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ARLINGTON, Texas -- The Green Bay Packers won't have linebacker Erik Walden for Super Bowl XLV.

Walden (ankle) was among eight game-day deactivations the Packers just announced. Rookie Frank Zombo, who has missed most of the past two months because of a knee injury, will reclaim his starting job.

There was one mild surprise on the Packers' inactive list: Fullback Quinn Johnson, who has been part of the Packers' jumbo wishbone formation on the goal line, won't play. Johnson has been the Packers' primary fullback for a while, but I imagine fullback Korey Hall would take his place if necessary. Here is the rest of the list:

• Quarterback Graham Harrell
• Running back Dimitri Nance
• Cornerback Brandon Underwood
• Cornerback Josh Gordy
• Offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith
• Center/guard Nick McDonald

ATLANTA -- The most interesting pregame roster maneuver at Georgia Dome left the Atlanta Falcons without their usual nickelback. Brian Williams (knee) was deactivated, and second-year player Chris Owens is expected to handle that role.

It will be interesting to see if Williams' injury compels the Green Bay Packers to use their five-receiver set. They used it 14 times in the teams' Week 12 meeting.

Meanwhile, the Packers deactivated safety Atari Bigby (groin) and fullback Korey Hall (knee). Both had been listed as questionable on the injury report.

Getting inside the Friday injury report a day before Packers-Falcons:

Green Bay Packers: Linebacker Frank Zombo has been declared out. Safety Atari Bigby (groin) is questionable but has a good chance to be available. Offensive lineman Jason Spitz would have returned to practice Friday if the Packers had held one, and for that reason he is listed as questionable. Fullback Korey Hall (knee) is questionable, but seems to have a decent chance of being available. All other members of the 53-man roster should be available.

Atlanta Falcons: Cornerback Brian Williams (knee) is doubtful. The Falcons listed six players as questionable, but all of them participated in Friday's practice and appear on track to be available Saturday.

Defensive end Cullen Jenkins has been the Green Bay Packers' big injury question entering Sunday's wild-card playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Jenkins hasn't played in a month because of a strained calf muscle, and on Friday the Packers officially listed him as questionable on their injury report.

But barring a setback over the next 48 hours, it appears Jenkins is going to be ready for at least a limited role Sunday. Despite playing in only 11 games this season, he led Packers defensive linemen with seven sacks during the regular season.

"I'm hopeful that he'll go," coach Mike McCarthy said Friday. "... Everything has been very positive, and if he's ready to go, he will go on Sunday."

The Packers did rule three players out for Sunday: linebacker Frank Zombo (knee), safety Atari Bigby (groin) and fullback Korey Hall (knee). Everyone else on the Packers' 53-man roster should be available to play.

Getting inside our final (sniff, sniff) Friday injury report of the 2010 regular season:

Chicago Bears: As usual, the Bears are almost completely healthy. Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee) was removed from the injury report, leaving only receiver Earl Bennett. He is listed as questionable because of an ankle injury. Because the Bears have already locked up a first-round bye, it might be smart to rest Bennett against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday.

Detroit Lions: Receiver Calvin Johnson (ankle) did not practice all week but is listed as questionable on the injury report for Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings. Coach Jim Schwartz indicated Johnson will test out the ankle Sunday morning before a final decision is made. Cornerback Chris Houston (shoulder) is listed as doubtful and seems unlikely to play. All other players should be available for the Lions.

Green Bay Packers: Defensive end Cullen Jenkins (calf) has again been ruled out, but the Packers expect to have nickel back Sam Shields for Sunday's game. Shields (knee) returned to practice Friday, took his normal repetitions and is listed as probable on the injury report. Jenkins joins safety Atari Bigby (groin), linebacker Frank Zombo (knee) and fullback Korey Hall (knee) as players already ruled out of this game. Everyone else should be available for the Packers.

