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We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Minnesota Vikings finally are following up on their first instinct on Joe Webb. Four years after drafting him with plans to attempt a conversion to receiver, the Vikings have confirmed that Webb is now a receiver moving forward.

Coach Leslie Frazier and Webb himself discussed the decision with Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune, one that apparently was solidified after the team in March signed free agent Matt Cassel to be its No. 2 quarterback. Cassel's arrival left Webb at best as the Vikings' No. 3 quarterback, a waste of his undeniable athletic skills. (You can refresh yourself with this post that carries links to his jumping exploits.)

Webb has dabbled elsewhere since the 2010 draft, working as a wildcat quarterback at times while also catching one pass and returning a kickoff in 2011, but the Vikings could never make up their mind on whether they wanted him as a quarterback with "slash capabilities" or playing another position entirely.

He will be a huge target at 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, but everyone should recognize how difficult a position change is at this point in a player's career. Although Webb spent some time at receiver at Alabama-Birmingham, the level of nuance required at the NFL level is incomparable. Using Webb at a position other than quarterback makes sense based on how the Vikings' roster is constituted now. But this type of conversion would have made better sense for a rookie spending a year on the practice squad than a fourth-year player who has already bombed out of one position.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Vikings have continued signing their draft choices and now have only their three first-round picks remaining, writes Ben Goessling of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Replacement official Lance Easley, who signaled touchdown on the infamous Fail Mary play between the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks last season, will officiate Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman's celebrity softball charity game. More from seattlepi.com.
• Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette explains why Packers place-kicker Mason Crosby still has a job.
• Packers president Mark Murphy continues to reiterate his response on the topic of Brett Favre: That the franchise wants Favre back in the family. More from foxsportswisconsin.com via ESPN.com.
• The Detroit Lions lost out on free-agent returner Josh Cribbs, who signed with the Oakland Raiders. More from Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• The Lions claimed defensive back DeQuan Menzie on waivers, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Chicago Bears receiver Earl Bennett discussed the team's new offense on ESPN 1000 via ESPNChicago.com. Bennett: "This offense, actually, it moves everybody around. So you're not just stuck in one spot. I won't be just primarily a slot guy. I'll be all over the place, and that's what I love about this offense: You never know where you're gonna be. You just have to know what's going on and understand the whole play. I think it's gonna be great for me."
• Defensive tackle Henry Melton isn't worried about his status as the Bears' franchise player, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• Bears general manager Phil Emery spoke to SiriusXM NFL radio about offensive lineman Gabe Carimi, who is not participating in voluntary organized team activities. Emery, via Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times: "This is a voluntary situation and every player has to make his own decisions. Gabe has made a decision that he wants to stay in Arizona and train, and we respect that. And he'll be welcomed with open arms when he comes back."

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

A look at a key player from each NFC North team who needs to show something in offseason sessions:

Chicago Bears: Offensive lineman Gabe Carimi was the No. 29 overall pick of the 2011 draft, a left tackle at Wisconsin whom the Bears decided to install at right tackle as a rookie. There was some thought that Carimi could eventually find his way back to left tackle with the Bears, but a knee injury knocked him out for the season after two games. Carimi couldn't regain his footing last season, was benched and moved to guard because of an emergency personnel situation. Now the Bears are looking at him exclusively at a position he might not be physically suited for. The Bears' new coaching staff has no ties to Carimi as a first-round pick and he will have to demonstrate a level of comfort this offseason to give himself a chance to compete for a job -- either as a starter or a backup -- in training camp.

Detroit Lions: Cornerback Bill Bentley was a third-round draft choice last season and earned a starting job out of training camp before a shoulder injury limited his effectiveness and eventually ended his rookie season. Since then, the Lions have re-signed veteran cornerback Chris Houston, used a second-round draft choice to acquire Darius Slay and expressed excitement about the development of two other cornerbacks drafted alongside Bentley: Jonte Green and Chris Greenwood. Slay is recovering from knee surgery and might not have a chance to impress coaches right away, but Bentley will need to make sure he doesn't get lost in the shuffle this offseason to ensure a legitimate chance to win the starting job alongside Houston.

