.

It's the fourth consecutive year that Dvoracek has suffered an injury that ended his season. The Bears weren't counting on him to be a starter, but the injury is still a blow to their depth as well as another career disappointment for a player who clearly appeals to coach Lovie Smith and general manager Jerry Angelo.

Anthony Adams and Marcus Harrison have been the Bears' top new nose tackles this summer in practice. Tommie Harris and Jarron Gilbert are the top two "under tackles" in the Bears' rotation. Still, this is some unwanted news for the Bears at the start of a new week.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Bears don't need Devin Hester to develop into a true No. 1 receiver, writes David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune. Haugh: "One day, Hester may develop into that 85-catch, 1,200-yard receiver that accompanies the No. 1 receiver tag. But, objectively, that day does not look close. Nor does it have to be this season now that [Jay] Cutler is the quarterback."
• Mike Mulligan of the Sun-Times writes that Cutler brings the Bears "a dimension the offense really never has had in the modern era, and it should scare defenses out of the eight- and nine-man fronts the Bears have endured for years."
  
• Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette projects Jason Spitz as the Packers' starting center, Josh Sitton at right guard and Allen Barbre at right tackle. All three jobs have been up for competition.
• Rookie running back Tyrell Sutton is giving himself a real chance to make the Packers' roster, writes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Detroit may have a winner in its quarterback derby by default, not achievement, writes John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• The two Lions players who fought before Saturday night's game in Cleveland -- defensive lineman Dewayne White and tight end Carson Butler -- were among the few who played well, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com wonders why Aveion Cason is still returning kicks for the Lions.
• Minnesota is keeping quarterback Brett Favre on a "pitch count" in practice, writes Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune.
• The Vikings are hoping to realize a cash-flow boost similar to what Favre brought the New York Jets last year, according to Sean Jensen of the Pioneer Press.