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PALM BEACH, Fla. -- In the midst of the early glimpses into the New Orleans Saints' bounty program, this nugget escaped us on the blog: Former Indianapolis Colts coach Tony Dungy suggested that the Tennessee Titans had a bounty on quarterback Peyton Manning during the time when Jim Schwartz was their defensive coordinator.

It was at least the second time that Dungy had indirectly criticized the Detroit head coach in a public forum; the first came last November when Dungy said the Lions needed to do a better job of keeping defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh under control.

During a break Tuesday at the NFL owners meetings, Schwartz was asked if Dungy's newest criticism was accurate: Did the Titans have a bounty on Manning during that time period?

Schwartz's initial response: "I don't have any comment on what Tony Dungy said."

Schwartz, however, went on to speak extensively on the distinction between encouraging aggressive, legal play and organizing illegal bounties. He suggested public discussion on the Saints' program has lumped too many unrelated practices together and said his intent has always been to elicit "a big hit within the rules."

Like many defensive coordinators, Schwartz said he awarded players with a lacquered baseball bat, and later boxing gloves, for the biggest legal hit in a game when he was with the Titans. Many special-teams coaches, he said, print T-shirts with aggressive mantras on the front.

"There's a big difference between that and cash bonuses and bounties and things like that to put people out of the game," Schwartz said. "I think people focus more on the exception rather than the rule."

I agree that, in some segments of this debate, the lines have blurred between aggressive players and players who have been incentivized with cash to injure players with cash. The former is a part of the game. The latter should never be. It's wrong to view the two in the same light.

"This is a game that is meant to be played with a physical nature," Schwartz said. "You're trying to hit guys as hard as you can. You're not trying to get penalties and not doing anything to encourage penalties."

Sorry I'm a bit late weighing in on the Green Bay Packers' agreement with free-agent center Jeff Saturday. For some reason, there were pigs flying past my office window. I went outside to get a better look and found a four-leaf clover in the yard. Then I glanced up to the sky and could have sworn I saw a cow jumping over the moon.

Do not adjust your reading glasses. This is not one of my legendary typos. The Packers did in fact sign an unrestricted free agent, their first in three offseasons, to replace a departed starter. Saturday was a necessary addition for a number of reasons, but mostly because the center position is a rare instance in which the Packers did not groom an obvious replacement for a veteran with an expiring contract.

The Packers weren't able to reach agreement with incumbent Scott Wells, who signed a four-year deal with the St. Louis Rams a week ago. His 2011 backup, Evan Dietrich-Smith, is more of a guard. With an MVP quarterback in their backfield, the Packers clearly weren't ready to roll the dice at center. Finding one ready to start immediately in the draft was a risky proposition at best.

Saturday is a five-time Pro Bowl player, most recently in 2010, and his intelligence was an undermentioned factor in the success of the Indianapolis Colts' sophisticated passing offense. It's easy to imagine him handling his share of the Packers' in-game decision-making with quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

Saturday has played 13 seasons and is 36 years old, so it's fair to consider him a short-term replacement. But at the very least, the Packers' offense shouldn't miss much in the transition from Wells, and Saturday should be able to handle a full load of no-huddle plays and other nuances that put strain on a center.

I'm sure general manager Ted Thompson would have preferred an option other than free agency, but the Packers didn't have one in this instance. It's the best short-term move the Packers could have made after Wells' departure, and it gives Thompson a reasonable window in which to draft or otherwise acquire a long-term replacement. We don't yet have the details of Saturday's contract, but it's fair to assume the Packers made a very competitive offer to keep him from rejoining his former quarterback Peyton Manning with the Denver Broncos.

Now pardon me while I go clean up those pig droppings ...

We're Black and Blue All Over:

We've lumped the Green Bay Packers into TebowWatch primarily because of some positive comments made two years ago by coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson. But citing a source, Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com reports the Packers truly have legitimate interest in acquiring Tebow and are doing their due diligence on him and the potential trade market.