Green Bay Packers: Derek Sherrod was selected three slots below Carimi in the 2011 draft. The Packers viewed Sherrod as a potential long-term replacement for left tackle Chad Clifton but worked him at guard and right tackle before he suffered a gruesome multi-fracture of his leg late in Week 15. He missed all of the 2012 season and recently had a second surgery to address lingering issues. The Packers hope he can be cleared to do at least some work this spring so they can determine whether to count on him for their right tackle competition. If he can't get back to non-contact practices 18 months after the injury, there is reason to be concerned if he ever will.

Minnesota Vikings: Joe Webb has a cult following among Vikings fans (and some media members) because of his off-the-charts athletic ability. The Vikings gave him a handful of reps earlier in his career at receiver and kick returner before making him their backup quarterback in 2012. That experiment failed, resulting in the free-agent acquisition of Matt Cassel. Now it's on Webb to find a way to make himself valuable, perhaps at another position, this offseason. It's possible the Vikings will simply make him their No. 3 quarterback, but for his long-term career prospects, it's probably time for Webb to dig in elsewhere as well.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Chicago Bears never mess around when it comes to signing their draft picks, and this week they became the NFL's first team to start locking up members of its 2013 draft class. Fifth-round pick Jordan Mills and sixth-round pick Cornelius Washington both agreed to terms Wednesday, as Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com points out.

There is no rush to sign draft picks at this time of year because NFL rules allow them to participate in offseason workouts even before they have a contract. And the NFL's current rookie scale has left less room for negotiating and made rookie deals more routine as training camp approaches.

Still, the Bears prefer to get their deals done early rather than risk market influence from other teams' deals later in the process. The players' incentive is to get their signing bonus earlier.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Rookie free agent P.J. Lonergan, a center from LSU, is a player worth watching in the Bears' offseason practices. Adam L. Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times explains.
• The Bears can expect some post-draft tweaks to their scouting department, writes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• New Detroit Lions safety Glover Quin wants to gain the respect of teammates before attempting to step forward as a leader, writes Josh Katzenstein of the Detroit News.
• The Lions are expecting relatively immediate impact from their draft class, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• The Lions were focused on acquiring and drafting long pass-rushers, measured in terms of height and arm length, writes Justin Rogers of Mlive.com.
• Former Green Bay Packers cornerback Al Harris has retired as a Packer, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com. Harris is currently on the coaching staff of the Kansas City Chiefs.
• Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette profiles former Packers place-kicker Jan Stenerud, the only pure kicker to be in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
• Former Packers safety LeRoy Butler said the speech he was going to make to a local church centered around bullying, according to the Press-Gazette. The church canceled the appearance because, Butler said, he tweeted support when NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay.
• Minnesota Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder said he went to the emergency room in January because the bruise in his right elbow returned. There was concern he had compartment syndrome and needed surgery, but ultimately an MRI revealed he did not and that it would heal on its own. Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune provides the transcript of Ponder's revelation.
• Vikings receiver Greg Childs, who tore the patellar tendons in both knees last summer, is back to running routes but there is no timetable on his return to practice, writes Ben Goessling of the St. Paul Pioneer Press.
• Vikings quarterback Joe Webb is doing extra work as a receiver in case the Vikings move his position, according to Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com. Matt Cassel will be Ponder's backup this season.

 
That didn't take long. Hours after the Kansas City Chiefs released quarterback Matt Cassel, the Minnesota Vikings scooped him up. We're not yet sure of the financials, but obviously the Vikings quickly met Cassel's price in the shrinking market of available veteran quarterbacks.

The first thing many of you are asking is whether Cassel will be given a chance to beat out starter Christian Ponder, who struggled during parts of the 2012 season but finished strongly. The Vikings have repeatedly denied any plans to stage a training camp competition. Meanwhile, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Cassel is expected to get a chance to win the job.

Here's how I would put it: Cassel has 48 career starts and led the Chiefs to the playoffs in 2010. He struggled the past two years and committed 19 turnovers in nine games in 2012. But he is a good enough player, with enough pedigree and experience, that Ponder would be vulnerable if he regresses or otherwise struggles early in the 2013 season.

