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We're Black and Blue All Over:

Andy Reid was an offensive lineman during his playing career and coached the Green Bay Packers' tight ends and offensive linemen for five years until then-coach Mike Holmgren switched him to quarterbacks. The move worked for the Packers, Reid and quarterback Brett Favre alike, and it's a model -- coincidental or otherwise -- that current Packers coach Mike McCarthy followed this winter.

Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com points out the parallel in reporting the shift of tight ends coach Ben McAdoo to the quarterbacks coach role. McAdoo is one of several rising stars on the Packers' coaching staff and will get a chance to demonstrate his abilities by taking over two important jobs: Mentoring MVP Aaron Rodgers and developing his next backup, be it Graham Harrell or someone else.

Wilde reports that Joel Hilgenberg, a quality control coach in 2011, is the likely replacement for McAdoo to coach tight ends.

Continuing around the division on a quiet morning in the NFC North:

• McAdoo lost a significant amount of money when the Packers blocked him from interviewing for two offensive coordinator jobs, notes Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• The city of Minneapolis' financing plan for a new Minnesota Vikings stadium has a funding shortfall, according to Tim Nelson of Minnesota Public Radio.
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times looks into the time new Chicago Bears general manager Phil Emery spent at the U.S. Naval Academy.
• There isn't a big difference between teams contending for the Super Bowl, Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz said, via Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

The Oakland Raiders' apparent decision to hire Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as their head coach will result in some stability among the Green Bay Packers' coaching staff.

Packers assistant head coach/inside linebackers Winston Moss and defensive coordinator Dom Capers were both candidates in the Raiders' job search, which was run by former Packers executive Reggie McKenzie, now the Raiders' general manager. Moss had been considered by many media members to be a favorite for the job, but McKenzie conducted a wide search.

To this point, offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is the only assistant to depart the staff. Philbin is the Miami Dolphins' new head coach. Coach Mike McCarthy hasn't announced a replacement yet. Quarterbacks coach Tom Clements remains a candidate for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' head-coaching job.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "It might be a little premature to declare Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy out of the woods completely, but any predictions about his staff being ravaged by outsiders seem to be overblown."
• Former Packers coach Mike Holmgren doesn't wonder what might have happened if he had stayed with the team rather than bolt for the Seattle Seahawks. Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette has more.
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton will meet Wednesday with Vikings owners Zygi and Mark Wilf to discuss the Metrodome stadium site. Mike Kaszuba of the Star Tribune details the political infighting currently in play on that site.
• Vikings general manager Rick Spielman allowed four reporters to sit in on an interview with Auburn long-snapper Josh Harris at the Senior Bowl. Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press has more.
• The Vikings plan to find more work for running back Toby Gerhart, regardless of Adrian Peterson's health, writes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Detroit Lions vice chairman Bill Ford Jr. spoke positively in rare public comments about the team. Tom Walsh of the Detroit Free Press has more.
• Lions receiver Calvin Johnson is sitting out the Pro Bowl because of an Achilles injury, but he is still heading to Hawaii this week and is bringing the Lions' entire receiving corps, notes Dave Birkett of the Free Press.
• Two Lions assistant coaches, Tim Walton (secondary) and Shawn Jefferson (receivers) are close to signing new contracts to stay with the team, according to Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• ESPNChicago.com has a rundown of Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher's comments on using the pain-killer Toradol.
• Urlacher expanded on those comments with Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli endorsed his director of college scouting, Phil Emery, for the Bears' general manager job. Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times explains.
• The Bears' new general manager will have the flexibility to change as much of the scouting staff as he wants. According to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the team's six college scouts and three pro scouts all have expiring contracts.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Half of the NFC North will now be impacted by the Oakland Raiders' wide search for a new head coach.