As Wilde points out, Thompson tends to be methodical and might not be willing to move quickly if other teams approach the Denver Broncos to pull off a trade soon. But it apparently is not something that has been written off inside the Packers' offices.

There is no reason not to at least discuss Tebow for a backup position, considering the Packers' tenuous situation behind starter Aaron Rodgers. Matt Flynn's departure leaves former No. 3 quarterback Graham Harrell as the presumed No. 2, but it's fair to consider all options before making that promotion. A backup quarterback is expected to find a way to win games if pressed into duty, and if nothing else, Tebow has shown he can do that.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• Newly re-signed Jarrett Bush said he only wanted to leave the Packers if he were offered a starting job elsewhere, writes Rob Demovsky of the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
• Free-agent center Jeff Saturday, who visited the Packers earlier this week, is scheduled to visit the Broncos, notes AFC West colleague Bill Williamson.
• The Packers have some interest in free-agent linebacker Manny Lawson, according to Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
• Judd Zulgad of 1500ESPN.com looks at the Broncos' acquisition of Peyton Manning through the lens of the Minnesota Vikings' 2009 pursuit of Brett Favre.
• The Vikings signed fullback Jerome Felton, a former Detroit Lions draft pick whom they tried to claim on waivers last season. Mark Craig of the Star Tribune has more.
• Receiver/return man Ted Ginn Jr. is the latest free agent to visit the Vikings' facility. Jeremy Fowler of the St. Paul Pioneer Press traces the team's recent history with free-agent receivers.
• The Lions re-signed linebacker Ashlee Palmer, notes Anwar S. Richardson of Mlive.com.
• Richardson also notes the Lions are trying to re-sign running back Kevin Smith.
• Lions defensive lineman Andre Fluellen has re-signed, writes Chris McCosky of the Detroit News.
• Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press: "Rather than chase big-name additions or marginal talent upgrades, general manager Martin Mayhew spent the last week ensuring the core of last year's wild-card team would remain intact."
• Chicago Bears linebacker Brian Urlacher on the acquisition of receiver Brandon Marshall, via ESPNChicago.com: "The only thing I worry about is him getting suspended. The NFL is pretty harsh on stuff like that. That's one thing I worry about, is him missing time."
• Bears coach Lovie Smith was at the Texas pro day to work out linebacker Keenan Robinson, writes Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.

I dropped off Twitter for a few minutes Monday morning while focusing on our Pulitzer-worthy breakdown of Donald Driver's turn on "Dancing With the Stars." When I jumped back on, I had 103 new tweets. About half of them were asking whether an NFC North team would try to acquire Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow after the Broncos officially sign veteran Peyton Manning.

It's not unusual to get instant questions about newly-available players, but the relative certainty of the NFC North's quarterback depth makes us an unlikely Tebow destination, to say the least. Our only locale with even the hint of a question mark, at least for 2012, is the Packers. Here is how each team's depth chart shakes out for now:

• Chicago Bears: Jay Cutler, Jason Campbell, Josh McCown, Nathan Enderle
• Detroit Lions: Matthew Stafford, Shaun Hill
• Green Bay Packers: Aaron Rodgers, Graham Harrell
• Minnesota Vikings: Christian Ponder, Joe Webb, Sage Rosenfels

I would understand if Packers fans aren't totally sold on Harrell as Matt Flynn's replacement. I'm not sure the Packers are themselves, at least not until they get him through a full offseason in their modified quarterback school. I wouldn't be surprised if they drafted a quarterback and/or picked through what's left of the free-agent market later this spring.

But would it make sense to even consider Tebow in that vein? From what I could tell from our Machiavellian readership base, the only people who want the Packers to pursue Tebow are Bears, Lions and Vikings fans. Tweeted @ScottD408: "can we make the Packers take Tebow?"

Longtime readers will remember that we discussed a Packers-Tebow union before the 2010 draft, sparked mostly by some awfully nice comments from coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Ted Thompson. (That’s where the otherwise incendiary photo illustration in this post came from.)