Minnesota Vikings: Quarterback Brett Favre once again didn't practice because of a concussion and is listed as doubtful. But interim coach Leslie Frazier wouldn't say whether Favre has been cleared to play Sunday, raising the possibility that he could make one final start. Take that for what you will. Meanwhile, receiver Sidney Rice (concussion) is also listed as doubtful and almost certainly won't play. Cornerback Asher Allen (abdomen) didn't practice all week but is listed as questionable. If he can't play, the Vikings would have to start either Lito Sheppard or Frank Walker opposite of Antoine Winfield. Safety Madieu Williams (concussion) was placed on injured reserve so the Vikings could promote cornerback Marcus Sherels from the practice squad.

Getting inside the Friday (non-Brett Favre) injury report:

Chicago Bears: Linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa (knee) won't play Sunday against the New England Patriots. Linebacker Nick Roach (hip) is questionable. All other players are expected to be available.

Detroit Lions: Right tackle Gosder Cherilus (knee) is doubtful for Sunday's game against the Green Bay Packers and likely will be replaced by Corey Hilliard. Receiver Derrick Williams (ankle) was placed on injured reserve. Linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee) is questionable, but all other players should be available. (Except quarterbacks Matthew Stafford and Shaun Hill.)

Green Bay Packers: The big news is that cornerback Charles Woodson, who sprained his ankle in practice Wednesday, appears fine. He's listed as probable for Sunday's game against the Lions. Left tackle Chad Clifton (concussion) is also probable. Three players were ruled out, to no one's surprise: Fullback Korey Hall (knee), defensive end Cullen Jenkins (calf) and cornerback Pat Lee (ankle). Backup safeties Atari Bigby (hamstring) and Anthony Smith (ankle) are questionable.

Minnesota Vikings: Receiver Percy Harvin is doubtful because of what the Vikings say is a two-week migraine headache. It's a near-certainty that Harvin won't play Sunday against the New York Giants. The Vikings have also ruled out cornerback Chris Cook (knee) and safety Tyrell Johnson (knee). Left guard Steve Hutchinson (thumb) is listed as questionable but interim coach Leslie Frazier said "it's going to be difficult" for Hutchinson to play. Defensive end Ray Edwards (ankle) is listed as questionable and is likely to be a game-time decision.

Getting inside the Friday injury report, better late than never...

Detroit Lions: Defensive end Cliff Avril (quadriceps) was ruled out of his second consecutive game, joining tailback Kevin Smith (thumb), place-kicker Jason Hanson (knee) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (shoulder). Linebacker Isaiah Ekejiuba (knee) and tight end Tony Scheffler (shoulder) are both questionable, but all other players will be available for Sunday's game at the Dallas Cowboys.

Green Bay Packers: Three players are listed as questionable: Receiver Donald Driver (quadriceps), fullback Korey Hall (back) and defensive lineman Ryan Pickett (ankle). Of that group, it appears Driver will play in at least some capacity Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings. The Packers are hopeful of the same with Pickett. Hall might not be ready. All other players will be available for Sunday's game.

Minnesota Vikings: Earlier Friday, receiver Sidney Rice (hip) said he would play Sunday. Receiver Bernard Berrian (groin), center John Sullivan (calf) and guard Anthony Herrera (elbow) are all listed questionable. It seems likely that Herrera will play, and probably Sullivan and Berrian's status won't be clear until Sunday morning -- if then.

After the Green Bay Packers' 45-7 victory Sunday over the Dallas Cowboys, here are three issues that merit further examination:

1. Kevin SeifertFollowing their win over the Cowboys, the Packers take their turn in the examination room.
   Quick: After taking in Week 9 action, what NFC teams can you say are definitely playing better than the Packers? Maybe the New York Giants? The Atlanta Falcons? For me, the list stops there. At the season's midpoint, the Packers are essentially where we thought they would be: among the top teams in the conference. They have taken a winding road to get there, and we of course have no assurances they will stay. But if they can beat an NFL team by 38 points, even if it's the semi-professional Cowboys, then you're definitely clicking on most cylinders. That the Packers could get to this point despite their long injury list is a tribute to their entire organization.
2. We can have our jokes about the Packers' decision to keep four tight ends and three fullbacks on their original 53-man roster, but they have made sure it paid off. Tight ends Donald Lee and Tom Crabtree stepped in Sunday night with rookie Andrew Quarless sidelined by injury, and I loved the Packers' three-fullback alignment in the second half -- John Kuhn flanked by Korey Hall and Quinn Johnson. If you're going to keep an unbalanced roster, you better find use for your surplus. Good for the Packers for finding a way, even if it's unconventional.
3. We'll have to do some digging and find out if one team has ever had two different players win back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. Last season, Packers cornerback Charles Woodson won it. This year, linebacker Clay Matthews is making a strong push. Through nine games, he has 10.5 sacks. He also returned an interception 62 yards for a touchdown Sunday night. There aren't many players around the league who are dominating at his level right now.

And here is one issue I don't get:

The Packers have gotten a Pro Bowl performance this season from cornerback Tramon Williams in place of the injured Al Harris. Rookie Sam Shields, when healthy, has been more than solid as a nickel back. But the Packers don't have enough depth behind Shields to release Harris, as they did Monday morning, if they think he can still play. I can only assume that Harris hasn't shown enough from a physical standpoint during three weeks of practice to merit an addition to the 53-man roster. Generally speaking, I would rather have a slowed-down Harris playing in the dime defense than Jarrett Bush or even Brandon Underwood. I can only assume that the Packers believe Harris has slowed down too much.

MINNEAPOLIS -- A few Sunday morning NFC North notes:

• Minnesota Vikings receiver Percy Harvin (hip) is active and will start against the Miami Dolphins. Cornerbacks Cedric Griffin (knee) and Chris Cook (knee) are inactive, also not a surprise. For the second consecutive week, the Vikings will have only three healthy cornerbacks on their game-day roster. Rookie tailback Toby Gerhart (knee) is active and will make his NFL debut.
• During ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” Adam Schefter reported the Vikings appear to be the leading candidate to acquire San Diego Chargers receiver Vincent Jackson if he is traded. Another team could always emerge before a Wednesday deadline that will extend Jackson’s NFL suspension to a total of six weeks.
• In Green Bay, left guard Daryn Colledge (illness) is active and will play. Fullback Korey Hall is inactive, meaning Quinn Johnson will get the start.
• ESPN's Chris Mortensen believes Packers general manager Ted Thompson will be "reluctant" to acquire Buffalo Bills tailback Marshawn Lynch.

Getting inside the Friday injury report:

Chicago Bears: Linebacker Nick Roach (hamstring) was limited in practice Thursday and Friday and is listed as questionable. The guess is that he won't play Sunday at the Dallas Cowboys. All other Bears players are expected to be available.

Detroit Lions: Defensive end Cliff Avril (knee/finger) and quarterback Matthew Stafford (right shoulder) have been ruled out for Sunday's home opener against the Philadelphia Eagles. Linebacker DeAndre Levy (groin) and safety Louis Delmas (groin/biceps/leg) are listed as questionable. The guess is Delmas has a better chance of playing than Levy. The Lions haven't given up on the possibility of Levy playing after he participated in two days of practice this week, but he might be set up to make his return in Week 3.

Green Bay Packers: Left guard Daryn Colledge (illness) and fullback Korey Hall (hip) were added to the injury report and listed as questionable, but it seems likely that Colledge will play Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. If he can't, rookie Bryan Bulaga would get his first NFL start. Defensive end Mike Neal (side/rib) and cornerback Brandon Underwood (shoulder) are questionable but might be a week away from returning. All other players, including cornerback Charles Woodson (toe), should be available.

Minnesota Vikings: Receiver Percy Harvin (hip) returned to practice Friday and is expected to play Sunday against the Miami Dolphins even though he is listed as questionable. Cornerbacks Cedric Griffin (knee) and Chris Cook (knee) are also questionable, but much less likely to play than Harvin. Running back Toby Gerhart (knee) is probable and will be available to play.

