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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.

Amid the usual uncertainty of the NFL offseason, here's one move you could have bet the house on: The Vikings re-signing veteran quarterback Sage Rosenfels.

Rosenfels is a long-time favorite of general manager Rick Spielman, who has now re-acquired Rosenfels three times since initially bringing him to the Miami Dolphins in 2002. Alex Marvez of Fox Sports first reported Monday's contract agreement between the sides.

Vikings coach Leslie Frazier said last month that third-year player Joe Webb would be his No. 2 quarterback, and if that's still the case, the Vikings will be the rare team that carries a veteran as its No. 3 quarterback. But most teams have a veteran presence mixed in either at starter or backup, so with Christian Ponder, Webb and Rosenfels comprising their depth chart, the Vikings' youth-age ratio would match conventional wisdom.

In the end, the most important question is who would replace an ineffective or injured starter. By all accounts, the Vikings' first choice for that role is Webb. Rosenfels offers a better option at No. 3 than most teams can afford.

» AFC Free-Agency Primer: East | West | North | South » NFC: East | West | North | South

Free agency begins Tuesday at 4 p.m. ET

Chicago Bears

Key free agents: Tight end Kellen Davis, running back Matt Forte (franchise), cornerback Corey Graham, quarterback Caleb Hanie, defensive end Israel Idonije, cornerback Tim Jennings, quarterback Josh McCown, safety Brandon Meriweather and receiver Roy Williams.

Where they stand: The Bears will have the most salary-cap space among NFC North teams, upwards of $30 million, and have plenty of potential uses for it. Quarterback Jay Cutler needs more targets in the downfield passing game, whether it's at the receiver or tight end position. And new general manager Phil Emery must start restocking a defense led by four players more than 30 years old: Linebackers Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs, defensive end Julius Peppers and cornerback Charles Tillman.

What to expect: It's widely believed the Bears will be in the running for free-agent receiver Vincent Jackson. But Jackson's price tag could be steep and no one knows if Emery will prove to be a big spender. It seems likely he will re-sign Davis, and Emery should also save some of his cap space to extend Forte's contract. Secondary receiver targets could include Marques Colston. Bears fans are hoping the team will pursue defensive end Mario Williams, but it's hard to imagine the Bears budgeting for Williams two years after breaking their bank on Peppers.

Detroit Lions

Key free agents: Defensive end Cliff Avril (franchise), left tackle Jeff Backus, safety Chris Harris, quarterback Shaun Hill, linebacker DeAndre Levy (restricted), running back Maurice Morris, running back Kevin Smith, quarterback Drew Stanton, linebacker Stephen Tulloch and cornerback Eric Wright.

Where they stand: The Lions are tight against the salary cap after franchising Avril and aren't likely to be big spenders on the free-agent market. They could relieve the situation by reaching long-term agreements with Avril and/or receiver Calvin Johnson, who has a $22 million cap figure for 2012. Tulloch made a big impact last season after signing a one-year deal, but so far the Lions' attention has turned elsewhere.

What to expect: The Lions' best-case scenario is to keep their 2011 core together without mortgaging their future relative to the salary cap. That would mean getting Tulloch re-signed to preserve the linebacker group they upgraded last season by signing him and veteran Justin Durant, moves that allowed Levy to play on the outside. Hill seems likely to re-sign as Matthew Stafford's backup, while Stanton might test the free-agent waters to see if he has a chance to do better than third on a team's depth chart.

Green Bay Packers

Key free agents: Cornerback Jarrett Bush, quarterback Matt Flynn, running back Ryan Grant and center Scott Wells.

Where they stand: The Packers took care of a big challenge by signing tight end Jermichael Finley to a two-year contract last month. They will let Flynn depart for a possible starting job elsewhere and it appears Grant will test the free-agent market. Discussions with Wells haven't led to an agreement, but the Packers often go to the final moments before reaching a deal. There are no obvious internal replacements for Wells, making his return a priority.

What to expect: The Packers will have some flexibility with the salary cap, but general manager Ted Thompson's aversion to veteran free agency is well known. It's been three years since he signed a veteran unrestricted free agent in the offseason. The Packers have needs at defensive line, outside linebacker and possibly at center if Wells leaves. But let's put it this way: Thompson's strong preference is to find depth and future replacements in the draft, not on other teams' rosters.

Minnesota Vikings

Key free agents: Safety Husain Abdullah, receiver Devin Aromashodu, receiver Greg Camarillo, defensive lineman Fred Evans, defensive lineman Letroy Guion, linebacker E.J. Henderson, linebacker Erin Henderson, safety Tyrell Johnson, quarterback Sage Rosenfels, cornerback Benny Sapp and tight end Visanthe Shiancoe.

Where they stand: The Vikings seem poised for a major roster overhaul in their first offseason since Rick Spielman was promoted to general manager. Players like Shiancoe, E.J. Henderson, Camarillo and Johnson all seem poised to move on. There aren't many positions on the team that appear secure.