We already knew that new Raiders general manager Reggie McKenzie would have his eyes on multiple candidates from the Green Bay Packers, where he spent the past 17 seasons. But he is also interested in speaking with Chicago Bears offensive coordinator Mike Tice. The Raiders requested permission Tuesday to speak with Tice, a story first reported by Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Tice was promoted to his current job earlier this month, but by NFL rule the Bears can't deny permission to interview. He spent four seasons as the Minnesota Vikings' head coach from 2002-05 and is one of perhaps a dozen candidates linked to the first round of Raiders interviews; he is one of the few with previous head-coaching experience.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Bears have now interviewed two of their five candidates for their general manager job, the team announced. San Diego Chargers executive Jimmy Raye III was the latest through the door.
• Former Bears receiver Sam Hurd has a Jan. 25 arraignment set in Dallas after being indicted on federal drug conspiracy and possession charges. ESPNChicago.com has the story.
• Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Dom Capers would consider moving cornerback Charles Woodson to safety next season if Nick Collins (neck) doesn't come back. Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
• Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin is a finalist for the Miami Dolphins' head-coaching job and will receive a second interview, notes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Former Packers coach Mike Holmgren will be inducted into the team's Hall of Fame this summer, notes Kareem Copeland of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Both of the Detroit Lions' backup quarterbacks, Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton, will be free agents this spring, notes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. One or both could move on.
• Justin Rogers of Mlive.com review the appearance of Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh on "Jimmy Fallon."
• Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is moving closer to naming a preferred site for the Vikings' new stadium, according to Mike Kaszuba of the Star Tribune.

What key event significantly changed the fortunes of the Packers -- for better or worse? Give us your take and we'll give you our definitive moment on May 17.

There might not be an NFL team with a richer history than the Green Bay Packers, a unique franchise with 13 championships to its name. We're only brushing the surface.

The Packers began play in 1919 but soon fell on financial hard times. Ultimately, team founder Curly Lambeau arrived on a business model that has prevailed ever since. In 1923, he convinced local businessmen to buy stock in the company and made it a non-profit organization. (Historians might also note that the NFL's revenue-sharing model has had at least an equal role in the Packers' survival.)

The Packers hadn't had a winning season in 12 years when they hired new coach Vince Lombardi in 1959. What followed was one of the most remarkable and memorable runs by a professional sports team in any league.

Lombardi's departure sent the Packers spiraling for decades, and it wasn't until they hired general manager Ron Wolf in 1991 that their fortunes changed. Wolf made two huge acquisitions within weeks of each other, hiring coach Mike Holmgren on Jan. 11, 1992, and trading for quarterback Brett Favre on Feb. 10, 1992.

Favre's career falls under the Wolf category for the purposes of this project. At the same time, it's hard to imagine the Packers winning a Super Bowl within three years of his departure had they not drafted his replacement in 2005. Aaron Rodgers spent three years developing behind Favre and then was the MVP of Super Bowl XLV last season.

Use the module in this post to cast your vote. If you vote Other, give us your suggestion in the comments area below.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Minnesota Vikings coach Leslie Frazier filled the last significant job on his inaugural staff Monday by hiring James Saxon as his running backs coach. Saxon spent the past three seasons in a similar role with the Miami Dolphins, who use the kind of power running scheme that Frazier hopes to utilize in Minnesota.

It will be interesting to see exactly what Frazier and offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave scheme up for this team, which includes one of the NFL's elite running backs in Adrian Peterson but also a number of skilled receivers. Much of it will depend on who the Vikings acquire to start at quarterback, but it would be a shame to see them minimize the potential of receivers Sidney Rice and Percy Harvin, along with tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, in favor of a run-heavy scheme.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Vikings have agreed to terms with former CFL receiver Emmanuel Arceneaux, who caught 130 passes in the past two seasons. The Star Tribune has more.
• Arceneaux worked out for eight NFL teams this winter, notes Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com.
• Green Bay Packers coach Mike McCarthy is following a Super Bowl bye-week schedule similar to the one former Packers coach Mike Holmgren used, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Packers running back John Kuhn was on the Pittsburgh Steelers' practice squad when they won Super Bowl XL, notes Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Most people don't know the person behind the façade of Packers general manger Ted Thompson, writes Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com.
• Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has a sore shoulder but it is not deemed serious, according to The Associated Press.
• Rodgers on reaching the Super Bowl, via Jeffri Chadiha of ESPN.com: "The journey is the sweetest part for me. I've really enjoyed the road that I've been forced to take in my career going all the way back to high school [in Chico, Calif.]. Just being on that journey and having to work for the success I've achieved -- and never being complacent -- has made it that much more satisfying."
• To no surprise, Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo said the team plans to offer coach Lovie Smith a contract extension. Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times has more.
• Bears quarterback Jay Cutler has a Grade 2 sprain of the MCL in his left knee, according to the Chicago Tribune. The injury can take up to a month to heal.
• Smith wasn't very clear about why Todd Collins ranked ahead of Caleb Hanie on his quarterback depth chart, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Detroit Lions coach Jim Schwartz is in a laid-back mood these days, writes Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press.
• Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis doesn't think highly of the career of Lions receiver Calvin Johnson to this point, notes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.