That wasn't the case last season with fellow youngster Joe Webb in the No. 2 role, and here is how coach Leslie Frazier put his expectation for the position while speaking to reporters last month:

"We really like the progress that Christian has made for us, Christian Ponder, and we expect in his third season he's going to take another jump, and part of that will be what happens this offseason. So, we're not at a point where we're looking for a quarterback to come in and move Christian at all. We expect him just to keep getting better. So, it’s a little bit different for us at the quarterback position than maybe some of those teams you mentioned. We feel like we have our guy in place. We just want to see him keep improving."

At the very least, I think we can all agree that the Vikings are in better shape with a 31-year-old backup (in May) who has 48 career starts on his résumé than Webb, an athletically gifted but still raw passer who bombed in a surprise start against the Green Bay Packers in the 2012 playoffs. Frazier said last month that Webb would compete with whatever veteran the team brought in for the No. 2 job, but I don't envision a scenario where Webb beats out Cassel in training camp.

So the next question becomes: What will the Vikings do with Webb? It wouldn't make much sense to have him collect dust as a No. 3 quarterback, given his athletic skills. Is this the offseason the Vikings commit to developing him as a multipositional player?

Here's what Frazier said about that possibility last month:

"If we got to the point where we felt that there was somebody that beat Joe out, you've go to do whatever you've got to do to make your team better. If we felt like that was the best thing for Joe and the best thing for the team, then you consider it. That would be saying that you found someone that is better than Joe."

I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest the Vikings have found someone better than Joe. We'll see soon enough whether that sparks a long-awaited experiment. But have they found someone better than Ponder? Based on what we know about Cassel's recent play, the Vikings had better hope not.

On the occasion of Matt Cassel's release by the Kansas City Chiefs, we should review the NFC North's pair of backup quarterback openings. Cassel figures in at least one, if not both, of those situations.

First off, the Detroit Lions (Shaun Hill) and Green Bay Packers (Graham Harrell) wouldn't seem like candidates to be in on the free-agent market at this position. But the Minnesota Vikings have acknowledged they plan to bring in a veteran to compete with Joe Webb to back up Christian Ponder, and the Chicago Bears don't have their 2012 backup (Jason Campbell) under contract either.

Cassel, Campbell and Ryan Fitzpatrick are the top three free agents available. The Arizona Cardinals' Kevin Kolb could soon join them, and as we've discussed, the Vikings and general manager Rick Spielman have a long history with Tyler Thigpen -- dating back to the 2007 draft.

It wouldn't be surprising to see the Vikings make a quick move toward Cassel, who has been a backup for four years and a starter for five in his career. Thigpen could be their backup (backup) plan. If the market continues to dwindle, the Bears might consider Cassel or, more likely, be able to bring Campbell back at a lower price than he might have been seeking.

Now that the first wave of free agency is largely over, these are the kinds of stories we'll be following.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Last week, Green Bay Packers tight end Jermichael Finley told ESPN he would not take a pay cut to remain with the team in 2013. This week, his agent did what agents should do -- leave every option open.

In an interview with Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, agent Blake Baratz said: "I would never just turn my nose up at anything. I will listen and hear anybody about anything and withhold judgment until I do."

The upshot of the story is that the Packers don't need to act until the end of this month. They don't need Finley's salary-cap space immediately, and his $3 million roster bonus -- which they wouldn't want to pay if he isn't going to be on the team in 2013 -- isn't due until March 27.