What to expect: If the Vikings don't plan to draft USC left tackle Matt Kalil at No. 3 overall next month, the first clue will be if they pursue a free-agent left tackle. That seems unlikely. But they'll need to combine their draft with at least a few veteran free agents if they intend to compete for a playoff spot in 2012. Cornerback could be a point of focus, where Brandon Carr and Cortland Finnegan are among those available. Another could be receiver. The Vikings had major interest in Jackson two years ago.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- There aren't many people around the NFL -- coaches, executives or even media analysts -- who think the Minnesota Vikings will select a quarterback with the No. 3 overall pick of the April draft. But to cover his bases, if nothing else, general manager Rick Spielman said Thursday that the Vikings will "be doing the full monty" on Stanford's Andrew Luck and Baylor's Robert Griffin III during next week's scouting combine, along with predraft workouts and pro days.

It's exceedingly rare for NFL teams to use first-round draft picks on a quarterback in consecutive drafts, and the Vikings selected Christian Ponder last season with the No. 12 overall pick. The most recent example in 1989, when the Dallas Cowboys used the No. 1 overall pick on Troy Aikman and then committed another first-round pick to Steve Walsh in the supplemental draft.

Although quarterback is the most important position in the game, the Vikings have greater needs elsewhere. Luck is widely expected to be drafted No. 1 overall by the Indianapolis Colts, and presumably, the only way Griffin could work his way into their picture is if Spielman and his scouting staff are blown away by his predraft work.

To that end, Spielman said the Vikings are "very confident in what Christian Ponder brings" but added: "If one of those quarterbacks is too good to pass up, you have to weigh that too. … . You never know what happens on draft day, and I would rather be over-prepared than under-prepared."

It wouldn't be surprising, however, if the Vikings sign a veteran quarterback to back up Ponder when the free-agent market opens.

"We have some veterans that we have our eye on that can come in and play that mentor role but could also come in and play if they had to play as well," Spielman said. One option for that role is Sage Rosenfels, whom Spielman signed late last season and is a pending free agent.

Previewing some of the big decisions facing NFC North teams early in the 2012 offseason:

Our Air and Space division boasts arguably the top grouping of starting quarterbacks in the NFL. We have a presumptive MVP in the Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers, a 5,000-yard passer in Matthew Stafford of the Detroit Lions and, in the Chicago Bears' Jay Cutler, an upper-level starter who was having perhaps his best season before fracturing his right thumb in December. The Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, are hoping for a big jump from first-round draft pick Christian Ponder in 2012.

The relatively settled nature of those starters overshadows what could be division-wide change in their backups. The Packers' Matt Flynn, the Lions' Shaun Hill and Drew Stanton, the Bears' Caleb Hanie and the Vikings' Sage Rosenfels are all pending free agents. Let's look at the decisions awaiting each team:

Packers: Flynn could draw interest as a potential starter from several teams, most notably the Miami Dolphins -- who hired former Packers offensive coordinator Joe Philbin as their head coach last week. The Packers' only chance to keep him would be to use their franchise tag, requiring a commitment of about $14 million in cash and cap space. That's not going to happen. The logical successor is third-string quarterback Graham Harrell, and the Packers might have revealed their intentions by promoting him to the active roster late this season when he began receiving interest from other teams.

Lions: Quarterback depth is valuable, but you wonder if a team with tight salary cap problems can afford to keep two vested veterans behind their franchise quarterback. Hill ($3.02 million) and Stanton ($900,000) accounted for about $4 million in cap spacein 2011, and if the Lions desperately wanted to shave that figure, they could promote Stanton and sign him to a cheaper contract than what Hill was paid last season. But Hill has a longtime association with offensive coordinator Scott Linehan and is generally considered one of the most reliable backups in the NFL. There are no easy answers here.

Bears: Hanie's disastrous stint as Cutler's replacement might have sealed his exit from Chicago. But the Bears will have new offensive leadership with coordinator Mike Tice and a quarterbacks coach/passing coordinator who has yet to be hired, so it's possible the new regime will have other thoughts. The Bears didn't think enough of rookie Nathan Enderle to start him in a meaningless Week 17 season finale, making it hard to imagine his ascendance to No. 2. That could leave veteran Josh McCown, another pending free agent, as an option. Or the Bears could seek help on the free agent market themselves.

Vikings: The situation in Minnesota is less clear-cut. Ponder remains the starter, and 2011 backup Joe Webb is under contract for 2012. Webb was impressive in one start and appearances in 10 other games, accounting for five touchdowns, but the Vikings' continued commitment to Ponder suggests they might look for other ways to use Webb. If he develops into a hybrid receiver/quarterback/returner, it's possible the Vikings would want an established veteran behind Ponder. That could be Rosenfels, a longtime favorite of general manager Rick Spielman, or he could come from elsewhere.