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

Five nuggets of knowledge about Week 13:

Bad combination: The Chicago Bears are tied for the NFL lead with 26 takeaways this season. In the Detroit Lions' Drew Stanton, they'll face a quarterback who has thrown seven interceptions in 104 career attempts while also losing two fumbles. That's nine turnovers in one start and eight relief appearances. If the Lions are going to take any pressure off Stanton, it will have to be with a running game likely to feature No. 3 tailback Maurice Morris. I don't like Stanton's chances of navigating the Bears' defense mistake-free, which is what he'll have to do in order to win this game. The Bears have 16 interceptions this season, 13 of which have come against their standard four-man pass rush. That means they'll be sitting back in coverage Sunday, simply waiting for Stanton to make a bad decision or an inaccurate throw.

History in the making? The Lions haven't won an NFC North game since defeating the Bears in Week 8 of the 2007 season. Since then, they're 0-18 against the Bears, Green Bay Packers and Minnesota Vikings. Overall since that 16-7 victory against the Bears, the Lions have lost 46 of 51 games. Only one of their five victories over that stretch has been against a team with a winning record at the time, their Week 8 victory against the Washington Redskins this season. For those hoping or believing the Lions will win Sunday, I present these facts without comment to provide context for how historic such a victory would be.

Loving Lambeau: How big of a late-season home-field advantage is Lambeau Field? Beginning in 1992, the Packers are 34-6 in regular-season home games played in December or January, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That .850 winning percentage is by far the best in the NFL over that span. (The New England Patriots are No. 2 at .789.) The 18-year trend has spanned multiple coaching tenures, from Mike Holmgren (13-1) to Mike Sherman (13-2) to Mike McCarthy (7-2). And if you're keeping track, it's been even longer since the Packers lost a regular-season game -- at any point in the season -- to the San Francisco 49ers. The last time was in 1990, and the Packers have since won eight consecutive games against the 49ers. I realize every game stands on its own merit, but from a pregame perspective, this is a pretty good matchup for the Packers.

Brown and Blue all over: You might not recognize the Packers on Sunday when they first trot onto the field. They'll be wearing throwback uniforms from the 1929 "Acme" Packers team that won the franchise's first world championship. In those days, the Packers wore blue jerseys, brown pants and brown (logo-free) helmets. So that's what they'll be wearing Sunday. If you're interested, Packers.com published a photo gallery this week of staff members putting the final touches on said uniforms. I'm no style maven, so I'll let you be the judge.

Mettle testing: With a quarterback who committed 22 turnovers in the first 10 games of the season, Minnesota Vikings interim coach Leslie Frazier wants his team focused on the running game. That sentiment makes especially good sense for Sunday's game against the Buffalo Bills, who are giving up significantly more yards rushing per game than any other NFL team. Opponents are averaging 167.4 yards per game against them. The next worst rush defense is the Arizona Cardinals, who are giving up 146.5. This matchup is good timing for the Vikings, who at best will have a gimpy Adrian Peterson (ankle) on the field. Whether or not Peterson plays, you can expect significant doses of rookie Toby Gerhart and possibly No. 3 tailback Albert Young as well.

Chicago center Olin Kreutz will have surgery on an ailing Achilles tendon but is expected to be ready to play once training camp begins in July, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

Kreutz has been dealing with the injury for two years and sought the opinions of at least two specialists. The procedure is expected to require four to six months of rehabilitation. At this point, there’s no reason to believe the Bears plan anything other than to bring the veteran back for the 2010 season.