For what it's worth, McCarthy said in February 2010 that "I would definitely love to coach him." McCarthy added: "I think the guy's a winner, just the way he plays the game. I know a lot's being said about his mechanics. Just the way he approaches the game of football, I think he'll do everything he needs to do to improve. But you look for football players. And his record in college, I think, speaks for itself. But I'd love the opportunity to work with a Tim Tebow."

McCarthy and Tom Clements, once the Packers' quarterbacks coach and now their offensive coordinator, are considered two of the best quarterback tutors in the NFL. As we discussed in 2010, if you're a Tebow fan, you would hope he lands in a place like Green Bay, where he would have a well-honed structure to straighten out his game.

But the Packers aren't a public-service organization. They would only acquire Tebow if they thought he was their best option to back up Rodgers. I'm not sure if many of us could say that at the moment.

We've downplayed the Minnesota Vikings' realistic chances for trading down in the draft, especially after the St. Louis Rams shipped the No. 2 pick to the Washington Redskins and ensured that the draft's top two quarterbacks would be off the board when the Vikings turn arrived at No. 3 overall.

Did we speak too soon? Peter King of Sports Illustrated tweeted an interesting scenario that merits further inspection. Here's how the dominoes would fall:

1. Free agent quarterback Matt Flynn signs with the Seattle Seahawks. Flynn is visiting Seattle on Thursday.
2. The Miami Dolphins, thought to be in search of a new starter, lose out on the Peyton Manning sweepstakes.
3. The Dolphins turn their sights to the draft, where they would have no chance to select Stanford's Andrew Luck or Baylor's Robert Griffin III.
4. Their next-highest rated quarterback is Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill, who just so happened to be coached there by new Dolphins offensive coordinator Mike Sherman.
5. Given the NFL's annual shortage of quarterbacks, the Dolphins grow concerned about Tannehill still being available when they draft at No. 8 overall.
6. The Dolphins believe their chief competition for Tannehill is the Cleveland Browns at No. 4.
7. As a result, the Dolphins offer the Vikings a deal to move up to No. 3. The Vikings move back to No. 8 and pick up multiple additional picks as a result.

Is Tannehill the third-best player in this draft? I don't think many people would tell you that. But now more than ever, quarterbacks come at a premium. I have no insight into how the Dolphins view Tannehill, but given how crazy teams get about quarterbacks this time of year, I couldn't rule out this scenario. Could you?

So many thoughts are flying through my head at the moment in the wake of the Chicago Bears' stunning trade for Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall.

(Apparently there is plenty of empty space up there.)

We'll get to how Marshall fits into offensive coordinator Mike Tice's downfield scheme. We'll hit the disappearance of another excuse for quarterback Jay Cutler, whom the Bears have now paired with his favorite receiver (Marshall) and assistant coach (Jeremy Bates). But my top thought was crystallized by a tweet from former Bears safety Chris Harris:

"What am I missing here....3 pro bowls, five 1000 yard seasons and 27 yrs old"

Indeed, how could one of the best receivers in the NFL be available for a third-round draft pick in 2012 and another third-rounder in 2013? Is new general manager Phil Emery that good of a negotiator? Did the Miami Dolphins, as rumored, feel pressured to ship him out as they recruit free agent quarterback Peyton Manning? Or is there something else about Marshall that we don't know about?

There's little doubt Marshall has had his share of off-field issues, culminating with his August 2011 diagnosis of a condition known as " borderline personality disorder." Cutler criticized him in 2008 after a domestic accident, and multiple Denver media outlets reported Marshall had an intense confrontation with Bates behind closed doors in 2007.

Marshall also has 26 drops since 2008, the third-highest total among NFL receivers over that span.

That's the long and the short of the dirt we can quickly dig up on Marshall. His personality might cause some concern, but he'll have a pretty decent support system in Chicago. So unless there is something further behind the scenes, the Bears got Marshall for a steal. He'll turn 28 later this month, and thus remains in his athletic prime. He made it through the 2011 season without any major offseason issues and his past production with Cutler — 206 completions, 2,796 yards and 13 touchdowns from 2007-08 — is undeniable.