That's two weeks into the free-agent market, a time when big-spending teams have typically doled out their major dollars already. There would no doubt be interest in Finley at that time, but there would be less available salary-cap space for teams to make significant offers. Just something to think about.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Packers are eyeing place-kicker Michael Barnard as training camp competition for Mason Crosby, according to Bob McGinn of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Barnard has kicked in one game, in an indoor football league since leaving Farleigh Dickinson in 2008.
• Weston Hodkiewicz of the Green Bay Press-Gazette speaks with former Packers fullback Jim Taylor about his condition at age 77.
• Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com isn't expecting the Minnesota Vikings to spend big in free agency.
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com thinks the Vikings are ready to move on from backup quarterback Joe Webb.
• Dan Wiederer of the Star Tribune rounds up some mock draft thoughts on the Vikings' first-round pick.
• The Detroit Lions' signing of linebacker DeAndre Levy might make it tough to also retain linebacker Justin Durant, notes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Lions defensive tackle Sammie Hill appears set to test the free-agent market, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.
• For the Free Press, Brendan Kirby updates the Alabama legal situation of Lions defensive tackle Nick Fairley.
• Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com looks at the free-agent defensive tackle market from the Lions' perspective.
• Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune profiles the new business venture of former Chicago Bears linebacker Hunter Hillenmeyer.
• ESPNChicago.com has a slideshow of possible Bears free-agent targets.

» NFC Eight in the Box: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

Welcome to Eight in the Box, an NFL Nation feature that will appear each Friday during the offseason. This week's topic: How each NFC North team needs to address the quarterback position.

Chicago Bears: First, the new coach Marc Trestman must decide whether he thinks Jay Cutler is the team's long-term starter. Cutler's contract expires after the 2013 season, giving the Bears a chance to move on if Trestman is disappointed. Assuming he is not, the Bears must get Cutler signed to an extension over the next 12 months or be forced to use their 2014 franchise tag on him.

Of more immediate concern is Cutler's backup. Jason Campbell is a pending free agent, but the Bears might not want to devote the $3-$4 million in cap space it would require to re-sign him. Josh McCown, the 2012 third-stringer, could be an option.

Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford's $20.8 million cap figure needs to be lowered, and talks are underway on a contract extension. Regardless, he is the Lions' long-term starter. Backup Shaun Hill, 33, is signed through the 2013 season. He is a favorite of the coaching staff and is unlikely to be replaced by Kellen Moore, the 2012 third-stringer.

Green Bay Packers: Starter Aaron Rodgers' 2013 compensation of $9.75 million is well below market value and will lead to contract talks, but there is every expectation that he will play his entire career in Green Bay. Backup Graham Harrell played sparingly last season and could conceivably be challenged by 2012 draft choice B.J. Coleman.

Minnesota Vikings: Team officials have committed to Christian Ponder as their unquestioned starter, buoyed by his strong performance at the end of last season. Ponder will need a more consistent season in 2013 to generate "franchise" status, but the Vikings will give him every opportunity.

Backup Joe Webb will be forced to win his job back, probably in a training camp competition against a veteran to be acquired. Webb was thrown into an admittedly tough position as a surprise playoff starter, but his performance still cast doubt on whether he should be entrusted with the role moving forward.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Joe Webb's disastrous playoff performance didn't get him fired as the Minnesota Vikings' backup quarterback. It will, however, require him to beat out a yet-to-be-identified competitor to retain the position.

That's the best way I can put it after listening to Vikings coach Leslie Frazier and general manager Rick Spielman speak here at the NFL scouting combine. Both Frazier and Spielman said they were reluctant to judge Webb on how he played as the Vikings' surprise starter in a 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers, but it's clear they aren't willing to usher him back to that role unchallenged.

"I still have confidence in Joe," Frazier said. "I feel like he had a tough situation to go into and I'd like to see him compete with whatever we end up doing there, be it a veteran guy or if we draft a guy. But we definitely need to solidify that position and feel good about whoever would have to step up if something were to happen to Christian [Ponder]."

As usual, the list of veteran free agents -- especially those willing to sign with a team offering no opportunity to start -- is small. A conspiracy theorist would recall that Spielman drafted free agent Tyler Thigpen in 2007, only to lose him to the Kansas City Chiefs in a botched practice squad move, and had interest in signing him two years ago.

I have no evidence the Vikings will target Thigpen next month, but he has the profile of the type of veteran they would have available to them. The draft would offer more opportunities, especially for a team like the Vikings with nine draft choices, but it could be a challenge for a mid-round rookie to win the No. 2 job in training camp.