After the Minnesota Vikings' 35-32 loss to the Denver Broncos, here are three issues that merit further examination:

Kevin SeifertFollowing their loss against the Broncos, the Vikings take a seat in the examination room.
1. Coach Leslie Frazier has deserved some criticism this year, but let's cut him a break from demands that he should have allowed the Broncos to score once an interception gave them possession at the Vikings' 15-yard line. As the theory goes, the Vikings would have been better off giving the Broncos a 39-32 lead and then launching their own potential game-tying drive rather than letting the Broncos run off the rest of the clock and kick a short field goal to win. I checked with ESPN's analytics team to see if the Vikings would have increased their mathematical win probability with such an unorthodox move. The short answer from Alok Pattani was no, based on an ESPN model built off thousands of individual play results over the past decade. The Broncos had a 95.3 percent chance to win the game the moment they made the interception. Had the Vikings allowed an immediate touchdown, their chances of driving the field for a touchdown on their ensuing possession and ultimately winning the game in overtime was 2.5 percent. So statistically speaking, the Vikings had a better chance of stopping the Broncos' final possession, as they tried to do, than pulling off a non-traditional miracle.
2. Frazier made a starling admission Monday at his weekly news conference when asked about struggling cornerback Cedric Griffin. In essence, Frazier said Griffin wouldn't be playing if the Vikings had a better option. Griffin is trying to come back from the second of two career ACL tears and has looked hesitant and a step slow all season. Frazier: "He's not the Cedric we saw before the second ACL injury and he's tried to battle through some things. But his confidence level has not been where it needs to be to able to play at a high level in our league. I'm sure it has a lot to do with coming off a second ACL. We're just so depleted depth-wise that we have to have him out there. I know he'd like to play better. I know he's trying to play better. It's been a tough year for him." That said, I would imagine that Griffin won't open training camp in 2012 as a starter.
3. Quarterback Christian Ponder played most of Sunday's game with a hip pointer and is going to be limited, at best, in practice this week. Frazier said the team's medical staff is confident Ponder will be ready for Sunday's game against the Detroit Lions, but it's interesting to note that Frazier shot down the idea of newly-acquired backup Sage Rosenfels as a potential replacement if Ponder suffers a setback. Joe Webb would take whatever first-team snaps that Ponder doesn't this week. I'm fine with that. A 2-10 team might as well give young players every opportunity to gain experience provided they're equipped to give a credible performance.

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

Frazier told the truth Sunday when he expressed incredulity at how bad his defensive backs covered the Broncos' receivers. But given the situation, I'm not sure what anyone expects right now. The Vikings opened the game without a single defensive back who deserves to be part of their long-term plan. Antoine Winfield, Chris Cook, Husain Abdullah, Tyrell Johnson and Asher Allen -- five of their top seven Week 1 defensive backs -- were inactive for the game. Few teams have the depth to absorb that kind of attrition.

Friday's waiver wire brought some interesting news to the NFC North. Former Minnesota Vikings quarterback Donovan McNabb went unclaimed amid reports that the Chicago Bears have no interest in him at this point. But veteran Sage Rosenfels will be returning to Minnesota after the Vikings claimed him off waivers from the Dolphins.

First, on McNabb and the Bears: We noted Thursday that McNabb grew up in Chicago and might be a better option in an emergency than current third-stringer Josh McCown. But the Bears did not place a claim on him, and ESPN's Chris Mortensen reported they do not plan to pursue him via free agency, either. Regardless, the Vikings are now on the hook for what remains of McNabb's $5.05 million base salary.

The Vikings, however, busily spent Friday attempting to replenish their quarterback depth. They tried to sign second-year player John Parker Wilson off the Atlanta Falcons' practice squad, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, but Wilson chose the Falcons' offer to join their 53-man roster instead. Then, they claimed Rosenfels to resume a long-running relationship with Vikings vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman.

Spielman acquired Rosenfels in 2002 for the Miami Dolphins and again in 2009 for the Vikings. Former Vikings coach Brad Childress never wanted Rosenfels on the roster, however, and won an internal battle in 2010 to make Tarvaris Jackson the backup to Brett Favre.

Rosenfels, 33, has been ill for most of this season because of complications from strep throat, prompting first his release from the New York Giants and later the Dolphins. He presumably is healthy now and will spend the remainder of the season as a backup to rookie Christian Ponder, while also providing roster flexibility if the Vikings want to use second-year quarterback Joe Webb as a receiver.

Rosenfels' contract will expire after the season, but I'm sure he will return as the Vikings' 2012 backup if it's up to Spielman. In truth, they could do a lot worse.

If the starting quarterback is the most important player on an NFL team, what does that make the backup? Collectively, the NFC North will get that answer -- perhaps painfully -- in Week 15.

As of Thursday morning, there was a high likelihood that three backup quarterbacks will make starts. Jay Cutler is our only healthy starter, and without him, it's hard to imagine the Chicago Bears in first place of this division.