In the meantime, it’s possible the Bears will use Josh Beekman at center during spring drills.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• The Bears plan to re-sign linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa for 2010, according to Biggs.
• Chicago coach Lovie Smith is feeling some urgency to wrap up his search for an offensive coordinator, writes Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times. Next up is Minnesota quarterbacks coach Kevin Rogers, who will interview Thursday.
• Vikings cornerback Antoine Winfield will see a foot specialist in the next two weeks to check on the progress of his recovery, according to Judd Zulgad of the Star Tribune. Winfield fractured his foot Oct. 18.
• Detroit assistant defensive line coach Kris Kocurek, who could soon be promoted to defensive line coach, is known for his intensity. Nicholas J. Cotsonika of the Detroit Free Press watched Kocurek during Senior Bowl drills.
• Kocurek is only 31, notes John Niyo of the Detroit News.
• Green Bay president/CEO Mark Murphy won’t give a news conference at the Super Bowl after all, writes Don Walker of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• New Cleveland president Mike Holmgren hired Green Bay executive Mark Schiefelbein to be his vice president of football operations. Here’s some background from the Green Bay Press-Gazette.

» NFC: Cardinals | Saints | Vikings | Cowboys » AFC: Jets | Chargers | Ravens | Colts

A look at a player who could be a difference-maker this weekend.

Want to impress your friends this weekend? When someone asks who led Minnesota in touchdown receptions this season, you can look at the headline of this post and answer correctly.

That’s right. It wasn’t Pro Bowl receivers Sidney Rice or Percy Harvin. It wasn’t Bernard Berrian or Chester Taylor. Yes, tight end Visanthe Shiancoe was the Vikings’ most dangerous red zone receiver in 2009, catching all of his 11 touchdowns from inside the 20-yard line.

Although Shiancoe was the Vikings’ third-leading receiver overall with 56 catches, you’ll probably hear much more about Rice, Harvin, Berrian, Taylor and Adrian Peterson during pregame hype for Sunday’s divisional playoff game against Dallas. But make no mistake: Shiancoe’s reliability in the red zone is critical in a close playoff game, where the difference between a touchdown and a field goal could determine which team advances to the NFC Championship Game.

Quarterback Brett Favre is a product of one of the original West Coast offenses under Mike Holmgren in Green Bay. That scheme always favored the tight end as it approached the end zone, and Favre has long made it a habit to look that way.

Shiancoe has taken full advantage, catching three 1-yard touchdowns this season. Seven of his 11 scores came inside the 10-yard line. With defenses focused on the corner fade pattern to Rice, Shiancoe has worked the middle of the end zone to his advantage.

Shiancoe, in fact, has caught 18 touchdowns over the past two seasons. No other NFL tight end can match that production. In fact, the only two NFL players who have caught more touchdowns than Shiancoe over the past two seasons are Arizona receiver Larry Fitzgerald (25) and New England receiver Randy Moss (24).

His name is hard to remember and harder to pronounce. (FYI: It's Vi-SAHN-te SHANK-oh.) But if things go well Sunday for Minnesota, it will be mentioned often.

So there you have it. Brett Favre's arrival in Minnesota generated one of the best seasons in Vikings history. It brought Minnesota a division championship, a first-round bye in the playoffs and an explosive passing attack to an offense that had swallowed up quarterbacks before this season.

Now the rub. Is that list of accomplishments enough to consider the Favre experiment a success? Or as the playoffs begin, are we only at the starting line for answering that question? What do we need to validate the expense and big-picture implications of this event? The Vikings, after all, added $12 million to their payroll and further delayed their long-standing inability to develop a quarterback to bring in Favre for a short-term run.

From my vantage point, I think it's fair to say the move has done as much as it could do so far. But if it goes no further -- if the Vikings fail to make a deep playoff run -- then it would be hard to consider it a triumph.

Asked to address the issue after Sunday's 44-7 victory over the New York Giants, Favre said his “only reason” for playing this season was to win the Super Bowl. But if the Vikings fall short, Favre seemed convinced his regular-season performance would stand on its own merit.