That leaves Webb in a difficult position and one that probably won't make many Vikings fans happy. The team's insistence on developing him at quarterback, amid their complete commitment to Ponder as a starter, means one of its most unique players can't get on the field. Frazier seems no more open to Webb as a multi-positional playmaker than he was last year.

"If we got to the point where we felt that there was somebody that beat Joe out," Frazier said, "you've go to do whatever you've got to do to make your team better. If we felt like that was the best thing for Joe and the best thing for the team, then you consider it. That would be saying that you found someone that is better than Joe."

But, Frazier added: "I'm not so sure that Joe's not a good NFL quarterback. He's shown that at times, when you go back and look at the Philly game [in 2010], the game he had against Detroit [in 2011], the way he finished against Chicago [in 2011]. He's done some things, even the Washington game he stepped in [in 2011], he's shown that he can play the quarterback position. You hate for that one game against Green Bay to be the defining moment for Joe. You see some of the quarterbacks that are playing today, that was a tough spot for him."

I don't doubt that, and I suppose the best-case scenario has Webb elevating amid the competition. In the worst case, however, he loses the competition and leaves the Vikings no time to train him at other positions. At this point, it's all or nothing for Joe Webb.

After the Minnesota Vikings' 24-10 loss to the Green Bay Packers, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. ESPN.com
   As we've already discussed, quarterback Christian Ponder's late-season surge almost certainly cemented his status as the Vikings' 2013 starter. Given the poor crop of quarterback prospects in the draft and limited options in free agency, it would be an upset if coach Leslie Frazier doesn't commit to Ponder for 2013. The depth behind Ponder, however, is a different story. Backup Joe Webb deserves a partial pass given the unprecedented position he was put in Saturday night. As we've noted, never before had a quarterback made a postseason start without throwing a single pass during the regular season. Some rustiness was to be expected, and we've seen Webb have much sharper passing games in his career. It is also impossible to defend offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave's decision to get away from the kind of read-option plays Webb seemed comfortable running. On the other hand, the job of a backup quarterback is to be effective in unexpected and often adverse situations. He must be relatively sharp with little practice. Webb, who has three years of experience in this role, was not. You have to think there is a way to incorporate his exceptional, if narrow, skill set into the offense, but he is probably miscast as a traditional No. 2 quarterback. Filling that job should be among the Vikings' offseason priorities.
2. The Vikings claimed to be mulling three players with their No. 1 draft pick last spring: Left tackle Matt Kalil, cornerback Morris Claiborne and receiver Justin Blackmon. Kalil was the right choice. His Pro Bowl-quality season helped stabilize the Vikings' pass protection, and their sack per dropback rate fell from 8.8 percent in 2011 (No. 25 in the NFL) to 6.2 (No. 16). However, the Vikings still have needs at the positions Claiborne and Blackmon play. Veteran cornerback Antoine Winfield's full season was a surprise, but he will be 36 when training camp begins. Chris Cook's third NFL season was interrupted by a broken wrist, but even when healthy he was inconsistent. Rookie Josh Robinson showed promise but faded late in the season. At receiver, the Vikings had no downfield threat to pair with Percy Harvin, a liability they recognized and didn't try to force. Their passing offense ranked No. 30 in the NFL in yards per dropback (5.34) and last in air yards (6.43).
3. You could write a book on the meaning and implications of tailback Adrian Peterson's historic season. Some would suggest we saw a rebirth of the running game and a demonstration of how it can carry a team to the playoffs. I tend to look at it the other way. Peterson had one of the best seasons in league history for a running back and the Vikings still needed a victory in their last game to clinch the NFC's final wild-card spot. In this case, and with most 2,000-yard rushers in league history, the impact was capped. Of the five years in which a 2,000-yard rusher's team has made the playoffs, only one brought a postseason victory: Terrell Davis with the Denver Broncos in 1998. An imbalanced offense, whether it falls too far toward the running or passing game, is limiting.