The Minnesota Vikings appear likely to start rookie Joe Webb against the Bears on Monday night. Green Bay Packers starter Aaron Rodgers (concussion) would need a dramatic recovery by Sunday night to avoid being replaced by Matt Flynn against the New England Patriots. Either Drew Stanton or Shaun Hill will start for a Detroit Lions team that has had Matthew Stafford for parts of only three games this season.

Each team took a unique approach to staffing its quarterback depth. In some cases, politics and stubbornness prevailed over visual evidence. In others, internal disagreement left teams scrambling. While we have a moment this week, let's examine how each NFC North team arrived in its current state.

Chicago Bears
Starter: Jay Cutler
No. 2: Todd Collins
Age: 39
Experience: 16 years
No. 3: Caleb Hanie
Age: 25
Experience: 3

How it happened: There were rumors for much of the offseason that new offensive coordinator Mike Martz preferred a veteran with experience as his backup to Cutler. The Bears' front office apparently thought otherwise, having developed Hanie for two previous seasons and probably unwilling to spend premium money to back up an established starter. But when Hanie injured his shoulder in the preseason opener, Martz finally prevailed. By that time, however, the group of available free agents was thin. Collins was the Bears' choice because he had played in a similar offense for several years in Kansas City. His only start this season was a four-interception disaster against the Carolina Panthers.

Bottom line: With Collins still stacked at No. 2 on the depth chart, the Bears are fortunate Cutler has remained healthy. Quite fortunate.

Detroit Lions
Starter: Matthew Stafford
No. 2: Shaun Hill
Age: 30
Experience: 9
No. 3: Drew Stanton
Age: 26
Experience: 4

How it happened: The Lions decided early last offseason to part ways with 2009 backup Daunte Culpepper. They wisely decided against promoting Stanton, a fan favorite who hadn't yet demonstrated the proficiency needed to guide an NFL team on even a short-term basis, and acquired Hill from the San Francisco 49ers. Hill played three seasons under current Lions offensive coordinator Scott Linehan in Minnesota, and in San Francisco had demonstrated a competitive edge that projected well for short-term appearances.

Bottom line: Hill has proved an ideal No. 2, putting the Lions in position to win most of the games he started. Meanwhile, Linehan altered his offense in Stanton's two starts to capitalize on his strengths as a runner out of the spread formation. At the very least, you can say the same thing about Stanton as you can about Hill: He's a gamer.

Green Bay Packers
Starter: Aaron Rodgers
No. 2: Matt Flynn
Age: 25
Experience: 3
No. 3: Graham Harrell (practice squad)
Age: 25
Experience: 1

How it happened: Flynn is a classic product of general manager Ted Thompson's philosophy to build depth from within. In the absence of any veteran competition, Flynn won the backup job in 2008 after the Packers made him a seventh-round draft pick, beating out fellow rookie Brian Brohm. To anyone's knowledge, the Packers have never considered a veteran option behind Rodgers, who has started 45 consecutive games since taking over the job. In a handful of appearances over the past three seasons, Flynn has completed 25 of 46 passes for 246 yards and two interceptions.

Bottom line: The fairest way to assess Flynn is that he is a complete unknown and thus a risk for any team with Super Bowl aspirations. More often than not, Thompson's young backups have risen to the occasion. And Flynn has put in three years working with two excellent quarterback tutors in coach Mike McCarthy and quarterbacks coach Tom Clements. But the middle of a playoff chase is not the ideal time to find out if your backup can play winning football.

Minnesota Vikings
Starter: Brett Favre
No. 2: Tarvaris Jackson
Age: 27
Experience: 5
No. 3: Joe Webb
Age: 24
Experience: R

How it happened: Jackson was the five-year pet project of former coach Brad Childress and therefore had a tenured track to this job. Childress overlooked Jackson's underwhelming preseason and never gave veteran Sage Rosenfels a chance to unseat him. Webb was drafted as a receiver, and my strong suspicion was that Childress switched him to quarterback to provide an avenue to get Rosenfels off the roster. Ultimately, the Vikings traded Rosenfels to the New York Giants shortly before the season.

Bottom line: In parts of two games since Favre sprained his SC joint, Jackson demonstrated none of the improvement the Vikings claimed he had achieved in practice. He threw four interceptions, was inaccurate on routine passes and proved unable to stay healthy. The Vikings thought so highly of Webb at quarterback that they had moved him to receiver in the week before Favre's injury. So the prospect of Webb starting against the Bears' defense shouldn't sit well with any Vikings fan.

DETROIT -- A few thoughts after a doozy of an anti-climactic game at Ford Field:

What it means: It's probably appropriate that on the night Brett Favre's streak of consecutive starts ended, and in a "home" game after being displaced from their stadium, the Minnesota Vikings were officially eliminated from playoff contention. They were punchless on offense, committed seven pre-snap penalties and gave up 213 rushing yards to the New York Giants.