Some NFC North teams will continue tweaking their rosters over the next 24 hours, but for the most part, what you see is what you're going to get for Week 1 games. In that vein, let's take a look at some random but interesting (to me) trends we're seeing. Some of the observations are mine, and I've given credit to those who came up with the others:

1. Of the 53 players on the Bears' roster, only 23 of them were drafted by the team over the past seven years. Seven drafts should form the foundation of any team, but for the Bears it represents only 43 percent of the roster. (Source: Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune)
2. The Bears did bring back 2009 draft pick Juaquin Iglesias to the practice squad. The same could not be said for defensive lineman Jarron Gilbert.
3. The Green Bay Packers have more fullbacks (three) than tailbacks (two) on their roster. I can only assume that John Kuhn, Korey Hall and Quinn Johnson will participate heavily in special teams. The Packers had hoped to bring back Kregg Lumpkin on their practice squad to serve as a quasi-No. 3 runner, but Lumpkin was claimed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
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Andrew Weber/US PresswireSafety Louis Delmas is the only Lions defensive back who was on the roster last season.
4. By reaching an injury settlement with Will Blackmon and releasing Jason Chery, the Packers left themselves with no obvious kick returners. If that's their biggest problem, I'm not too worried about it. But in the short term, it looks like Jordy Nelson or possibly Brandon Jackson could fill the role. *Update: Coach Mike McCarthy said Monday that Tramon Williams and Greg Jennings are options at punt returner.
5. The Detroit Lions have turned over their entire secondary with the exception of safety Louis Delmas. Every other defensive back is new to the team this year. (Source: Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.)
6. To put a bow on a couple of trades: The Minnesota Vikings received a 2011 fifth-round pick and a conditional 2012 seventh-round draft pick from the New York Giants in return for quarterback Sage Rosenfels and kick returner Darius Reynaud. Meanwhile, the Lions and Denver Broncos exchanged undisclosed draft 2011 picks to complete the Alphonso Smith-Dan Gronkowski trade.
7. In announcing their waiver claim of former Green Bay tight end/linebacker Spencer Havner, the Lions listed him as a linebacker. That makes perfect sense considering the Lions' strong depth at tight end and thin situation at linebacker.
8. The Lions currently have five players listed as cornerbacks on their roster: Smith, Chris Houston, Jonathan Wade, Aaron Berry and Amari Spievey. But Spievey has been working at safety the past few weeks, and Berry is a rookie who missed much of training camp because of a hamstring pull. Your guess is as good as mine right now about who will fill the nickel and dime roles.
9. The Vikings are in a similar situation. They have three cornerbacks on their active roster, and even if they bring someone in over the next day or so, it's hard to imagine him participating Thursday night at New Orleans. You figure Antoine Winfield, Lito Sheppard and Asher Allen will make up the nickel package. But who will the Vikings play if they need a sixth defensive back? At this point, it will have to be one of their backup safeties.

The worst opening sentences of any sports story I've ever read went this way:

Somebody call 911.

[Random player] is on fire.

But for whatever reason, those sentences keep running through my head after watching the first half of the Green Bay Packers' preseason game against Indianapolis Colts. So here goes:

Somebody call 911.

AARON RODGERS IS ON FIRE AND THERE ARE FLAMES COMING OUT OF HIS ARM AND OH MY GOD IT CAN'T BE STOPPED!

OK, that's out of my system now.

If anyone has any doubts about what Rodgers and the Packers could do this season, I hope you at least watched the first half of Thursday night's 59-24 romp over the Colts. Rodgers overcame some early inaccuracy to lead a surgical two-minute drill just before halftime, a 78-yard procession over 1 minute and 22 seconds that reinforced his near-elite status in this league.

I know it was only a preseason game, but if you were watching, you saw the Colts' first-team defense getting in his face and knocking him down multiple times. But Rodgers completed all seven of his passes on the drive, including three ropes to tight end Jermichael Finley that covered 40 yards and a 3-yard flip to receiver James Jones for a touchdown.