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

I don't understand the suggestion that Ponder should have "toughed out" his injury. From the best that I can tell, the decision wasn't based on pain tolerance. It was a matter of function. Ponder's bruised triceps was so tight he couldn't throw more than 15 yards. I saw his pregame warmup. Unless the whole thing was a conspiratorial ruse, Ponder could not have played anywhere close to effectively. If you think Ponder at 50 percent would have been better than Webb at 100 percent, you're missing the point. The quality of the backup, or lack thereof, shouldn't have bearing on the decision. They are two separate issues. Sunday's debacle at FedEx Field illustrates how short-sighted the tough guy mentality can be. Washington Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III played with an injury that dramatically reduced his effectiveness. It hurt his team and played a big role in its season-ending loss.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- OK. It's time to start the trek back to NFC North blog headquarters. I feel reasonably confident I've left you with enough to chew on for the balance of the day.

My game column from late Saturday night/early Sunday morning suggests the Green Bay Packers have transformed into the kind of team they need to be in order to defeat the San Francisco 49ers in the divisional playoff round. I offered some further "Quick Take" thoughts on the matchup as well.

The Minnesota Vikings, on the other hand, concluded an uplifting season in bizarre fashion. I more or less accepted their explanation for why quarterback Christian Ponder couldn't play but questioned whether they should have been surprised by his condition. We also scrutinized their game plan with backup Joe Webb, who is an able runner but had no passing accuracy after becoming the first player in NFL history to start a playoff game without throwing a pass in the regular season first.

The Chicago Bears' coaching search is also updated in all its glory as it extends into a second week.

I'll check in when I return to HQ for any news. Otherwise, we'll be back to our full blogging slate -- complete with Free Head Exams for the Packers and Vikings -- on Monday morning. Have a great afternoon.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Even in the context of their long and winding playoff history, the Minnesota Vikings took a bizarre left turn Saturday. A dozen warm-up throws shelved their starting quarterback, their coaches largely bypassed his backup's narrow skill set, and no one could really explain why and how it all happened in the aftermath of a 24-10 wild-card playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers.

At the top of that litany is quarterback Christian Ponder, whose game status never seemed in question until the Vikings listed him as questionable on their Friday injury report with what they termed an elbow injury. In fact, Ponder had a bruised triceps muscle that rendered him unable to throw with any velocity.

How could that be possible? Ponder didn't miss a snap after suffering the injury in last week's regular-season finale against the Packers. Ponder told reporters he got through that game on "adrenaline" and that the injury had worsened by midweek. He threw only a few passes in practice this past week. Did the Vikings do a masterful job of keeping the true injury secret? Or were they as surprised as everyone else that Ponder did not play?

"We were pretty optimistic the whole week that I would be ready to go," Ponder said. "The arm just never got to a point where it was good enough to be out there."

Reporters interviewing Ponder in the postgame locker room noted a large bruise running from the middle of his arm into his forearm. He described it as a "deep thigh bruise in my throwing arm" that caused only "a little bit of pain" but left him with limited flexibility.

"I couldn’t get the ball in the position to where I could throw it normally and lost a lot of power," he said. "It just wouldn’t have been wise to play."

Based on my Twitter feed during the game, I know many of you are questioning Ponder's toughness, and you're wondering why he didn't at least try to play. To me, there is a difference between playing with pain and playing with limited function. I saw Ponder's warm-up throws, which he said represented the top velocity of which he was capable. If that's the case, there is no way he could have played effectively Saturday night.

Maybe a quarterback can play with an injury to his non-throwing arm or shoulder. But to his throwing arm? That would be more indicative of limited intelligence than toughness, at least to me.

Where the Vikings are more culpable, in my mind, is in not adjusting their offense to take advantage of Joe Webb's open-field running ability. Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave called three read-option plays on the Vikings' opening drive, netting 33 yards. But according to ESPN Stats & Information, the Vikings ran only three more such plays for the rest of the game.

Instead, the Vikings had Webb throwing from the pocket -- which he was woefully unprepared to do after becoming the first quarterback in NFL history to start a playoff game without throwing a single regular-season pass. He completed only 11 of 30 passes, including just three of 12 that traveled more than 15 yards past the line of scrimmage.