FavreWatch: Favre never attempted to test his sprained SC joint during pregame warmups and might have thrown his last NFL pass. ESPN's Ed Werder reported there is a strong possibility Favre will be placed on injured reserve, ending his season and sending him into an unceremonious retirement. Anyone who saw Favre's near-purple hand on Monday night's FOX broadcast knows Favre is dealing with a multi-faceted injury. On the plus side, you can pre-purchase an autographed football commemorating his 297-game streak of consecutive starts on his website for $499.99.

T-JackWatch: If anything productive came out of this game for the Vikings, it should be final confirmation that Tarvaris Jackson is not their quarterback of the future. Jackson started in Favre's place but left three times with injuries to his knee and toe. He threw two interceptions, was sacked four times, threw for 118 yards and produced three Keystone Kops moments. I haven't decided which was my favorite: Knocking knees with tailback Adrian Peterson on a botched running play, watching a pass to receiver Bernard Berrian land at least 10 yards out of bounds or allowing a shotgun snap to slip through his hands for a 15-yard loss on third-and-9.

Ford FieldWatch: A crowd of 45,910 proved to be a mixture of Vikings fans, Giants fans and Lions fans who capitalized on free admission to watch some bonus football. It was like I would imagine the crowd at an international game be: Festive but not particularly attentive. The two loudest cheers were for the Vikings' cheerleaders and during a brief, but intense, chant of "Let's Go Lions!" in the second quarter. It didn't help that they had a stinker of a game to watch.

What's next: The Vikings will play next Monday night against the Chicago Bears. Where that game is held is anyone's guess. If the Metrodome roof isn't repaired in time, the game is expected to be moved to the University of Minnesota's TCF Bank Stadium -- an outdoor facility that seats about 50,000. An outdoor, prime-time game in Minnesota's late-December weather? Bring your parkas.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

1. Rigidity in Minnesota: Joe Webb was originally drafted as a receiver and, even after being moved to quarterback, opened some eyes during the preseason as an open-field runner. But the Minnesota Vikings buried him as their No. 3 quarterback after trading Sage Rosenfels and apparently never considered using him as a playmaking specialist until last week against the Buffalo Bills. Webb returned the opening kickoff 30 yards and was expected to get some work on offense as well before he was sidelined by a hamstring injury. Still, credit goes to the Vikings for trying to utilize a bottom-of-the-roster asset.

2. Faith in the Chicago Bears: I'll admit I wasn't sold on the Bears early in the season, but when a team wins nine of its first 12 games, it's hard to find much to criticize. It's true the Bears have an unenviable final-quarter schedule that includes home dates against the New England Patriots and New York Jets, along with road games against the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. But so do the Packers, with whom they're competing for the NFC North title. I don't know if the Bears will win the division or not, but the national consensus that they're due for a fall seems based more on emotional projections than facts. End rant.

3. Brad Childress, former Minnesota Vikings coach: It's not necessarily fair to kick a man when he's down, but watching the Vikings play their first two games under interim coach Leslie Frazier has been illuminating. The energy level and elevated performance, especially on defense, has confirmed players gave up on Childress this season. While part of the responsibility lies with the players, it's still striking to see the attitude adjustment that seemed immediate upon his departure.

RISING

1. Donald Driver, Green Bay Packers receiver: I'm going to go out on a limb and say that Driver's injured quadriceps is feeling better. His 61-yard scoring play in Sunday's victory over the San Francisco 49ers was the highlight of the weekend in the NFL. It was Driver's first touchdown since Week 4 and suggested that he is ready to begin stretching the field again as the Packers launch into their final playoff push. Before Sunday, Driver had gone almost two months without a reception longer than 17 yards.

2. Cliff Avril, Detroit Lions defensive end: With teammate Kyle Vanden Bosch (neck) sidelined, Avril picked up the slack by recording three sacks against the Bears. He now has six sacks in the past four games he has played and a career-high seven for the season. Many of us wondered to what extent Avril would benefit with three new teammates next to him in Vanden Bosch, Ndamukong Suh and Corey Williams. I think we've found out the answer.

3. Jared Allen, Minnesota Vikings defensive end: A sack against the Bills brought Allen's total to 8.5 on the year. He has had at least one sack in each of the Vikings' past five games, due in part to a one-on-one session he had with Frazier. During the meeting, Frazier showed Allen video evidence of the difference between his approach this season and last season. According to Frazier, Allen was surprised at how different he looked. Consider it an effective appeal to personal pride.