“It's been a great year,” Favre said. “I'm not surprised by the fact that we are in the playoffs. Where we go from here, we will see. This team is capable of doing a lot of good things. I thought about that throughout the whole process of coming back, of what was acceptable versus not acceptable. I had to be cautious with anything less than Super Bowl. Although that is the main goal and the only goal, I can't beat myself up. I can only do what I can do and hope that it's good enough.

“I'm very pleased with where we are right now, and will obviously be with each win from here on. Hopefully we have a few more. It sure would make it a lot sweeter.”

(Read full post)

New Cleveland president Mike Holmgren spoke highly Monday of a Green Bay executive who could be on his list of candidates to be the Browns’ new general manager.

Speaking with Cleveland-area reporters, Holmgren said that Reggie McKenzie, one of the Packers’ directors of football operations, could be a candidate. Another possibility is John Schneider, the Packers’ other director of football operations.

Asked specifically if he would interview McKenzie as part of the NFL’s requirement to consider minority candidates for such jobs, Holmgren said: “I think Reggie McKenzie is a good man and a good friend. I’ve been doing this for a long time and I think I have made a lot of good friends and know a lot of good people in this league. By rule, we really can’t get started on any of this stuff until the final regular season game. At which point, obviously we will comply with the ‘Rooney Rule’ and interview African-American candidates as part of the process. … Reggie would certainly be in that category.”

Holmgren made clear he hasn’t yet spoken with McKenzie or any other candidate for the job. Another Packers executive whose name has been mentioned prominently is director of football operations John Schneider.

Barring a change in his weekly routine, Minnesota quarterback Brett Favre will give his weekly news conference Wednesday afternoon at about 1:15 p.m. ET. I’m guessing he’ll take a question or two about his relationship with coach Brad Childress, a national topic of debate ever since he revealed Sunday night that Childress wanted to take him out of a 7-6 game in the third quarter at Carolina.

Update: Here is a news analysis from ESPN's Ed Werder, who reports Favre and Childress are mostly at odds over the level to which Favre audibles during games. I can tell you from experience that this has been an issue for several other quarterbacks who have played for Childress in Minnesota.

As Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press suggests, Childress and Favre are similarly stubborn and need to find some common ground for at least the next several weeks. Powers writes:

“It isn't anything that can't be cured by six tubes of liniment and some time off for Favre, who is old, beat up and cranky. And Childress might want to have himself checked for obsessive-compulsive disorder because he doesn't cope with change very well. No coach should pop a blood vessel every time an audible backfires.”

I’ll be in attendance, as you might imagine, and will report back as soon as I can. You can also check our NFL page if a news story is warranted.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Tim Keown of ESPN The Magazine wonders if Childress doesn’t recognize Favre’s skills fading in December.
• Green Bay receiver Donald Driver had three drops Sunday at Pittsburgh, an issue the entire Packers receiving corps is working on. Lori Nickel of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has more.
• New Cleveland president Mike Holmgren could raid the Packers’ front office, writes Pete Dougherty of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Kansas City’s release of receiver Mark Bradley is another pock on Chicago’s recent draft record, writes Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago.
• Bears defensive end Mark Anderson will get his chance as the primary replacement for injured starter Adewale Ogunleye, notes Vaughn McClure of the Chicago Tribune.
• Detroit coach Jim Schwartz hasn’t totally given up on Gosder Cherilus as his right tackle, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• It’s looking unlikely that Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford will start Sunday against San Francisco, writes Tom Kowalski of Mlive.com.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert

You never like to see people put in an impossible position to succeed, but that’s my overwhelming feeling after seeing longtime NFC North/Central friend Sherman Lewis named Washington’s new playcaller.

Lewis has been the offensive coordinator in Green Bay (1992-99), Minnesota (2000-01) and Detroit (2003-04). For all the good things he did during his career, especially in Green Bay, many people would agree that play-calling wasn’t one of them.

Packers coach Mike Holmgren called plays during most of Lewis’ tenure there. Lewis’ brief role as a playcaller under Ray Rhodes in 1999 did not go well, as Jason Reid of the Washington Post points out. And a few of you might remember that in 2001, then-Vikings coach Dennis Green once stripped Lewis of play-calling duties in the middle of a game at Chicago.