After missing on eight of his first 22 passes, Rodgers finished 21 of 29 for 195 yards. The effort actually lowered his preseason passer rating to a still-sick 142.3. In just over four quarters of play this preseason, Rodgers has completed 41 of 53 passes for 470 yards, six touchdowns and no interceptions.

Yeesh.

The Packers led the Colts 28-17 at halftime, after which both teams began sitting their starters. All in all, it was a pretty impressive night for a team with Super Bowl aspirations. You can see a winning formula developing before your eyes: An offense that averages 56 points per game and a defense that gives up some yards but also makes some big plays.

(Joking on the 56 points. For the most part.)

Let's hit five random observations before calling it a night. You have to read until the end to find out the last time the Packers scored so many points in a preseason game.

1. You are excused for getting jittery after the Colts ran up 17 points on their first four possessions. Their first two plays were Joseph Addai's 49-yard run and an 18-yard touchdown pass from Peyton Manning to Pierre Garcon. On the former, defensive tackle B.J. Raji got moved way out of position, and on the latter, safety Nick Collins appeared to be barking instructions to rookie Morgan Burnett when Manning quick-snapped the ball.

Thereafter, however, the defense settled down as coordinator Dom Capers appeared to go exclusively with nickel and dime packages. The Colts' next three possessions ended in two punts and an interception by Burnett, who surprised Manning with a veteran decision to jump a short route. I don't see how Burnett is not the Packers' Week 1 starter at strong safety.

Playing without linebackers Clay Matthews, Brad Jones and defensive end Cullen Jenkins, I considered it an acceptable preseason performance by the Packers defense. You?

2. I've picked on Raji a bit lately, but he did make a nice play to tackle receiver Reggie Wayne on a screen for a 4-yard loss. Because of Capers' scheme choices, Raji spent almost the entire night as a defensive tackle rather than playing on the nose. That alignment also led to extensive first-team playing time for rookie defensive lineman Michael Neal, who started in Jenkins' place.

3. Running back Brandon Jackson ran hard after replacing Ryan Grant in the second quarter, but Jackson's red-zone fumble in the second quarter isn't going to motivate coaches to give him similar opportunities during the regular season. Grant was removed after eight carries but no injury was reported.

4. When evaluating Rodgers' night, keep in mind that receiver Greg Jennings was deactivated as precautionary measure because of back spasms. In his place, Donald Driver caught five passes, including a touchdown. Jones, meanwhile, had four receptions and the touchdown.

5a. The Packers scored two special teams touchdowns. Consider it a confidence booster, if nothing else, for a group that had spent the summer trying to get its footing. Korey Hall recovered a muffed punt return in the end zone during the second quarter, and Jason Chery returned a punt 75 yards for a score in the fourth quarter.

5. Trivia answer: The 59 points were the Packers' highest preseason total since defeating your Cedar Rapids Crush 75-0 in 1938.

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Here's what intrigued me more than anything I saw Thursday at Green Bay Packers training camp: a pair of simple tackling drills.

As you might recall, we have questioned the steps -- or lack thereof -- the Packers made to improve their pass defense in the wake of a couple ugly late-season showings. Didn't they need more cornerback depth? Other than linebacker Clay Matthews, where would their pass rush come from?

During an interview at the March owners meeting, coach Mike McCarthy said he would make the pass defense an "emphasis' and established two defensive priorities for the offseason: improving tackling and handling adversity. He added: "There are some things we can do to improve that in our drill work, and that's what will be done."

What the Packers did Thursday, and have done throughout their camp, was tackling drills that I haven't seen since covering high school football. In their morning session, they stacked two large pads on top of each other. An offensive player stood at one end holding a ball, and a defensive player was instructed to strike and fully tackle him in a painless, heavily-cushioned exercise.

In their evening session, players ran diagonally and were tackled into another set of cushions.

You might think that NFL players should already know how to tackle, and you might wonder how much tackling can affect pass defense. So I asked defensive coordinator Dom Capers to explain it all. (Think in terms of limiting yards after the catch.)