After the Minnesota Vikings' 38-14 victory against the Buffalo Bills, here are three issues that merit further examination:

Kevin SeifertThe Minnesota Vikings take their turn in the examination room after beating Buffalo.
1. This season, quarterback Brett Favre has played through sharp shoulder pain, elbow tendinitis, two fractures in his left foot, 12 stitches in his chin and an illness he likened to pneumonia. So should we consider the possibility of any other outcome from his sprained right shoulder? I'm not sure yet. We all know Favre will be lobbying to play -- and extend his consecutive games streak to 298. But interim coach Leslie Frazier will face the most difficult decision of his short tenure. This isn't a quarterback hobbling around on a bum ankle. If the injury limits Favre's effectiveness as a thrower, Frazier will have to give serious thought to sitting him, ending the streak and making history. Welcome to the captain's chair, Leslie.
2. Frazier showed some savvy last week in hiding the decision to get rookie quarterback Joe Webb onto the field. I guess we won't know what would have happened if receiver Percy Harvin hadn't fallen ill with migraine headaches, but Webb returned the opening kickoff 30 yards and was apparently slated to play some at receiver before a hamstring injury sidelined him. As you recall, Webb was originally drafted as a receiver/playmaker and wasn't regarded as a quarterback prospect by most NFL teams. But former coach Brad Childress switched him back to quarterback, a move that conveniently allowed him to trade veteran Sage Rosenfels, and ultimately this has been a lost year for the rookie. The chances of him developing into a multi-positional playmaker are much higher than becoming a starting NFL quarterback, and it was past time to push him in the former direction.
3. In the past two games under new leadership, the Vikings defense has limited its opponents to combined 20 first downs and 455 yards while forcing six turnovers. In both games, the defensive line has absolutely throttled its opponents. Sunday, the Vikings sacked Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick once, but unofficially hit him on five other occasions. They also limited the Bills to a 3.7-yard average on 23 rushing attempts. Frazier and linebackers coach Fred Pagac, who is making game-day calls, have infused some life into this group.

And here is one issue I don't get:

Readers are flooding my inbox with hope-filled messages about backup quarterback Tarvaris Jackson, who finished Sunday's game with an 85.0 passer rating after replacing Favre. I don't get it. I agree that Jackson made some nice throws and once again displayed his mobility in critical times. But he also threw three interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown, and was assisted on both of his touchdown passes by acrobatic receiver Sidney Rice. I didn't think Jackson's performance suggested he has made significant progress during his time behind Favre, and a quarterback in his fifth season shouldn't benefit from a grading curve that allows us to overlook such mistakes in favor of the potential displayed. But I'm sure you're tired of hearing that from me.

The deed was sealed the moment Brett Favre climbed aboard a private plane and returned to the Minnesota Vikings this summer: Only a historic, unprecedented event would get him off the field in 2010.

Never in 19 previous seasons had an injury prevented Favre from starting a game. Meanwhile, the desperation with which the Vikings pursued and compensated him essentially eliminated any possibility of benching him for performance reasons. How bad would it look to yank a player who was begged to return, and guaranteed $1 million per game, in favor of a player they deemed inadequate as a starter in the first place?

That's why I think few people cared last month when the Vikings traded Sage Rosenfels and awarded their No. 2 job to Tarvaris Jackson, a fifth-year player who had 19 mostly inefficient starts between 2006-08 and hasn't been heard from since. And I understand that. The proficiency of Favre's backup has never mattered. Why should anyone have cared now?

Given Favre's history, I'm far from convinced that he will miss Sunday's start at the New England Patriots. With 291 consecutive starts under his belt, it makes some sense to at least test his left ankle -- two fractures and all -- in the early going at Gillette Stadium. But it seems reasonable to expect that Jackson could get significant playing time, perhaps in a relief performance, at a time when the Vikings are in crisis mode as they look to turn around a 2-4 start.

Some of us have joked that the Vikings will face their "T-Jackalypse" the moment Jackson enters a meaningful game. So can the Vikings rely on him to navigate them through a relatively short-term window of uncertainty? As you know, I had my doubts after an underwhelming preseason in which many of his previous deficiencies -- most notably inaccuracy and discomfort in the pocket -- were still evident. But Jackson believes he has improved measurably while watching Favre start the Vikings' past 24 games, including the playoffs.

"This is the best I've ever felt," Jackson told reporters this week. "Hopefully it will translate to the field, but this is the best I've ever felt since I've been in the league."

When you look at the chart, two things jump out about Jackson's career numbers. The first is his 58.7 completion percentage. There are any number of reasons why a pass might fall incomplete, but a 19-start sample is large enough to illustrate what is visible to the casual observer: Too many of Jackson's passes miss their mark. For context, consider that 24 NFL quarterbacks have completion percentages higher than 58.7 this season.

Jackson has been especially inaccurate on deep throws, and as a result 85 percent of his career completions have gone for less than 20 yards.

What also stands out is the relative across-the-board paucity of the numbers. In 33 appearances, including those 19 starts, Jackson has attempted only 585 passes. In comparison, Favre has thrown 710 passes in 22 regular season starts with the Vikings.

Jackson's time as the Vikings' starter was marked mostly by protecting him in development, not in opening up their offense. But I think that's why the Vikings are confident they could find a way to navigate in the short term with Jackson. Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. agrees.

"Yes, for a game," Williamson said. "He can get hot or make plays with his legs, and they can lean heavily on Adrian Peterson and rely on their defense. But for the long haul, I don't see it. He's just not accurate enough."