And as crazy as it sounds, those situations were much more conducive to success than what Lewis is stepping into now. Taking over an offense after two weeks as a consultant -- and as a result of a front office ultimatum to head coach Jim Zorn -- is a recipe for disaster. I just hope Lewis doesn’t catch the brunt of the blame in Washington if (and when) this experience turns sour.

Posted by ESPN.com’s Kevin Seifert

We stirred up parallel debates in this week’s edition of “Have at It.” We’re apt to do that on occasion. Brett Favre suggested that Minnesota’s 2009 team is the best he has played for, and so we asked you to compare it to the 1996 Green Bay squad that Favre led to a Super Bowl championship.

	Glenn James/NFL
	Who deserves the nod: Reggie White's 1996 Packers or the 2009 Minnesota Vikings?

Favre qualified his assessment -- “physically and from a talent level” -- but many of you broadened the discussion past the skills of the individual players and into the “best overall team” zone. On that level, very few of you were willing to project championship-level success for the Vikings after five games.

Wrote Robbiemustgo32: “I don't need to look at the rosters, the comparisons ended for me when I read ‘1996 Packers CHAMPIONSHIP group’.”

Adambballn wants “to see the Vikings play somebody” before drawing any conclusions. (Indeed, three of their victories have come against Cleveland, Detroit and St. Louis -- combined records of 2-13.)

A few of you attempted some roster analysis. After all, as Cmwernick3201 noted: “Saying the ‘96 Packer team is better simply because they won the SB is invalid to the discussion.”

I thought pchrisb3443 had one of the less emotionally-charged evaluations:

Overall I'd go with the 1996 Packers and not just because I'm a Packer fan. This year's Vikings have the edge as far as running back and maybe offensive line but that's about it. As good as Jared Allen is, he's no Reggie White even at that point in Reggie's career. And to have Sean Jones at the other end just made Reggie even more effective. Percy Harvin's got one special team TD but he needs a few more to compare to the season [Desmond] Howard had. Mark Chmura and Keith Jackson at TE? No comparison there. The wideouts are close as are the defensive backs. I'd also take the '96 version of Favre over the '09 version but not by too terribly much. Let's not forget the coaching staffs. You've got to go with [Mike] Holmgren and his staff.

EXIT_HERE concluded there is no debate after breaking it down this way:

• QB: '96 Packers
• RB: '09 Vikes
• FB: '96 Packers
• TE: '96 Packers
• WR: '96 Packers
• Oline: Even
• Dline: Even
• LB: Even
• CB: '96 Packers
• Safety: '96 Packers
• Special Teams: '96 Packers
• Coaching Staff: '96 Packers

My take? I’m with those who don’t think it’s worth our time to debate whether Minnesota can match the accomplishments of the 1996 team. It’s way too early in the season, and even Favre circled back this week and admitted he “caught a lot of heat” for even hinting at the suggestion. He emphasized that “we’ve got a long way to go to reach that team.”

As we noted in the original post, the 1996 Packers are the only team in the past 36 years to lead the NFL in most points scored and fewest points allowed. That’s a tremendous illustration of balance at a high level, something the Vikings have the potential to approach but probably won’t achieve. Through five weeks, the Vikings rank No. 3 in points per game (31.2) and are tied for No. 9 in points allowed (18) per game.

As for the rosters themselves, the ’96 Packers had five Pro Bowl players: Safety LeRoy Butler, tight end Keith Jackson, defensive end Reggie White, center Frank Winters and Favre. Based on how Pro Bowl voting works these days, I would suggest the Vikings have five near-locks for that honor: tailback Adrian Peterson, left guard Steve Hutchinson, defensive end Jared Allen, defensive tackle Kevin Williams and cornerback Antoine Winfield.

But when judging the rosters by position, as EXIT_HERE and others did, it’s hard to give this year’s Vikings group more than two advantages. I’ll grant them running back and linebacker, but I’m feeling a bit shaky on the latter. Luckily I’m not a personnel evaluator. Just a two-bit blogger hack who enjoys a good debate.