Like Chris Harris, I'm going back through the parameters here and wondering how it all adds up. Did the Bears luck into the circumstances of a new coach (Joe Philbin) willing to clear the decks for his new program? I don't know, and I'm guessing the Bears don't care. More to come.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

It's quite possible that the attention on Peyton Manning's departure from the Indianapolis Colts caused you to miss the Jerry Springer-worthy opening statements from the felony strangulation trial of Minnesota Vikings cornerback Chris Cook.

Prosecutors stuck to the story laid out in the original charges, saying that Cook struck and choked his girlfriend after learning she was texting with another man during the early-morning hours of Oct. 22. Cook's attorney, however, provided a different version of the story.

It's all in this Associated Press report, but the short version is that the argument began at a Minneapolis strip club. Cook ordered a lap dance, enraging his girlfriend, whereupon she stormed out. Drunk, the girlfriend began texting the other man, which deflated Cook because, the attorney said, Cook planned to propose to her later that weekend.

According to Cook's version, the girlfriend punched him when they returned to his home. Cook retaliated in self-defense. The girlfriend will recant her earlier testimony that Cook choked her, according to Cook's attorney.

In the end, this ridiculousness is important only because a felony conviction would jeopardize Cook's future with the team. We'll keep you updated.

Continuing around the NFC North:

• One of the Vikings' stadium bill authors has outlined a tight timetable to receive legislative approval this year. Mike Kaszuba of the Star Tribune explains.
• USC left tackle Matt Kalil, who could be the Vikings' top pick in the draft, speaks with the NFL Network following a short Pro Day workout.
• Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune questions whether Kyle Orton will be the Chicago Bears' backup quarterback in 2012.
• Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com considers former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback David Garrard a more realistic option for the Bears.
• Bears coach Lovie Smith spent time with Georgia Tech receiver Stephen Hill this week, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune.
• After a toxicology report revealed their son died with alcohol and marijuana in his system, former Green Bay Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and his family released a statement that read, in part: "The loss of a child and sibling is absolutely heartbreaking to a family. Ours is no different. We hope that the results of the recent toxicology report serves as a reminder to us all that the mixture of alcohol and marijuana can be extremely dangerous, potentially even fatal." Patricia Wolff of Gannett Wisconsin has more.
• Tom Silverstein of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel wonders if Packers general manager Ted Thompson attended Wisconsin's pro day to see guard Kevin Zeitler, who is being projected as a center.
• The Detroit Lions aren't viewing the Packers as a measuring stick, writes Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press.

Quarterback Peyton Manning's pending availability won't have too much impact on the NFC North. It should, however, influence the landing spot of what is arguably our top free agent.

Had Manning remained with the Indianapolis Colts or retired, Green Bay Packers quarterback Matt Flynn would have been the top free agent quarterback available. Now, it makes sense for any team in the market for a starter to consider Manning first. And if you're rooting for Flynn to find a landing place that can support his burgeoning career, there are some places to hope Manning doesn't go.

I don't want to shortchange Flynn's potential, but rare is the player who can rise above an otherwise limited infrastructure. Flynn's best chance for success is to sign with a team that offers a smooth schematic transition, a relatively stable coaching staff and a fair amount of playmakers around him.

That's why the Miami Dolphins and Seattle Seahawks seems like the most comfortable fits. They are also among the early speculative destinations for Manning. So if I'm Flynn, I'm hoping Manning signs with the New York Jets, Arizona Cardinals, Washington Redskins or perhaps the Kansas City Chiefs, leaving the Dolphins, Seahawks and maybe the Cleveland Browns to bid for me, er, Flynn.

With the Dolphins, Flynn would play for former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin and in the West Coast scheme of another coach with Packers ties, offensive coordinator Mike Sherman. He would have Brandon Marshall as a legitimate No. 1 receiver, a tailback in Reggie Bush who had a strong finish to the 2011 season and one of the NFL's best left tackles in Jake Long.