The last game in which Jackson saw competitive action was a loss in the 2008 divisional playoffs to the Philadelphia Eagles. Is it possible for Jackson to have improved while standing on the sidelines since then?

"I've improved a lot in the past year and a half, watching Brett," he said. "I feel like I came a long way, the farthest I've come from year to year, even though I didn't play a whole lot."

For my money, the best and most encouraging start of Jackson's career came in the 2007 season finale at Denver. In that game, Jackson led the Vikings back from a 14-3 halftime deficit, throwing two fourth-quarter touchdowns to force overtime. Jackson made a point to use his mobility to break the pocket during the frenetic comeback, extending one drive with a 32-yard run and giving the Vikings hope that he was a multi-faceted threat who only needed to learn when to apply each skill.

That never happened, however, and Jackson has admitted regret about not leaving the pocket more often during his time as a starter. If anything, his time on the sideline should have demonstrated how valuable that aspect of his game could be.

"Obviously," he said, "I'm not Brett. And a lot of the stuff he sees, I probably can't see. But I'm a different player. I feel like I can move around a little more at times, and good things can come my way. I know I'm not going to be able to operate the same way he does, but I feel like I've learned a lot from him. I'm not going to go out there and try to be him, but watching him will help me play a lot better."

We have no way of knowing whether that's the case, and we might never find out. But the relevance of this discussion alone means the Vikings are much closer to pulling the fire alarm than anyone could have imagined.

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- A few of you have noted I got a little aggressive in Friday evening's post on the Minnesota Vikings' decision to keep Tarvaris Jackson as their No. 2 quarterback and trade Sage Rosenfels to the New York Giants. I don't take back any of it, but I do think it's fair to allow coach Brad Childress to close the book on the topic.

Childress addressed the trade in his opening comments of a Sunday news conference and then took a couple questions before shutting down the discussion. In short, he reiterated that Jackson had outperformed Rosenfels in practice and downplayed its significance on the overall bearing of the team; he compared the backup quarterback to "the catcher that plays behind Joe Mauer," the Minnesota Twins' reigning MVP.

So here are Childress' verbatim comments on the issue, for those who want to read his extended explanation. After that, we move on. Promise.

Opening statement:

I think I've consistently stated to you guys the development that I've seen within Tarvaris and the camp that he had. I think he's probably positioned himself as I see it with his progress in the system, with his working knowledge, with his athleticism, to give us the best chance to win should Brett [Favre] get hurt.

But once again, I would talk about that in the same light and probably moreso than the catcher that plays behind Joe Mauer. I know Mauer has missed games. I don't think you've seen Favre miss that many. I know it's always the provocative thing to talk about the second quarterback on the roster, but maybe history has a chance to change. I doubt it. Tarvaris gives us the best chance to win though.

Sage seemed to have more productive preseason than Tarvaris. What did Tarvaris show?

That's a good question. I think you have to understand that the guy that started with the first group [Jackson] got to play eight snaps in the St. Louis game. The second guy [Rosenfels] got to play, I think he had 36 attempts. Am I right about that? Eight snaps, 36 snaps. The guys that they played with, the guys that he played with. It's a completely different set of circumstances.

I would hope that if Tarvaris was in there going with the two's that he would have been able to light it up the same way, to throw it to a guy on the post with nobody covering him. One-on-one is usually your best matchup, but the one where Joe Webb had with Javon [Walker] where the corner fell down, one on zero, that's better than anything you can ever imagine.

I don't profess to say that every situation was that situation. It's apples and oranges. You earn those snaps on the merit of how you practice and what you do on the merit of those practices. It's not just what it seems like. Those guys are graded every day. We keep track of every snap they take. We take copious notes on catches, drops and completions. He gives us the best chance. Did Sage progress? He absolutely did in a year, to the point where he's worth a fifth-round draft pick to leave. Again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. ...

What's your confidence level if something were to happen to Brett?

I'm not going to deal in hypotheticals. I'm done with the backup quarterback. I'm done with it. If that's all you've got to write, good Lord. We're talking about the two highest scoring offenses playing in the league last year. Let's talk about the game instead of Joe Mauer's backup.

This weekend will be so fluid from a news and personnel perspective that we're going to skip the formal weekend mailbag. Most of your questions pertained to roster movement, anyway. We addressed some of them late in the week, will continue to monitor the situation throughout Saturday, and will await official announcements from each NFC North team by the early evening.

But I do think now is a good time to address a follow-up question from Brett of Lima, Ohio:

A number of weeks back you ranked all the backup quarterbacks in the division. Now that training camp is over, can you give another review of the second-stringers, including how you thought you did in your initial review? Also how you would feel the teams would fare if their starter gets knocked out. Thanks.

First things first: Matt Williamson of Scouts Inc. wrote the post you referred to while I was blissfully away on summer vacation. If you recall, Williamson wrote that he was "not a believer" in any of the NFC North's backup quarterbacks, but ranked the Minnesota Vikings' Tarvaris Jackson as the best of the group.