The 1996 Packers vs. 2009 Vikings OFFENSE 1996 WR: Antonio Freeman LT: John Michels LG: Aaron Taylor C: Frank Winters RG: Adam Timmerman RT: Earl Dotson TE: Mark Chmura/Keith Jackson WR: Robert Brooks/Don Beebe QB: Brett Favre RB: Edgar Bennett FB: William Henderson PK: Chris Jacke KR: Desmond Howard 2009 WR: Bernard Berrian LT: Bryant McKinnie LG: Steve Hutchinson C: John Sullivan RG: Anthony Herrera RT: Phil Loadholt TE: Visanthe Shiancoe WR: Sidney Rice WR: Percy Harvin QB: Brett Favre RB: Adrian Peterson PK: Ryan Longwell KR: Percy Harvin DEFENSE 1996 DE: Reggie White DT: Gilbert Brown DT: Santana Dotson DE: Sean Jones OLB: Wayne Simmons MLB: George Koonce OLB: Brian Williams CB: Craig Newsome SS: LeRoy Butler FS: Eugene Robinson CB: Doug Evans P: Craig Hentrich PR: Desmond Howard 2009 DE: Jared Allen DT: Kevin Williams DT: Pat Williams DE: Ray Edwards OLB: Chad Greenway MLB: E.J. Henderson OLB: Ben Leber CB: Antoine Winfield SS: Tyrell Johnson FS: Madieu Williams CB: Cedric Griffin P: Chris Kluwe PR: Darius Reynaud PR: Jaymar Johnson

• Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress talks about how Brett Favre has prepared for the game against the Packers, saying this week has been just like any other week but he imagines Favre may feel some emotions when he sees friends on the other sideline.
• Former Packers and Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren says he doesn't care what anybody says, Favre is going to be very excited for Monday night, but when the game starts, he'll get his emotions in check and be ready to play.
• Hall of Famer and ESPN NFL analyst Mike Ditka shares his thoughts on Favre facing the Packers.

Posted by ESPN.com's Kevin Seifert

I thought former Dallas receiver Michael Irvin made a good point Thursday on Sirius NFL Radio when asked about Brett Favre's interest in playing for Minnesota this season. (The latest: Favre consulted this week with renowned orthopedist Dr. James Andrews about his partially torn biceps tendon.)

Essentially, Irvin said that one of Favre's greatest gifts -- his unwillingness to consider conventional wisdom -- is now working against him.

Irvin: "I can't understand this for the life of me. I love Brett and I appreciate his competitiveness and I appreciate the times he didn't listen to anyone. Because I remember the Monday Night [game] after he lost his father and everybody said, 'Brett, don't play. Just don't play, Brett. It's too tough for you.' He didn't listen. It was one of his greatest assets. He didn't listen and he showed up and he played great and we have a memorable moment to remember on that Monday night, watching Brett Favre play that game because he did not listen to anyone. But the reality is now it's time for him to start listening. His greatest asset is becoming his greatest liability..."

We'll keep you updated. For now, let's take a spin around the NFC North:

• Green Bay is putting the finishing touches on a new practice field that will have permanent stands and lights for night practices in training camp. It will also have a heated portion for winter practices, writes Keegan Kyle of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Brian Murphy of the St. Paul Pioneer Press provides a thorough recap of Thursday's hearing in U.S. District Court, where Minnesota defensive tackles Kevin Williams and Pat Williams are suing the NFL to have their four-game suspensions revoked.
• Vikings quarterback Sage Rosenfels on the Favre rumors: "It doesn't make any sense to comment on something that hasn't happened." Sean Keeler of the Des Moines Register has the story.
• Former Green Bay and Seattle coach Mike Holmgren sizes up the Chicago's acquisition of quarterback Jay Cutler in this ESPN Radio podcast, wondering if it represents a philosophical change in the way the Bears are building their team.
• Detroit plans to give equal practice reps this offseason to rookie quarterback Matthew Stafford, writes Carlos Monarrez of the Detroit Free Press.
• Lions coach Jim Schwartz said that new linebacker Larry Foote brings the team "street credit," writes John Niyo of the Detroit News.