Asked why the Vikings didn't stick with the read option, which seemed their one and only chance of moving the ball with Webb, coach Leslie Frazier said: "We mixed some of those read options along the way. But at some point, you would like to complete some passes. Early on we did have them off balance and had some opportunities in the passing game, but we just couldn't connect."

I'm guessing that after watching film of this game, even Frazier won't consider that an acceptable answer. The Vikings weren't going to complete many passes with Webb. If nothing else, Saturday night made clear that the Vikings will have to do a better job building depth at quarterback in 2013. It also rendered the team's decision to lock Webb into a traditional quarterback's role, rather than use him as a hybrid playmaker, a clear mistake.

The Vikings have a lot to be proud of, both individually and as a franchise, for their 2012 season. Saturday night, however, won't make the list.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- After the second or the third bounce pass Joe Webb threw Saturday night -- I can't remember which one -- it became quite clear the Green Bay Packers would be the NFC North team whose season would continue for at least one more week. And so I spent much of the evening watching the Packers with an eye toward their looming rematch with the San Francisco 49ers next weekend.

If nothing else, the Packers' 24-10 victory over the Minnesota Vikings provided another example of the quiet efficiency they developed over the second half of the season, a quality that is important in the postseason and seems crucial against an opponent such as the 49ers.

The Packers' defense physically overwhelmed the Vikings, limiting them to 167 yards through three quarters before garbage time began. The Packers finally stood up tailback Adrian Peterson, holding him to 99 yards on 22 carries and no runs longer than 18 yards. They did not commit a turnover, took only two penalties and were unfazed by the Vikings' surprise change at quarterback.

"This is a great game to play before we face San Francisco," defensive lineman Ryan Pickett said. "They try to pound the ball with Frank Gore and the other running backs they have. So this is a good game to warm up with."

If you were disappointed that the Packers didn't light up the Vikings with their passing game, especially after getting their top four receivers on the field for the first time since September, you haven't been paying attention recently. The Packers' offense has evolved from the pass-happy scheme the 49ers stymied in Week 1. In fact, running backs DuJuan Harris and John Kuhn were the focal points Saturday night.

Harris and Kuhn combined for three touchdowns and half of the Packers' total touches (27 of 54). As much as you might want to see the Packers' offense recapture its aesthetic beauty in the playoffs, well, that just isn't the team Green Bay has become nor is it the kind of team it needs to be.

Afterward, guard T.J. Lang had a hard time digesting a performance that included a modest 20 first downs and eight punts. "I don't want to be too negative," Lang said, "but it was pretty poor. Our defense won that game."

The better perspective might have come from defensive back Charles Woodson, who noted that the Packers now have a team that can conquer physical playoff matchups, whether it is Peterson and the Vikings or Gore and the 49ers' defense.

"We're a better team now," Woodson said. "That's the bottom line, from both sides of the ball. I think we're a team right now that is battle-tested. We've been in some tight ballgames and been able to pull them out. We can go into a tough environment against a good team."

Woodson made a triumphant return from a fractured collarbone that cost him 11 games this season, setting a physical tone with a takedown of Peterson on the opening drive and finishing with six tackles. As we discussed during the season, the Packers developed a new level of toughness while some of their best players were sidelined. On Saturday night, they began their playoff march by combining that experience with their full complement of stars -- from Woodson to linebacker Clay Matthews (two sacks) to receivers Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb (eight combined catches for 119 yards).

Woodson turned away suggestions that the Packers have all the pieces in place to win their second Super Bowl in three seasons, saying: "I don't want to prematurely speak on anything."

But I will.

Beating the 49ers at Candlestick Park will be a difficult task, especially when you recall how thoroughly the 49ers won the teams' Week 1 game. On Saturday night, however, we saw a Packers team that shrugged off two embarrassing performances against Peterson, figured out what it did wrong -- overpursuit, mostly -- and shut him down.

We saw a team perfectly willing to look away from its top weapons when the Vikings left its running backs unaccounted for in coverage. We saw a team that did not make a major mistake despite a decadelong history of doing so in home playoff games.