No matter who wrote the post, it's particularly relevant now after Jackson's final preseason performance left new doubts about his ability to function in the Vikings' offense. He finished the preseason with a 53.0 passer rating, completing 12 of 26 passes for 60 yards. Not every incompletion was his fault, of course, but on the whole, Jackson appeared no different than the quarterback the Vikings benched two years ago: Athletic, inaccurate and too easily flustered.

My nomination for the division's best backup, both then and now, is Shaun Hill of the Detroit Lions. That's no revisionist cop-out. Regular readers of this blog would recognize my admiration for Hill and, shall we say, uncertainty about Jackson.

I think Hill is everything you would want in a No. 2 quarterback, as long as you recognize those patterns can include someone you wouldn't necessarily want starting 16 games for you. Entering his ninth year, Hill is experienced and has a 10-6 record as an NFL starter. He's in his fourth season in offensive coordinator Scott Linehan's system -- the first three were in Minnesota from 2002-04 -- and is smart and unassuming with a realistic view of his place in the NFL.

Meanwhile, as Lisa of West Hartford, Conn., wrote in a note to the mailbag, "if Tarvaris Jackson were a rookie draftee this year, there would be no question he would be cut." That sentiment explains precisely why Jackson's seemingly guaranteed status seems so out of place. He didn't play well enough to make the team as a rookie who presumably has potential. So in his fifth season, having never demonstrated consistency at any point in his career, how is Jackson the No. 2 quarterback for a team with Super Bowl aspirations?

I suppose anything could change at any minute, but as of Saturday morning Jackson was still the Vikings' No. 2 quarterback behind starter Brett Favre. Friday night's trade of veteran Sage Rosenfels seemed to confirm that scenario; at this point, the only other quarterback on the roster is rookie Joe Webb.

Coach Brad Childress said last week that he's seen enough from Jackson in practice settings to solidify his job. But that's always been the hook with Jackson: The 60-yard ropes he throws in practice haven't translated to success in games, which should be the overwhelmingly most important factor.

Of course, some backups haven't had much opportunity to play and are more difficult to get a feel for. Most notably, that goes for Packers backup Matt Flynn. I want to say that after two full years in the Packers' system, Flynn should be comfortable in a short-term starting situation. But no one can know for sure.

The same was true earlier this summer about the Bears' Caleb Hanie, but his preseason shoulder injury forced the team to turn to veteran Todd Collins. Although he has been a good backup for many years, I'm guessing there is a reason Collins was available at the end of August. I would take Hill over him at this point.

As is the case in most NFL cities, each NFC North team would be diminished if they were forced to turn to their backup. But I see Hill, Collins and Flynn -- in that order -- as capable of running their offenses effectively for short periods of time.

The Minnesota Vikings traded away their only real insurance at the game's most important position Friday night, a reckless and vindictive move that indisputably weakened the team in order to avoid the appearance of impropriety on the depth chart.

I haven't always praised Sage Rosenfels during his two year-career with the Vikings, but this preseason he proved to be the Vikings' only competent backup behind Brett Favre. He far outperformed Tarvaris Jackson, who apparently has a tenured position unaffected by his performance. What anyone wouldn't give for the kind of job security he has.

Let's be perfectly clear: Rosenfels was traded Friday night to the New York Giants because he beat out Jackson for the No. 2 job. As crazy as it sounds, that's what happened. The problem was that coach Brad Childress long ago chose Jackson as his No. 2 quarterback and still hasn't given up on his prospects as a long-term starter. Childress never embraced Rosenfels' acquisition in March 2009, a move orchestrated not by him but by vice president of player personnel Rick Spielman, and inexplicably banished him to the bottom of the depth chart.

Rosenfels hasn't always practiced well, but his 111.7 passer rating this preseason was more than twice that of Jackson. But no matter how sloppy and inaccurate Jackson was, nothing would change Childress' mind. He said last week that he had seen what he needed to see in practice, and my understanding is he made it clear within the organization that under no circumstances would Rosenfels make the final 53-man roster.

Instead, the Vikings seem poised to keep rookie Joe Webb as their No. 3. Webb showed flashes of elite athleticism during the preseason but is in no way capable of taking over an NFL team with playoff aspirations. It's fair to wonder the same about Jackson, but trading Rosenfels allowed the organization to get some level of return -- one draft pick in 2011 and perhaps a conditional pick in 2012 -- and eliminate the uncomfortable dynamic of an upside-down depth chart.

Favre hasn't missed a start in 19 years, so much of this conversation could be moot. But trading away players because they outperformed underachieving (but favored) incumbents is no way to build a team. At least, not in my book.

Note: Surprisingly, the trade also sent kick returner/running back Darius Reynaud to the Giants. I wonder if that means Percy Harvin will resume his role as a kickoff returner. I have no idea who will return punts, although cornerback Asher Allen did get some work there in the preseason.