Flynn would also be in a West Coast scheme if he signed with the Seahawks, who are coordinated by former Packers and Vikings assistant Darrell Bevell. He would have a top-flight running back in Marshawn Lynch, a presumably healthy No. 1 receiver in Sidney Rice and an upgraded offensive line.

We've heard wildly disparate views on Flynn's ceiling. Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who has watched him practice for four years, said last month that "he's ready to be an NFL starter." ESPN.com contrarian KC Joyner , meanwhile, compared him this week to Scott Mitchell, who flopped when the Detroit Lions signed him as their starter in 1993.

In the end, I think we can all agree that Flynn stands a better chance of success if he signs with, say, the Seahawks or Dolphins than if he ends up with the Browns, whose offense remains in development, or the always-chaotic Redskins. Manning can't close all the doors, but the best-case scenario for Flynn is if he leaves the right ones ones open.

INDIANAPOLIS — As my AFC West colleague Bill Williamson notes the Kansas City Chiefs appear to be leaving all options open when it comes to competition for quarterback Matt Cassel. One of those options is veteran Kyle Orton, who played well in 2011 after the Chiefs beat out the Chicago Bears to claim him in Week 12.

If the Chiefs go in another direction — and their options appear to range anywhere from Peyton Manning to Robert Griffin III — it wouldn't be surprising for the Bears to pursue Orton as the backup to Jay Cutler.

My guess is that Orton hopes to land in a place where he would have a better chance to play, and a reunion with the Bears would represent a resignation to backup status that Orton might not be ready to make yet. But it makes a lot of sense for Orton to be high on the Bears' list regardless.

Speaking generally this week, coach Lovie Smith made clear he wants to upgrade a position that was largely responsible for the Bears' disappointing finish after Cutler broke his thumb in Week 11.

"We thought we had a better plan at the quarterback position. I knew how valuable Jay was to us. That won't change. But we do need to get ourselves in a better position at that backup quarterback position. So you start with that. We have a lot of options out there. I think this is an attractive place for a quarterback."

Just something to keep in the back of your player acquisition files, at least for now.

Could the "Discount Double Check" lead to national television stardom for Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers? I guess it depends on what you consider "national television stardom," but Rodgers took last weekend's television opportunity at Super Bowl XLVI to network for an appearance on NBC's "Saturday Night Live."

Rodgers has mentioned that possibility several times on his ESPN 540 radio show in Milwaukee, and Tuesday he said he met a couple cast members last weekend in Indianapolis, where he worked as part of NBC's pregame show. "I'm hopeful that we can figure something out there," Rodgers said.

I'm trying to make an "SNL"-related joke, but I'm a little dated in my reference points. Hasn't been the same since Matt Foley left permanently for his van down by the river. (#ChrisFarleyRIP.)

In all seriousness, hosting "SNL" is an elite stepping stone for athletes who have crossed into celebrity status. The success of Rodgers' State Farm television commercials, as well as his MVP and his well-received work for NBC on Sunday, might have vaulted him into relatively rare advertising and publicity air. Athletes who have hosted "SNL" include Fran Tarkenton, Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Joe Montana, Charles Barkley, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Nancy Kerrigan and Walter Payton.

The question has been asked before. Is Aaron Rodgers the next Peyton Manning? As it turns out, Rodgers isn't just making a run at Manning's place in NFL history. He also wants a piece of Manning's commercial success.

A third version of Rodgers' "Discount Double Check" commercials will appear this weekend. Formally known as "State of Imitation," the ads feature Rodgers as the straight man, first against actors and then Packers defensive lineman B.J. Raji. The latest version, embedded below, includes linebacker Clay Matthews.

Speaking this week on his ESPN 540 radio show, Rodgers said hosting "Saturday Night Live" -- which Manning did in 2007 -- is a possibility as well.

"I like to be selective," Rodgers said. "My time is important to me. These are fun to do but it is like a work day. You're going over lines, you're changing outfits, you're rehearsing. It's not like you’re just kind of hanging out. You want it to be good. I want it to be good. I want it to come out funny and to make sure that I'm representing myself well and the company I'm working with. So I want it to be really good.