"I think all good defenses are really good tackling defenses," Capers said. "It's kind of a lost art. Part of it is once the salary cap came in, you were very limited on players and had to be careful about tackling guys in camp. We're trying to get as much as we can into those bags over there, including the follow-through and finish.

"Because what I've seen happen to tackling drills is that nobody finishes because you have to take those guys to the ground. So we have the pads there so you can tackle the guys through and finish, and take the guy to the ground, and you're being safe as far as injury.

"It's always driven me crazy that when guys do tackling drills, they just tag off. Because that's not the way it happens. You've got to wrap, you've got to drive, you've got to shoot your hips. You've got to follow through with the techniques as close as they're going to be on Sunday and eliminate the injury problem."

So there you go. Those tackling drills aren't the only measures the Packers have taken to address the pass defense, but they sure do help us close the book on McCarthy's comments in March.

Let's hit a few other camp observations before calling it a night:

• If I didn't know any better, I would say the Packers have pitted linebacker Brandon Chillar against Brad Jones for the starting linebacker spot opposite Clay Matthews. Jones returned from a back injury Friday, but Chillar continued to get the first-team snaps. "We have healthy competition everywhere," McCarthy said. "We're not giving a starting spot to Brad Jones. We're not giving a starting spot to Brandon Chillar."
• Matthews put a serious pop on fullback Korey Hall, knocking Hall to the ground with a shoulder thrust during 11-on-11 drills.
• I thought cornerback Pat Lee made an exceptional interception during the morning session, leaping over receiver James Jones to grab an Aaron Rodgers pass. Lee has been working primarily as the team's dime back during team drills, with Brandon Underwood at nickel. As we discussed many times this offseason, the Packers' hope for improved pass defense this season rests in part on their shoulders. Capers: "They're making progress. They both have the height that you want, the athletic ability. They're working the right way right now. They know that they need to continue making the kinds of plays that you saw out there today."
• I'm going to give it some more time, of course. But what I saw Thursday from rookie Sam Shields tells me he isn't among the top candidates to be the Packers punt or kickoff returner. The speedster mishandled three kicks while I was watching. That's about two more than coaches usually feel comfortable with over the course of an entire training camp.
• Rookie safety Anthony Levine put a nice hit on running back Quinn Porter during the evening session. Levine has apparently made an impression on coaches. "That's a young man you should keep your eye on," McCarthy said.

Getting inside the final Friday injury report of the 2009 season. (Sniff, sniff….)

Chicago Bears: Safety Al Afalava (knee), receiver Johnny Knox (ankle) and safety Danieal Manning (calf) are all listed as doubtful and not expected to play Sunday at Detroit. All other active players, including safety Craig Steltz (foot) should be available. Defensive tackle Israel Idonije (foot) and cornerback Charles Tillman (ribs) were placed on injured reserve earlier this week.

Detroit Lions: Linebacker Larry Foote (foot) won’t play against the Bears. Safety Louis Delmas (knee) and cornerback Phillip Buchanon (shoulder) are questionable. Delmas seems likely to play. Buchanon will be a Sunday decision.

Green Bay Packers: Safety Derrick Martin (ankle) is out and linebacker Brandon Chillar (back) is doubtful for Sunday’s game at Arizona. Nose tackle Ryan Pickett (hamstring) is listed as questionable, but it will be a surprise if he plays. Fullback Korey Hall (elbow) and defensive end Michael Montgomery (ankle) are questionable.

Minnesota Vikings: Nose tackle Pat Williams (elbow) made it through a week of practice and coach Brad Childress said he thinks Williams might be over the hump with the injury. His primary backup, Jimmy Kennedy, isn’t likely to play Sunday against the New York Giants because of a thumb injury. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe (thigh) is questionable but expected to play.

PITTSBURGH -- Green Bay nose tackle Ryan Pickett (hamstring) will be active for Sunday’s game at Pittsburgh, but rookie B.J. Raji is scheduled to start in his place.

That’s the highlight of the Packers’ pregame personnel shuffle. Their inactive list also includes fullback John Kuhn and dime back Brandon Underwood (hip). Korey Hall will open at fullback.