Those factors combined are why I continue to consider the Packers to be as poised as any team in the NFL to win the Super Bowl. Woodson said the Packers "are a long way from where we want to be," but that might be more a matter of geography than progress. This is a team that is going places.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- A few thoughts about Saturday's events at Lambeau Field:

What it means: The Green Bay Packers advanced to the division round of the NFC playoffs, winning a home playoff game for just the third time in their past seven attempts. They will play at the second-seeded San Francisco 49ers next Saturday at 8 p.m. ET.

Why pass? It's difficult to understand why the Minnesota Vikings tried to use backup quarterback Joe Webb as a pocket passer, in the process getting away from the read-option look with which they opened the game to much success. Webb ran for 22 yards on the Vikings' opening drive using the option, but for a long stretch thereafter, they used their conventional offense. Webb's inaccuracy proved comical at times, and the decision to put him in that position rather than play to his strengths mandates postgame scrutiny. Webb finished the game with 11 completions (in 30 attempts) and 68 rushing yards.

What I liked: The Packers were fully stocked at receiver for the first time in months, but they were more than happy to balance their play calling and spread their passes around the field. Running backs DuJuan Harris and John Kuhn combined for three touchdowns on 20 carries and seven receptions.

What I liked 2: The Packers' defense did a good job in its third swing at slowing down Vikings tailback Adrian Peterson, who ran for 99 yards on 22 carries but didn't have a run longer than 18 yards. For the most part, Peterson couldn't bounce his runs outside the tackles and down the sideline as he did so frequently in his 409-yard regular season against the Packers. The return of defensive back Charles Woodson seemed to make a difference for the Packers.

What I can't get upset with: On Twitter and on our Countdown Live chat, many of you wondered how Vikings quarterback Christian Ponder could miss a playoff game with an injury that didn't force him to miss a snap in last week's victory over the Packers. At this point, we don't have enough information about his sore elbow to conduct an educated analysis. I will say this, however. For a quarterback, I'm not sure there really is such a thing as "toughing out" an elbow injury. If the injury prevents or even limits your throwing, you can't play. It's not a matter of pain tolerance. It's a matter of function.

Injury report: Packers tight end Jermichael Finley left the game in the third quarter because of cramps and did not return. Vikings safety Harrison Smith did return after suffering a knee injury in the third quarter.

What's next: The Packers want to avenge their Week 1 loss to the 49ers, who outclassed them 30-22 at Lambeau Field. The Vikings will return home knowing they had a better season than even many of their players thought was possible. With a young roster, their future is bright. But they will be left to wonder whether Saturday's game would have been different with Ponder.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- So, yeah.

I've spent most of my time in our Countdown Live chat wondering why the Minnesota Vikings got away from the read option offense they opened with under backup quarterback Joe Webb. I don't have an answer for you.

The Green Bay Packers have a commanding halftime lead for two reasons:

1. The Vikings have inexplicably asked Webb to run their base offense for much of the game, even after he rushed for 43 yards in their first two series. Webb has put on a brutal passing display, routinely one-hopping and overthrowing passes and completing only three of 12 attempts. The Vikings have six net passing yards.
2. The Packers have capitalized on their huge advantage in the passing game. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers has once again torched the Vikings' defense, this time completing 14 of 18 passes for 205 yards and having two passes dropped on him.

Anything could happen, but with the Packers getting the ball to open the second half, they are in a commanding position to win this game and advance to the divisional playoffs next weekend at the San Francisco 49ers.

OK, back to our Countdown Live chat.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- We've already noted that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Joe Webb will become the first quarterback in NFL history to start a postseason game after not attempting a single pass all season.

Keith Hawkins of ESPN Stats & Information added some further context to this highly unusual situation.

Webb will be one of four quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era to start a playoff game without starting a regular-season game first. The others were:

• The Buffalo Bills' Frank Reich in 1992.
• The Detroit Lions' Gary Danielson in 1983.
• The Dallas Cowboys' Roger Staubach in 1972.

Reich was the only quarterback to win a start. It was the Bills' famous comeback victory over the Houston Oilers.