"That being said, being compared to Peyton, that's a high compliment because I think he’s hilarious and I think his ads have been incredible. 'Saturday Night Live,' which has shown some interest in me doing it, his performance was incredible I thought on 'Saturday Night Live.' Tough to match."

Related: "State of Imitation 1" and "State of Imitation 2."

GREEN BAY, Wis. -- While we take a halftime break from the Green Bay Packers' romp over the Oakland Raiders, let's catch up on a few milestones that have already or will soon occur:

• Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers surpassed 4,000 passing yards for the season on a second-quarter throw to receiver Donald Driver. Rodgers reached that milestone in the second-fewest number of games (13) in NFL history. Only New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (12) has done it faster.
• Rodgers has two touchdown passes in the first half, giving him 13 consecutive multi-touchdown games to start the season. That ties him with Peyton Manning for the NFL record.
• If Rodgers gets another touchdown pass this season, a decent bet, he'll become the sixth quarterback in NFL history to throw 40 or more in a season.
• Rodgers threw his sixth interception of the season in the second quarter, but it was a ball that Raiders safety Mike Mitchell took away from tight end Jermichael Finley in the end zone. It was the second red zone interception of Rodgers' career in the regular season, defined as a pass when the line of scrimmage was inside the 20-yard line. Wow.

We're Black and Blue All Over:

Now then. I can't say this is what I expected for our holiday week.

The Chicago Bears are dealing with the loss of quarterback Jay Cutler, who broke his right thumb Sunday. The Minnesota Vikings, in the midst of one of their worst-ever seasons, are crossing their fingers on an upcoming MRI test for tailback Adrian Peterson. And the Green Bay Packers are hoping the news isn't too bad on tailback James Starks, who has a sprained knee.

Only the Detroit Lions were left unscathed by Week 11, but they now face a tough run of games against the Packers (twice), the New Orleans Saints and the Oakland Raiders.

The good news is that if the 2011 season had ended Sunday, the Packers (10-0), Lions (7-3) and Bears (7-3) would all be in the playoffs. It's still all there for our taking.

We'll start ramping up coverage of our Thanksgiving Day showdown at Ford Field soon enough. For now, let's check in on local coverage from around the NFC North:

• The Bears really needed Cutler in Sunday's victory over the San Diego Chargers, writes Dan Pompei of the Chicago Tribune.
• Cutler suffered the injury trying to make a tackle on an interception, notes David Haugh of the Tribune.
• Sean Jensen of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks the Bears might keep Cutler on the active roster in the hope that he could return in time for the playoffs.
• The Bears are "in deep trouble," writes Melissa Isaacson of ESPNChicago.com.
• Cutler wasn't the only injured Bears player. Long snapper Pat Mannelly, who was participating in his 215th career game, suffered a knee injury. Jeff Dickerson of ESPNChicago.com has more.
• Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers said he was "frustrated" with his performance Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mike Vandermause of the Green Bay Press-Gazette hardly saw it as an off-day.
• Jason Wilde of ESPNMilwaukee.com reviews the 2011 debut of Packers defensive end Mike Neal.
• Gary D'Amato of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel looks at the Packers' upcoming short week of preparation before their Thanksgiving Day game against the Lions.
• Alex Marvez of Fox Sports offers his take on Packers receiver Jordy Nelson.
• Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford on how he settled down after two first-quarter interceptions, via Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: "You’ve got to keep throwing. I mean, that's the way it is. That's the way you get yourself back in those games and it's [the] shooter's mentality. [You’re] not going to make them all, but you gotta go out there and keep throwing it."
• Bob Wojnowski of the Detroit News on Stafford: "If you're a slinger, you sling, simple as that, no matter where it takes you. It's how Matthew Stafford plays, it's how the Lions' offense rolls."
• No offense to John Niyo of the Detroit News, but the best part of clicking the link to his column is seeing the photograph of Lions tailback Kevin Smith kneeling on the bench with near the end of the game. It's powerful.
• Philip Zaroo of Mlive.com grades the Lions' performance.
• Tom Powers of the St. Paul Pioneer Press after the Vikings' 27-21 loss to the Oakland Raiders: "It would be really nice if someone got fired this week. It doesn't matter who, just as long as somebody's head is spotted rolling along Vikings Drive in Eden Prairie. That would at least serve as an acknowledgement that things aren't quite as they should be with the team. Call it a feel-good gesture. Plus, it would demonstrate that someone really is in charge of the Vikings and that someone really is paying attention."
• Referee Jerome Boger's crew didn't have a great day, according to the Pioneer Press. Among other things, it miscounted the Vikings' downs during one series in the first quarter.
• Jim Souhan of the Star Tribune: "The Vikings now have a realistic chance of landing the second pick in the 2012 NFL draft. That should be their goal. The way they played for most of Sunday's game, they should be up to the task."
• Tom Pelissero of 1500ESPN.com: "If the Indianapolis Colts hadn't folded the moment Peyton Manning's neck short-circuited, the Minnesota Vikings would have a strong claim as the worst team in the NFL."

As you might be aware, NFC West colleague Mike Sando has a periodic "LuckWatch" post previewing Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck's looming arrival in the NFL. Thursday, Sando hit an angle that has been rollicking through my brain for the past few weeks. (I'm at my limit for [Insertlastnamehere]Watch posts, however.)

Luck almost assuredly will be the No. 1 overall pick in the April 2012 draft. But what if the team holding that position -- say, the Minnesota Vikings, for example -- already has either an established quarterback or has recently invested in a new starter?

At 1-6, the Vikings would hold the No. 4 overall selection if the season ended today. But they are obviously only one victory ahead of the winless Indianapolis Colts, St. Louis Rams and Miami Dolphins. And as Sando notes, four of the top five teams in the Luck Sweepstakes would at least have complicating factors to consider before drafting a quarterback No. 1 overall.

The Colts are expecting to have veteran Peyton Manning (neck) back by next season. The Rams drafted Sam Bradford No. 1 overall two years ago and paid him $50 million in guarantees. The Vikings, of course, selected Christian Ponder with the No. 12 overall pick in April. Only the Dolphins are without an obvious plan at the position. Meanwhile, the 1-5 Arizona Cardinals are only six games into the Kevin Kolb era.

It's way too early for handicapping the top of the draft, either from a player standpoint or based on which teams will have the first few picks. But there already are talent evaluators who consider Luck a once-in-generation player. If that's the case, should any team care about its current starter if it gets an opportunity to draft him?

That's a question the Vikings hope not to be in position to answer. And even if Ponder's final nine starts leave the Vikings with a record so poor that they have the No. 1 pick, it would be hard to consider him a failed draft pick. But the fact is they are 1-6 and the NFL's worst team is 0-7. At this point, at least, the math makes it a possibility. Stay tuned.

You've heard the news by now: Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will pull back from his neck rehabilitation and is doubtful for Sunday's regular-season opener against the Houston Texans. Barring an unexpected change of course, it appears Manning's streak of 208 consecutive starts will end.

That event will remind us how incredible Brett Favre's NFL record (297 consecutive starts) is and how difficult it will be for anyone to break it. Keep in mind that Manning is 35, has started every Colts game since the beginning of the 1998 season -- and he still would have needed to play the equivalent of six more seasons to overtake Favre.

As NFC West colleague Mike Sando points out, those who trail Manning stand even less of a chance of approaching Favre's mark. Next up is Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Ronde Barber, who at 179 games would need to play another eight seasons to do it. Barber is 36 years old.

Just as significant from a historical impact: The injury sets back Manning's pursuit of Favre's NFL records for completions, attempts, yardage and touchdowns. As we discussed in May, Manning is at least 3 1/2 seasons away from breaking any of those records, and even that projection was based on both a continuation of his career averages and consecutive games-played streak.

We've hardly mentioned Favre this summer and I don't intend any gratuitous posts moving forward. But on this occasion, it's worth noting the impact of Manning's injury on Favre's legacy.